Increase Your Success Rate in the Search Engine Optimization
Businesses across the world are becoming more aware of the needs of understanding the basics of
search engine optimization (SEO). In order to ensure success in the competitive world of Search Engine Optimization, you need to follow a certain set of basic rules.
Below are listed some of the basics. Follow them and ensure the success of your online strategy.
1.Committing oneself to the process
You must remember that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not a one time process or event. Search engine rules and algorithms keep on changing and updating on a regular basis. It is quite possible that the rules that were applicable last year do not hold much significance in the current scenario.
For ensuring success you need to be updated on the process, as it changes and upgrades. Remember, SEO needs commitment and long term outlook. Develop the same and reap the benefits.
2.Have patience with search engine optimization
Patience is the key to success and this holds true in the SEO world too.
It often happens that results take weeks and months to shape up.
Do not give up and persist with your SEO strategy. You will achieve success.
3.Becoming a student of SEO
For those taking the do it yourself route, becoming a student of SEO is the only option. A range of web resources as Search Engine Land and a range of online tutorials are available. Some printed literature is available too. Go through the same in letter and spirit and success will follow eventually.
4. Get some web analytics software
A well beginning is a half work done through. This is true in the case of Search Engine Optimization too. Have clearly defined SEO goals for your venture and get some web analytic software. This will help you check on things that work for you.
5.Building a great website
As a business owner, it is undoubtedly your desire to figure on the top of the search results. You need to do some soul searching and check out if your website is among the top 10 in the block. If not, you need to work on it and come up with a strategy to make it better.
6.Including a site map page
It is a fact that spiders cannot index pages that cannot be crawled. Having a site map will help the spiders find the relevant pages on your website and will thus help it understand the hierarchy of the website. This is particularly important if the site has a hard crawl of the navigation menu.
If the site is large enough, one needs to make several distinct site maps. Each one of these has to be kept under 100 links.
7.Having SEO friendly URLs
For better results, keywords should be used in URLs as also in the names of the files. The only thing to remember here is that you should not overdo things as a file having more than 3 hyphens look spammy and the potential users might ignore the same.
8.Keyword research in the initial phase
For those on a tight budget, the use of free versions of WordTracker and KeywordDiscovery is recommended. The AdWords Keyword Tool from Google is also recommended.
9.Opening up a PPC account
Even if you are using adCenter or Ad Words, you must know that this is a worthy way of attaining actual sales volume for the keyword. This option costs a bit but is worth the investment.
10.Using relevant title and meta description for every page
It is true that the page title is one of the most important SEO factors that need to be considered. There is minimal chance of primary term being ranked high without the same being part of the page title.
11. Writing for the users
As a content writer, you need to remember that your prime objective is to cater to the reader. Write for human beings and not for search engines. It is imperative to use a judicious mix of keywords and related terms but one should not ignore the fact that the content is being written for the reader. Add a human perspective to whatever you write and see the change it brings to your efforts.
12.Creating unique content
The creation of unique content is important for everyone but the same hold equal relevance in the online segment too. It is quite possible that the product or service that you are writing about is being written off by a set of content writers in other parts of the world. The challenge is to make it unique and attractive enough so that the customer is able to connect with the same. Have a thorough knowledge of the field that you are writing about and use unique product descriptions along with quality keyword research to come up with the expectations of the readers.
13.Using press releases
Develop good relations with the media community that covers your segment. You can get links from trusted media websites in your field. Try link building tactics as distributing releases online.
14.Starting a blog and participating in others
You can think of starting a unique blog in your niche. Write to yourself or get some guest bloggers to comment on your service or products. Promote your blog through various mediums, be it Facebook page, Twitter feeds, or email marketing. This way you will be able to develop a passionate relationship with your readers and will eventually reap the benefits as your success rate will increase.
In case you are into a service-focused business, using innovative services as Yahoo Answers can do the trick for you.
15.Taking advantage of local search opportunities
An emerging trend in the market is online research for offline buying. You can optimize your website to keep a track of local traffic by highlighting your phone number and address. You should be submitting the website to free local listing services that all the main search engines offer.
Featuring on the first page of any search engine brings worthy returns for any business. Follow the above-listed trick and you will witness an increase in success rate when it comes to search engine optimization.