Word Count: 621 Date: Wed, 25 Mar 2009 6:18 PM
The Essential Steps To Search Engine Optimization
SEO also known as Search Engine Optimization is the procedure of allowing a website to receive traffic, rankings, SERPs and backlinks through use of various actions. Obviously the more traffic your website generates and the more backlinks you have, the higher you will be ranked on the search engines. Listed below are a few essential basics you should familiarize yourself with if you have a website online. Remember, if no one knows you exist - you will never have traffic or visits or make money for that matter. Be visible.
Website Rankings -
Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines have a ranking system. Search engines rank web pages depending on their relevance to a user's query. So if someone searches for a keyword like "Sony PSP" and your website is ranked for that specific term - your website will show up.
Keywords -
A keyword is a phrase, word or term that a person will use to find specific "things" on a search engine. It's a good idea to try and pick key phrases rather than keywords when you are optimizing or marketing. In my opinion, this will get you better results. First off you have to take a look at your competition. Too much - you will never be seen. Too little - and it's probably a keyword no one searches for. Don't make it complex. Think of yourself as the searcher. What would you look up in order to find your website. Make sure when you do optimization on your website that your keywords are filled in on the title, summary and "tags".
Content -
Once you figure out what keywords you want to use, you will want to place those keywords within your content. I also find that on some of the sites I work on - keywords that aren't even being "worked on" end up being "key players" in the optimization. For instance, I might work on the same 5 keywords for a site but because of the SERPs and page rank of the site - search engines will pick up on other keywords you use as well. So keywords you work on are: Sony PSP, Gaming Consoles, Buy games online, etc. But you do one or two pieces of content on something completely irrelevant like the Lenova Laptop - search engines will pick up on this. And when people search for the Lenova Laptop - voila, your site shows up.
Backlinks -
SEO has a lot to do with backlinks. The more backlinks you have the better your ranking. But you have to remember that if you have keywords linked or associated to your website - this is just as good as having backlinks that are visible. For instance, if you do a search for Consumer-Outlet you can see they barely have any backlinks. But they have so many articles out on the net and so much quality content on their website that they show up on Google all the time. So just because you don't see visible backlinks - doesn't mean a site is invisible.
Article Marketing -
It's a good idea if you can get a writer or company to do Article Marketing for you. This will allow you to provide them keywords which will be placed in the article and in the submission form. You will also provide the writer with an anchor and your URL which will be placed in the resource box of the article. This counts towards backlinks and SERPs and is one of the easiest, most efficient and cheapest ways of going about getting your website "up there" on the ranking scale!
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This Author is a huge fan of Raleigh Internet Marketing
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Comments 
This content applies more for brick and mortors with websites.
Search online directories (i.e. yellowpages.com) and there are tons of them,for your service in your local. For example "landscape contractor las vegas". If your business does not show up, you can fill out an online form and they will add it in. Usually this is a free service but they will also want to sell you a package (though you don't have to buy it forthe free listing). If you are on the directory, a comment about your company will raise your position in the directory. Call your most loyal customers and have them put comments on the directory. Be honest and never write your own. the person writing it must give their name, address and phone number sometimes but no financial,ss number or other info that lead to identity theft.
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