SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION - 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE

Search Engine Optimization (a.k.a SEO) is a hot topic - everyone wants to know how they can get their Website listed on the first page of Google, preferably within the top three.

Google search engine result rankings are based on PageRank - an algorithm designed to review a Website and assign a score based on a number of factors. Websites with a higher PageRank are more likely to appear at the top of search engine results. While the PageRank algorithm is proprietary to Google, ongoing trial and error by Web developers have resulted in a general consensus of what can help you improve your PageRank:

1. Keyword Identification

Make sure you take time to understand the keywords/keyword phrases that a customer would use to find you. Use Google to search on your keywords and review the results of your competition. Analyze their Website and how they are using the keyword to their advantage.

2. The quality of your Website HTML Code

Check your Website against W3C standards to see if it has been properly coded. Quality code ensures Google and other search engines can easily read and index your Website.

There are specific HTML tags that you should also incorporate into your Website including:

1. Header Tags which are used for headlines in content
2. Title tag which is what you see at the top of your Web browser and used by search engines on their result page - make sure you insert your keywords here
3. Description tag which is indexed by Google and sometimes used in the search engine result page
4. Keywords tag which include all of your important keywords and keyword phrases

3. The quality of content

Keyword rich content that is unique to your Website helps establish credibility with both your audience and Google. Quality content that also includes your core keywords is important in establishing content credibility with Google. Furthermore, by publishing original content, you are also more likely to have a third person place a backlink (see #5 below) on their Website to yours.

4. Frequency of Website updates

Google ranks Websites that are continually updated higher than those that do not. The most important page to publish updates is your homepage. Strive to update it once a week.

Create a content strategy that outlines the who, what, when, where and how of updates:

1. Who will be responsible for writing new content?
2. What will the subjects or themes be?
3. When will the Website will be updated (daily, weekly, bi-weekly)?
4. Where will the content be placed on the Website?
5. How will the Website be updated (in-house publishing, outsourced)?

5. Third Party Backlinks

Third party links, or backlinks, help establish credibility with Google. The higher your credibility, the more likely your Website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Establish backlinks to your Website by submitting your URL to free directories, publishing a blog on a third party Website such as WordPress, utilizing social media networks or having partners link to you.

Strive to establish backlinks only from sites that are related in the same topic or theme as your Website.

Remember, search engine optimization is an ongoing initiative that requires patience and dedication. If you take the steps outlined in this article and review them on a consistent basis, you will see your search engine result improve over time. The sooner you start, the sooner you will begin to see results!