Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of methods aimed at improving the ranking of a Web site in search engine listings. The term SEO also refers to "search engine optimizers," an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients' sites.
Here are some basic recommendations for business owners who may not be aware of the need for or the process of search engine optimization to use as they develop a Web site.
Plan your Web site's SEO before you create the site.
It's important to create your Web site with SEO in mind. Changing a Web site, or potentially even redesigning your Web site, to optimize it for search engines can end up being an expensive proposition. Plan to create a search engine-friendly Web site from the start. SEO should not be a separate service that costs hundreds of dollars, but rather part of any well-conceived and well-developed Web site.
Content is king!
Increase the amount of unique content on the site and write quality content for Web site visitors instead of the search engines. High quality Web sites that offer interesting content or novel features tend to accumulate large numbers of links, which have a positive effect on search engine optimization especially with Google. This idea is often referred to as developing "link bait" strategies.
Use titles & meta data.
Use unique titles to name each page on the Web site. Web page titles (while coded into the html for each page) appear in the title bar of the browser at the very top of the browser window and are given significant weight by search engines.
A close cousin of the title are the description and keywords, two types of meta data. Also appearing in the html code, the description and keywords do not appear on the Web pages or the Web browser. The description for each Web page, however, is the text that will appear when a search engine returns your Web site in a listing for a specific query. Use a reasonably-sized, accurate description meta tag without excessive use of keywords, exclamation marks or off-topic terms.
Keywords, while not as important as they once were (Google claims to disregard the), work in conjunction with the content of the Web pages. Search engines look for these target keywords in key phrases in the content of the Web pages. Some search engines give weight to keyword density and keyword proximity, the density of keywords in content as well as the proximity of those keywords to each other. Clearly, for this concept to work the Web site must list keywords.
When developing keywords, use longer words and plurals rather than single keywords. Single keywords are much more commonly entered by Web users, which makes them more difficult to target effectively than multi-word key phrases. Unless the single keywords are highly unique, your best results will be achieved using key phrases. If you target plural versions of your keywords or phrases, you'll get hits from people searching for the singular and plural versions of those words. Editing Web pages to replace vague wording with specific terminology relevant to the subject of the page, and that the audiences that the site was developed for will expect to see on the pages, and will search with to find the page.
Provide a Web site map.
Providing a site map that links to your main pages will help search engines find your content, as well as being helpful to Web site visitors. If your site map contains more than about one hundred links, though, break it logically into pages of no more than one hundred links each. Male sure a link to the site map appears on each page.
Avoid the use of splash pages.
A splash page is a main entry page that displays either a large graphic image or a Flash animation, usually with a link to enter a Web site or skip intro (skip the animated introduction page). Splash pages usually redirect to a new web page after the animation has completed. While visually appealing and providing a "gee-whiz" effect, a page that has a "skip" option is conceding that many people will in fact "skip" it. Additionally, as you might expect, splash pages typically lack keyword or key phrase-rich content, as they contain little or no visible body text and search engines do give more weight to the information that appears on a Web site's home page.
Also avoid Java script and image maps. It is okay to use these techniques but again, make sure their use is balanced by appropriate, well-written content. Ensuring that all pages are accessible via anchor tag hyperlinks, and not only via Java, Java script or Macromedia Flash applications or meta refresh redirection; this can be done through the use of text-based links in site navigation and also via a page listing all the contents of the site (a site map). Instead of Java script see if the same effect cannot be achieved using more search-engine friendly techniques like cascading style sheets (CSS).
Employ other means to market your Web site.
In addition to SEO, it is necessary to cross-promote the Web site via business cards, letterhead, brochures, street signs, magnetic car signs, voicemail, e-mail signatures and depending on your budget, you might consider advertising through traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Sometimes small classified in community weeklies with Web addresses can provide big returns on the investment as well as reduce the cost of the actual print ad outlay.
It may seem odd that someone who designs Web sites would suggest business owners spend money with competing media. However, this is the difference between some whiz kid who can deign a Web site and a professional Web developer and marketer who not only works to design and develop a Web site, but who also advises their client on best practices vis-a-vis Web marketing, Web based or otherwise.
Of course, these are only optimization techniques, and only paid search engine listings can guarantee a high ranking for search phrases. Again, the main point is to plan the optimization as part of the development phase of the Web site and remember, always, that content is king! Keep the above guidelines in mind and you will end-up with a well designed Web site at less cost that should position you to be returned for relevant search results. The money you save from NOT paying an SEO firm can be used for Web or other media advertising to promote the site and the business!