Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

There are millions of websites out there on the World Wide Web. They compete intensely with each other to attract a larger chunk of the target audience. The individuals who comprise the target audience would reach the site either by keying in the website address (URL) or by using search engines to locate the website and other similar sites in line with their needs.

In such a scenario, it becomes very important for the website owners/companies to find a place amongst the search engine listings, preferably somewhere at the top of the list. This is where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) comes into the picture.

Most people think of SEO as being too complicated and hence, beyond their reach. However, it can be achieved if the Webmaster tried and tested methodologies, which in turn work in sync with how search engines function. Improving search engine rankings in competitive topic areas does require relevant knowledge, expertise and the advice of SEO experts, but most websites do not operate in such competitive areas. Many of them can achieve top rankings by applying just the basics of SEO.

This article contains a few basics of SEO which you could apply on your own before resorting to professional help from an expert.

What is Search Engine Optimisation?

SEO is a method of getting top rankings for a website's relevant keywords in search engines. The relevant keywords are the phrases that prospective users of the site are most likely to type into a search engine while looking for the content that the website offers. Getting high ranks on these keywords is what SEO is all about.

The best way to start is by choosing an existing benchmark among websites that offer services similar to those on your website. Next, analyse these sites to figure out the most suitable phrases to help you decide on suitable key phrases for your website.

The next step is to allocate these key phrases to suitable pages within your site. Focus on one to three phrases per page. In case your website page is very large and covers wider areas of content, you should try to split pages that cover several closely related topics, or several aspects of a topic, into two or more shorter pages so that a different search term can be targeted at each individual page. Moreover, the content on the page should be in sync with the keywords and title of the page. Remember that smaller and more concise pages are better than longer ones because it is easier to target a keyword when there is less text on the page to dilute the focus. Optimally, a page should not have more than 200 words of content.

Search Engine Optimisation - Some Basics

Linking/navigation within the website

SEO tries to ensure that search engine spiders can find (crawl) all of the site's pages. Otherwise, such pages cannot be read by the search engines and can, therefore, never be indexed. Thus, all your efforts are likely to amount to nothing if this essential aspect is not taken care of right at the beginning.

Some critical points to note...

Spiders can't see links that are created using JavaScript, or if the links are served in the Shockwaves or Applets - as such, these links don't exist for search engines. Don't use such links if you want spiders to follow these links.

Make sure that all pages link to at least one other page. Links to pages that don't link out are called "dangling links", and there can be various reasons for such links. The Webmaster needs to work on these.

Avoid frame-based websites since search engines are unable to index such sites in the same way that the sites are created.

Off-page elements

Link text

This is one of the two most important elements for good rankings. The link text can be on pages within the site or on pages of other sites. Either way, it is important. The target page's main search term should be included in the link text. Links carry even more weight if the text around them is concerned with the target page's topic and keyword(s).

On-page elements

This is the other important element for good rankings. Make sure that the page's keywords are contained in this tag. Moreover, each page's Title tag should be different from the Title tags on the other pages of the site. The Description tag

Some search engines, such as Google, don't display descriptions, but in spite of this, it should be included in each page. Write an appealing description for the page and incorporate the page's search keywords into it at least once, preferably twice.

The Keywords tag

The words in the keywords tag are indexed. Hence, it is important to put plenty of relevant keywords in this tag.

The Header tag

In the above tag, "n" is a number from 1 to 6; the biggest heading size being 1. Header tags are given more weight that ordinary text and, the bigger the H size, the more weight it receives. So include the target search key words in H tags at least once on the page, or better still, two or three times. Also, place the first H tag as near to the top of the page as possible.

Bold text

Bold text is given more weight than ordinary text but not as much as H tags. As far as is reasonable, enclose the search keywords in bold tags when it appears on the page.

Text

Reword small parts, and even add sentences, to make sure that the search term is well represented in the text. In all probability, each word in the search keywords will be found on the page. In fact, if they are not there on their own, add a few of them in the content the page. In general, around 200 words of textual content is optimum for a page.

Alt text

Include the search term in the Alt text of all images on the page.

Work on ensuring website popularity

Search engines accord emphasis to the popularity of the website on the Internet. It keeps track of all the other websites which link to the pages of your website and adds the ranking to the keywords and links present on related websites.

Summary

Select your main key phrases.

Allocate phrases to a suitable existing page. Split some pages if necessary.

Organise the internal linkages and link text to suit the target search terms and their pages. If possible, organise links from other sites to suit the target search words and their pages. Organise all the on-page elements to suit each page's target search keywords. Ask other Webmasters to add the link of your website on their websites in order to ensure higher visibility of your website on the Internet.

Identify categories on the available directories on the World Wide Web and submit your site to them.

Register your site in search engines

And sit back and watch your rankings improve!

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