10 Things I Know About ... Search engine optimization
Matt Ward
(Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the Worcester Business Journal in June 2009.)
10. Add content
Your content needs to be page specific. Each page should have very detailed information regarding that page title. If your page title is "Boston Based Widgets," your content needs to contain those terms.
9. Edit existing content
You can edit your existing content to improve your search-engine rankings. Once you know where you and your competition rank, you can form a plan.
8. Improve titles
Titles help search engines identify relevant pages to deliver to the user. If you don't have a page title that includes relevant information for the search, the user may not see your page.
7. Improve page names
If your content is related to dog treats, then dog-treats-for-your-pet.html is a strong page name. Remember to always be specific.
6. Alt tags
Make sure you have Alt tags on your images. They produce the "tool tip" when you hover over an image. Google likes the Alt tag and can read it as text, so it uses it to rank the site.
5. Do your homework
Research what you want to show up in a search engine. A great way to do this is to review your competitor's website and view its major topic points.
4. Know your competition
Many of your competitors will have multiple websites, each focusing on a division of their businesses. Make sure you review in detail each site they have.
3. Don't cheat
A common shortcut to improve rankings is to "stuff" keywords into the HTML code of your site. That might work in the short term, but Google is on to this and will ban your site from its results if it notices.
2. Build links
Google sees links that point to your site as an indicator that your site is important. It's also important to note the text that's used to point to your site. Be sure to use the appropriate search phrase text you want to show up.
1. Keep improving
Working on your site is not hard, but finding the time to do it always is difficult. Try to schedule just one hour a week to update your site.
Matt Ward is president and CEO of inConcert Web Solutions of Gardner. He's also a keynote speaker on the Internet and social media, and author of Making Your Website Effective. Contact him at matt@inconcertweb.com.
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