How to get more traffic.
Although SEO (search engine optimization) is very complicated, we will attempt to break it down into basic terms.
Link Popularity, adding content and meta tags all working together is what provides you good positioning in search engines. The first thing that's looked at by a search engine is the Link Popularity. Basically it's someone elses site having a link or path to to your site. Your site is popular because of the number of links coming from other sites. Sole purpose of trading links is for your site to gain placement on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask Jeeves.
Easy ways of getting involved in link Popularity:
1) Linking with directories: like Directory Revolution, DMOZ and others. Linking with directories is a great way to find sites like yours and who are willing to trade links because most people who have signed up for a directory usually understand the importance of "Link Popularity"
2) Search Google for keywords that describe your practice and/or location. Look for Websites that are ranked well. If possible, submit your Web site to those Websites.
3) Create a "link to us" page: Create a page on your site to notify others that you are aware of the benefits of link popularity and are looking for link partners. Once you start adding links to your site be sure to come up with a good management system for keeping in track of those who have linked and those who have not.
4) Download and use the Google Toolbar to track the popularity and traffic rank of your Website, as well as other Websites of interest.
How to give exposure your site.
Below are ways to improve exposure on your site besides link popularity:
- Send e-mail newsletters,
- Adwords Pay Per Click (PPC),
- Post to forums and Blogs,
- Buy Ad space.
Does your site read well?
Keyword Density is the number of keywords repeated on your page. For example, if your site is about Red Widgets, then your target keyword should be "Red Widget" This phrase should be mentioned within your pages to cover about 3-8% of the total text on the page. This is how a search engine can tell what your site's content is.
Keyword density is important since search engines use this information to categorize a site's theme, and to determine which terms this site is relevant to -- the perfect keyword density will help archive higher search engine positions. Keyword density needs to be balanced correctly (too low and you will not get the optimum benefit, too high and your page might get flagged for 'keyword-spamming').
Keyword density is the ratio of a keyword or key phrase to the total number of words on that page. It is one of the most critical aspects of successful search engine optimization. To improve your search engine ranking potential, your keyword density must be just right. To calculate your keyword density, divide the total number of words on your page by the number of times your primary keyword or key phrase appears. Keyword density is critical when outlining the keyword portion of your search engine optimization strategy.
Naturally, there is a fine line between strategically scattering these keywords throughout your content versus grouping them all together, separated by commas. The latter is known as spamming and you will get penalized for doing it. Don't think you can fool the search engines. They have the technology to figure out these little tricks.
1) Incorporate your Meta tags into your keyword phrases on your site. People often forget that search engines will spider the heading Meta tags first because they proceed and stand out from your main site content.
2) Write keyword rich content that not only satisfies the search engine algorithms but is equally informative for customers visiting your site. This is the most difficult part of writing your content - but also the most critical.
3) Try to write at least 300 words for each page on your site. Again, the more content you have the better chance you will have to include those all important keywords you diligently researched and ultimately selected.
4) Too often we see content saturated with too many keywords that, as popular as they may be, just don't relate to the site itself. Avoid doing this - it will only irritate potential customers.
The Right Ratio The most essential part of optimizing keyword density is using the correct ratio of keywords-total words on your page. Keyword density ratios are discussed as a percentage. A good range for keyword density for a target keyword is 2% to 6%. Meaning, when you divide the number of times you used a keyword on your page by the total number of words on your page you should get a percent somewhere between 2 and 6.
The Wrong Ratio Having a too high or too low keyword density can be to your page's detriment. If the density is too low your page will be considered an irrelevant result for that keyword phrase. But don't be fooled into thinking a higher keyword density equals a more relevant result. Search engines combat spam pages by penalizing pages with a too high keyword density, or keyword: total word ratio.
What is a Meta Tag?
A meta tag is a hidden description about your site solely used for web crawlers to help catagorize and index your site in a search.
Do's and Don'ts of meta tag use.
Do use keyword research tools like Overture's Search Suggestion tool and Wordtracker to find 2-3 word key phrases to target.
Do use 3-4 keywords or 2-3 keyword phrases in the Title Tag - the most critical tag for rankings. Remember the words farthest to the left have more "weight." You might want to move the company name to the end, unless it includes targeted keywords.
Do create keyword combinations specific to each page on your site based on the page text. Think in terms of themes or subcategories. Example, if you have a garden e-commerce site, for the "bulbs" page use specific keywords like: fall bulbs supplier, tulip bulbs, flowering bulbs.
Do change your meta tags seasonally to include holidays and seasonal changes. Start about 6 weeks before the targeted month or holiday to ensure time for the search engines to pick up the changes in time.
Don't stuff keywords into your tags. More is not always better and can get you banned.
Don't use the same word more than 3 times in the keyword meta tag, and avoid using the same word consecutively. By omitting commas, you can create more combinations and avoid overusing the same words.
Don't target generic, one-word keywords with extreme competition, for example, gardens or gardening.
Don't make your title tag one long string of keywords. Make it a readable sentence or phrase.
Meta tags can help you round out your rankings in addition to other factors like page content (important) and link popularity. Do your research and use them wisely. They may not be dead, but meta tags certainly are a part of the overall picture in SEO.
