The Road to Better Results

A lot has changed in the way sites are optimized for search engines since last year. For one thing, Google is not the only search engine worth looking into anymore; Yahoo has definitely managed to take away some of Google's oomph over the past twelve months. Another important change is that the intelligence of the search engine spiders and algorithms has increased dramatically. So without further ado, I will present you with a standard search engine optimizing process.

Keyword Research

Nothing can be done until you know what your target phrases are. Keyword research must be done to find out what people are actually typing into the search engines. For example, do they type in "medical insurance" or "health insurance" more often? Is it worth targeting the keyword "dental insurance"? What do your competitors think its clients type?

Keyword research usually begins by asking the client what they think are good keywords and by looking at your competitor's Meta tags and text. You then have to brainstorm to find new and related keywords that were not previously thought of. The use of Wordtracker, Overture, and Google AdWords' estimates is indispensable. If you use the "KEI" offered at Wordtracker, don't fall into the trap of giving it too much worth. It is a good tool to help discover keywords that have not been exploited by the competition, but the really important number is the amount of traffic each keyword generates. Finally, create a chart to determine the relationship between keywords used. For example, there is no point promoting dental insurance if your site does not offer it.

Texts

The next step is to write the text. Hire a specialized writer to put the text together. Ideally someone who has been trained in Internet writing, Internet marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), or get advice from professional SEOs, marketing experts, and usability experts. Work with the client to get a feel for what is needed for the site. Then use all these skill to put together the delicate balance needed between selling to people, selling to search engines, and making the text interesting/useful to read.

Domain Selection

Once the text is written, come up with a catchy domain name for the site. Try to include part of the keyword in the domain, and to think ahead so that the domain can be expanded into the title. Our site www.gloriousbahamas.com is a good example of a domain with a keyword in it that is catchy and clearly stated. The keyword for that site is "Bahamas real estate", so having part of the keyword in the domain will help in the long run.

Title and Meta Tags

From the domain name, you can then create a title with the full main keyword in it (such as Glorious Bahamas Real Estate). The title is the most important text on the site. The Meta tags include the description tag, and the keyword tag. The description is what the searchers will see in many search engine results, so it must have the keywords in it and, more importantly, it must sell the site. Write a description that is objective, not subjective. Zeal has some good advice for titles and especially description writing at http://zeal.com/guidelines/style/site_titledesc/. The keyword tag is done just in case some engines still use it (though very few still do), so don't pull your hair out over it. Just list 10-15 keyphrases and try not to repeat any single word more than three times.

New Content

Now we come to the meat of today's search engine optimization. So far, we have not discussed anything new or original. It is the same strategies that have been used since I first got into the business of SEO in 1998. Today, with smarter engines, a site needs to be something that is cared about. A site has to grow, develop, and expand as if it were someone's baby. Gone are the days when you could build a site, get good listings, and then forget about it as it brought in the traffic and the dough. Take care of your site by adding useful content to it on a regular basis, and then the site will gradually grow from a few pages to dozens of pages. Not only will this make the site seem more alive - radiating with the healthy glow of a developing child - but it has the added benefit of increasing the amount of content the site contains, and thus increasing the amount of keywords found within it. For example with www.canada-health-insurance.com we add pages with more details about dental coverage or pages with details about government coverage for each province. Every month there are new pages, so that every time the spider comes back to visit, it spends more time at the site reading new content. This is one half of the key to getting good listings in the search engine results pages (SERP).

Link Campaigns

The second half of the key is getting good sites to link to your site. Going after web sites with related content, sites with good authority in your web site's field, and sites that are "popular" are the priority. Getting only reciprocal links is not the goal, getting the aforementioned sites to link to you because you have good, valuable content is the goal. Sites that do reciprocal linking usually have hundreds of links on their link pages and these will add very little value to your site. Don't waste your time with reciprocal linking. Only link to a site if doing so will increase the value of your site in the eyes of your clients.

A link campaign is a lot of work, and it involves a lot of frustration and rejection. You have to approach bigger sites and sell the value that linking to your site will bring them. For every 20 sites you approach, you will be lucky to get one to link to you. You have to be persistent, consistent, and determined.

Conclusions

Optimizing a site is no longer something you can do and then forget about. For a site to succeed in the search engines today, it has to constantly be changing and growing either in content or in links, and ideally in both. It has to appear that the site is the life and soul of its creator, and that somebody cares enough about it to pay attention to it. Because after all, if the creator doesn't care, why should the search engines?

About The Author

Shawn Campbell is an enthusiastic player in the ecommerce marketplace, and co-founded Red Carpet Web Promotion, Inc. (http://www.redcarpetweb.com/). He has been researching and developing marketing strategies to achieve more prominent listings in search engine results since 1998. Shawn is one of the earliest pioneers in the search engine optimization field. Contact: shawn@redcarpetweb.com

shawn@redcarpetweb.com

---

Why A Simple Counter is Never Enough for Your Website

A simple website stats counter is not enough if you... Read More

Website Strategy!

A website lets you put your products in front of... Read More

How to Listen on the Web

When building a relationship, listening is more important than talking.A... Read More

Five Essential Questions to Answer Before Creating Your First (or second...or third) Website

Right after the thought, "I need a website," people usually... Read More

Make Your Web Site Stand Out

When visitors add your web site to their Favorites or... Read More

A Web Site for Your Small Business: How to Set Up a Website

Your web site will be your window to the world.... Read More

Easy Steps To Website Development and Promotion

One of the most important parts of establishing a new... Read More

Why Every Small Business Owner Needs Two Websites

Every small business owner knows that they need a website,... Read More

The Problem with Automated Accessibility Testing Tools

An automated accessibility tool is a piece of software which... Read More

Flash Deadly Sins (That Can Kill Your Web Business)

Looks like every client wants a Flash site these days... Read More

Web Analytics - Getting it Right

Understanding and using web analytics.In recent years, website marketers were... Read More

9 Simple Steps to Create a Background Tiled Image Branded with Your Name

You have seen those web pages where they have the... Read More

Newsletter Management Using PHP w/o mySQL for Beginners

Let's begin by setting some limits. If you're like me,... Read More

Developing A Website: 10 Tips For Getting Started

1. Be clear on your purpose.Building a website can be... Read More

How One Word Or Even One Letter Can Boost Conversion Rates By Over 400%!

Recently I was reviewing the keyword specific conversion rate data... Read More

Website For The Company Store

If your company own one or more stores, you might... Read More

Earning From Your Website

Before you start building your site, ask yourself "WHY?". Why... Read More

Why Do I Need A Web Site?

Even though the Internet has been around for a long... Read More

Trinkets, Lockets And Empty Pockets

It never ceases to amaze me how many people set-up... Read More

Your Future Profit Is In The Stars

You don't believe in astrology but you check your horoscope... Read More

Achieving Differentiation With Your Website

Internet Marketing is not a miracle marketing strategy ? competition... Read More

5 Sure Fire Ways To Send Visitors Away For Good

So your traffic is going through the roof yeah? It's... Read More

5 Tips To Supercharge Your Website Sales Copy

The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More

Why Should Your Business Go O.N.L.I.N.E.

Optimize your time. How much time each day must you... Read More

Increase Hits to Help Increase Your Business

In this day and age most businesses consider having their... Read More

UK Online Shopping with an Edge, for Buyers and Sellers Alike

Any new website competing on the internet, needs to take... Read More

Find the Purpose of Your New / Proposed Website

Absolutely everything stems from the purpose of your website -... Read More

Building a Web Site Requires the Right Software to Eliminate Headaches and Keep Money in Your Pocket

When most people build a web site, they think one... Read More

Make Your Artist Website Sell!

SummaryHere's the scoop on what you must know when designing... Read More

From Concept to Website

You've decided to create a website to market your products... Read More

The Internet Road Map

1) Data CaptureOne easy way to collect e-mail addresses and... Read More

Beyond Web Usability: Web Credibility

If you've been developing websites on Mars for the past... Read More

5 Ways to Build a Website

If you are like me you have wanted to build... Read More