The Basics of Search Engine Optimization
Written by PLRMan on May 23, 2009 – 2:49 pm -Have you been working for a bit and still feel confused about Search Engine Optimization (there ya go, that’s what SEO is!) this is a must read for you. This article will explore SEO, how you can apply it appropriately, and what you need to do to be sure you don’t get penalized.
(Before I dive right in, Goole Conquest Authority is a training program that will go over SEO in full detail, but for now, you can start off here.)
As stated in the above paragraph, SEO stands for search engine optimization. The biggest question new internet marketers wonder is what is a search engine? I know this is extremely basic, but this is where you need to start. Once you learn the absolute basics, when you start to explore more on the topic of SEO, you will have a full understanding of exactly what it is.
All a search engine is, is a place you go when you are looking for a particular subject online. An example, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask, etc. These are all search engines. When you are looking for an answer online, you visit a search engine, put in the keywords you are looking for, and presto! The search engine “searches” the internet for you and brings up pages of all the websites on the internet that pertain to your search.
You know what a search engine is and you know what SEO is. Now let me explain to you how you can optimize your site for it.
The number one thing you must do before any optimization, is you must determine the targeted keywords you will use for your site. To be more specific, finding the terms you want your site ranked for with the search engines. An example of this would be:
Let’s say you have a website about fixing computers. People who are looking for information on repairing their computers might search for these keywords: how can I get my computer fixed, what does a blue screen on a computer mean, or my computer is broken. These phrases would all be considered long tail keywords, and these are what you would want to target, because they are the terms that people search the search engines for.
Make sure when picking your keywords or key phrases, they are real terms that get searched for, if not, you won’t get any traffic to your site. (Another tip is to make sure you pick keywords that don’t have lots of other websites targeting them. You might not still get visitors if there is too much competition.) I highly recommend using a keyword research tool to find some excellent ones. You can use Google’s free keyword tool, or Wordtracker’s free tool if money is tight. They are fantastic starter tools, and they do the job just fine. after you start making some money, I highly recommend you get a paid tool because they are so much more effective, and you can really find some good keywords you would never have thought of.
You can read more on keyword research and finding good keywords here.
Alright, so now that you have your keywords, the next step is to be sure your site is optimized for those keywords. How is this done? It’s really simple, actually.
The most important rule of thumb is always make the title of your page or post (if it’s a blog) isthe exact key phrase or word you are targeting. This will be known as your title tag. Title tags have a huge influence on the search engines when they visit your site, so whatever you title your page, the search engines will consider it a keyword and you are trying to rank for it. This holds true for your domain name as well. Your page/post title and your website title (domain name) are extremely large factors in the SEO world.
Once you have bought your domain (known as the URL), and you have picked your targeted key phrases or words, the next step is to add content to your website or blog. Your article should be between 400-500 words at least, and make sure you include your targeted keywords or phrases at least 2-3 times in the content. Do NOT go overboard with this, or you may get penalized. Take care the keyword density is not over 7% (amount of keywords vs. actual words on page). Staying below 6-7% is much better. If you go over this recommended safety net, the search engines may see you as “keyword stuffing”. Keyword stuffing means using your keywords too many times in one page, and your site will pay for it if you do that, I promise.
The more content you have on your page, the better chance you have of being able to get all your keywords in and not make it look like you are keyword stuffing. In other words, keep your posts and pages long, and you can put all your keywords in. Search engines favor long text articles and unique content.
Do not worry about getting every keyword phrase in your article multiple times, because the search engines are smart, and if you have a quality site, Google will rank you for keywords you never even thought to rank for. The most important goal is getting your main phrase in 2-3 times, and the others at least one time.
That’s SEO in a very brief overview. Learn as much as you can about the matter, because it really will benefit you in the long run. To learn SEO takes some patience, but you will be a pro in no time.
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Tags: free traffic, learn seo, search engine optimization, search engines, SEO
Posted in SEO |