350 Library - Search Engine Submission

Optimizing your Presence in the Search Engines

85% of all Internet surfers use search engines to find what they're looking for. Do you know where your website ranks and how high up the list it is?

You can easily determine this by going to Google or MSN and typing in a search term that is key to your website. Be specific and try to think of how a regular Internet user might find you. For example, if you are a sports shop in New York, you may want to type in "New York sports shop" as opposed to just "sports". Likewise, if you're a regional insurance dealer in London, searching for "insurance london", may be too broad a term for you, so perhaps try something more region like "london bayswater insurance".

Many websites are passing up many visitors and business by not trying to effectively position their web site on search engines.

Here are some things that can improve your ranking.

1. Optimizing your Keywords

To get listed correctly in the search engines each page of your site that you want listed needs to be optimized to the best of your ability. Since the keywords that you decide to target will be used throughout the optimization process choosing the right keywords is essential.

Therefore, you should utilize these tips when selecting keywords for each page that you plan to submit to the search engines.

Think "specific keyword phrases" not "keywords". Due to the extreme amount of competition for general terms in the search engines, if your keywords phrases are too general it is very unlikely you will rank well in the search engines. You stand a far better chance to rank well for specific phrases where there is less competition. The resulting traffic, since it is more highly targeted, should also be much higher quality too!
Try to think like your target audience. What would they search for when looking for the page you are optimizing? You should try and come up with as many keyword phrases you can think of that relate to the page you are optimizing. Try asking a few friends and family what they would search for when searching for a site like yours.
Check out your competition for ideas. Do a search using keywords that you already know you want to target and click through on the top sites that come up. ONce on the site view the source HTML code and view the keywords they have in their meta tags - this should give you many more ideas! Make sure to only use keywords that relate to YOUR site or page. To view the HTML code simply click the "View" at the top of your web browser then select "Source", or "Page Source".
You should develop a list of keywords phrases, following the tips on this page for EACH PAGE that you optimize for the search engines.

2. Optimizing your Title Tag

The title tag of your page is the most important factor to consider when optimizing your web page for the search engines. Try to visualize the terms a visitor might use to find what you have to offer. Stay away from product model names or industry jargon.

We recommend that your title tag be between 50-80 characters long - including spaces! The length that the different search engines accept varies, but as long as you keep within this limit you should be OK. Here are some tips:

We recommend that you include 1-2 of your most important keywords phrases in the title tag, BUT be careful not to just list keywords. If you just list keywords you risk being viewed as spamming the engines which can ultimately lead to you being blacklisted by the search engines. Your title tag should include your keyword phrases while remaining as close to a readable sentence as possible to avoid any problems.
Make the title enticing! Don't forget that even if you get that #1 listing in the search engines your listing still needs to say something that makes the surfer want to clickthrough and visit your site.
Since the length of your title tag could be a little long for some engines we suggest placing the keywords at the beginning of the tag when possible so that you do not risk having them cut off.
Each page of your site should have its own title tag with its own keywords that related to the page that it appears on.

3. Optimizing your Page Text:

The copy on your page is also very important to achieve better search engine listings. Actually, it is very close to being as important as your title tag.

Just like a visitor to your site would read the copy on your page, the search engines do too, and as they read your page copy they are looking for keyword phrases.

For best result we recommend that each page you submit as at least 200 words of copy on it. There is some cases where this much text can be difficult to put on a page, but the search engines really like it so you should do your best to increast the amount of copy where you can.
This text should include your most important keyword phrases, but should remain logical and readable.
Be sure to use those phrases that you have used in your other tags (i.e. metas, alt, headings, title, etc) during the optimization process.
Add additional copy filled pages to your site. For example, how-to articles, tips or tutorials. These types of content pages not only help you in the search engines, but many other sites will link to them too.

Optimizing your page copy is one of the most important things you could possibly do to improve your listings in the search engines. So, make sure you have plenty of it even if you need to redesign your site to work it in!

4. Optimizing your Meta-Tag Description and keywords:

Keywords are not as powerful as they once were because search engines have changed the way they search due to abuse. Make sure you use them but don't rely on them.

The search engines now usually look at a combination of factors to determine your listings, not just your metas - some don't even look at them at all! What this means is that your page should have a combination of all these tips implemented on your page - not just meta tags. The two most important tags that can help your search engine listings are meta keywords and meta description, which is the "teaser" a user sees on the search results right before they click through to your page.

Meta description tips:

Make sure you accurately describe the content of your page while trying to entice visitors to click on your listing.
Include 3-4 of your most important keyword phrases. Especially those used in your title tag and page copy.
Try to have your most important keywords appear at the beginning of your description. This often brings better results, and will help avoid having any search engine cut off your keywords if they limit the length of your description.

Meta keywords tips:

Asides from what is mentioned in the other tips below you should only use keyword phrases that you also used in the copy of your page, title tag, meta description and other tags. Any keywords phrases that you use that do not appear in your other tags or page copy are likely to not have enough prominence to help your listings for that phrase.
Don't forget plurals. For example, a travel site might have both "caribbean vacation" and "caribbean vacations" in their keyword meta tag to make sure they show up in both searches.
If you know of a common misspelling of a popular keyword that could be used to find your site you should enter it in your keywords meta tag. For example, a travel site might use "caribean" in their keyword meta since it is a common misspelling for "caribbean".
Watch out for repeats! Your want to include your most important phrases, but when doing so it can be difficult not to repeat one word many times. For example, "caribbean vacation" and "caribbean vacations are two different phrases, but the word "caribbean" appears twice. This is okay to do in order to make sure you get the phrases you need in there, but be careful not to repeat any one word excessively. There is no actual limit, but we recommend that no one word be repeated in the keyword meta more than 5 times.
If your site has content of interest to a specific geographic location be sure to include the actual location in your keyword meta.

5. Optimizing your Images "alt" Attributes

The images on your page can also help your listings. Each image on your page can include a keyword phrase or two that relates to the image. This text will also show up and help those that may have their images turned off when visiting your site. This does not work for all engines but it is worth a try.

Be sure to use the keyword phrases that you also used in the text of your page, the title tag, meta description and other tags.
Use no more than 2-3 keywords per image - do not try to cram a bunch of keywords into the "alt" attribute
Describe the image - do not just list keywords.
The "alt" attribute is also a good place for misspellings and plural keyword phrases that you may not have used elsewhere.

6. Optimizing Text Hyperlinks

Text based hyperlinks can help improve your listing in the search engines so you should make your links text-based instead of images. The search engines basically figure that if you are linking something from your page whatever it is your are linking to is likely to be closely related to the content of your page. For that reason some of the engines actually look for keywords in the hyperlinks and any text immediately surrounding the hyperlinks. Therefore, you should include the most important keyword phrases in the link itself and possibly in the surrounding text.

Try to include your most important keyword phrases within the hyperlink itself.
Try to include your most important keyword phrases in the text that immediately prceeds or follows the hyperlink.
Be careful not to keyword stuff! Make sure your links and surrounding text are still readable and make sense after you include a keyword phrase or two.

7. Optimizing Heading Tags

Although they are not used very frequently any longer HTML heading tags can help improve your listings in the search engines too. Since they are "headings" the search engines figure that they are very closely related to the content of the page that they appear on.

Try to include your most important keyword phrases within the hyperlink itself.
Consider rethinking your page content. It is often very easy to take an existing page full of copy and find ways to break it up into separate sections with headings.

8. Optimize various pages

Don't neccessarily focus all your efforts on your Home Page as there maybe other pages in your web site that can also generate traffic for you.

9. Links

Currently Google value the attribute of high page ranks according to the number of page links. So you should get as many web sites linking to your site as possible. These should be links from trusted sites with a high page rank. Forums and blogs are some of the strongest referrers. The link will need to be in place for a very long time for optimal effect. A steady link building scheme is required to earn top rankings. Linking via a link exchange programme will not work as you will be seen to be manipulating their results. They value natural linking in their algorithms.

10. Submissions

When you have submitted your web site to Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines bear in mind that it may take a few months before you see results though, and even then there is no guarantee.

Finally...

Remember search engine optimization is literally guerrilla warfare. You must do everything possible to be at or near the top or you will go un-noticed!

	Optimizing your Presence in the Search Engines 85% of all Internet surfers use search engines to find what they're looking for. Do you know where your website ranks and how high up the list it is? You can easily determine this by going to Google or MSN and typing in a search term that is key to your website. Be specific and try to think of how a regular Internet user might find you. For example, if you are a sports shop in New York, you may want to type in "New York sports shop" as opposed to just "sports". Likewise, if you're a regional insurance dealer in London, searching for "insurance london", may be too broad a term for you, so perhaps try something more region like "london bayswater insurance". Many websites are passing up many visitors and business by not trying to effectively position their web site on search engines. Here are some things that can improve your ranking. 1. Optimizing your Keywords To get listed correctly in the search engines each page of your site that you want listed needs to be optimized to the best of your ability. Since the keywords that you decide to target will be used throughout the optimization process choosing the right keywords is essential. Therefore, you should utilize these tips when selecting keywords for each page that you plan to submit to the search engines. Think "specific keyword phrases" not "keywords". Due to the extreme amount of competition for general terms in the search engines, if your keywords phrases are too general it is very unlikely you will rank well in the search engines. You stand a far better chance to rank well for specific phrases where there is less competition. The resulting traffic, since it is more highly targeted, should also be much higher quality too! Try to think like your target audience. What would they search for when looking for the page you are optimizing? You should try and come up with as many keyword phrases you can think of that relate to the page you are optimizing. Try asking a few friends and family what they would search for when searching for a site like yours. Check out your competition for ideas. Do a search using keywords that you already know you want to target and click through on the top sites that come up. ONce on the site view the source HTML code and view the keywords they have in their meta tags - this should give you many more ideas! Make sure to only use keywords that relate to YOUR site or page. To view the HTML code simply click the "View" at the top of your web browser then select "Source", or "Page Source". You should develop a list of keywords phrases, following the tips on this page for EACH PAGE that you optimize for the search engines. 2. Optimizing your Title Tag The title tag of your page is the most important factor to consider when optimizing your web page for the search engines. Try to visualize the terms a visitor might use to find what you have to offer. Stay away from product model names or industry jargon. We recommend that your title tag be between 50-80 characters long - including spaces! The length that the different search engines accept varies, but as long as you keep within this limit you should be OK. Here are some tips: We recommend that you include 1-2 of your most important keywords phrases in the title tag, BUT be careful not to just list keywords. If you just list keywords you risk being viewed as spamming the engines which can ultimately lead to you being blacklisted by the search engines. Your title tag should include your keyword phrases while remaining as close to a readable sentence as possible to avoid any problems. Make the title enticing! Don't forget that even if you get that #1 listing in the search engines your listing still needs to say something that makes the surfer want to clickthrough and visit your site. Since the length of your title tag could be a little long for some engines we suggest placing the keywords at the beginning of the tag when possible so that you do not risk having them cut off. Each page of your site should have its own title tag with its own keywords that related to the page that it appears on. 3. Optimizing your Page Text: The copy on your page is also very important to achieve better search engine listings. Actually, it is very close to being as important as your title tag. Just like a visitor to your site would read the copy on your page, the search engines do too, and as they read your page copy they are looking for keyword phrases. For best result we recommend that each page you submit as at least 200 words of copy on it. There is some cases where this much text can be difficult to put on a page, but the search engines really like it so you should do your best to increast the amount of copy where you can. This text should include your most important keyword phrases, but should remain logical and readable. Be sure to use those phrases that you have used in your other tags (i.e. metas, alt, headings, title, etc) during the optimization process. Add additional copy filled pages to your site. For example, how-to articles, tips or tutorials. These types of content pages not only help you in the search engines, but many other sites will link to them too. Optimizing your page copy is one of the most important things you could possibly do to improve your listings in the search engines. So, make sure you have plenty of it even if you need to redesign your site to work it in! 4. Optimizing your Meta-Tag Description and keywords: Keywords are not as powerful as they once were because search engines have changed the way they search due to abuse. Make sure you use them but don't rely on them. The search engines now usually look at a combination of factors to determine your listings, not just your metas - some don't even look at them at all! What this means is that your page should have a combination of all these tips implemented on your page - not just meta tags. The two most important tags that can help your search engine listings are meta keywords and meta description, which is the "teaser" a user sees on the search results right before they click through to your page. Meta description tips: Make sure you accurately describe the content of your page while trying to entice visitors to click on your listing. Include 3-4 of your most important keyword phrases. Especially those used in your title tag and page copy. Try to have your most important keywords appear at the beginning of your description. This often brings better results, and will help avoid having any search engine cut off your keywords if they limit the length of your description. Meta keywords tips: Asides from what is mentioned in the other tips below you should only use keyword phrases that you also used in the copy of your page, title tag, meta description and other tags. Any keywords phrases that you use that do not appear in your other tags or page copy are likely to not have enough prominence to help your listings for that phrase. Don't forget plurals. For example, a travel site might have both "caribbean vacation" and "caribbean vacations" in their keyword meta tag to make sure they show up in both searches. If you know of a common misspelling of a popular keyword that could be used to find your site you should enter it in your keywords meta tag. For example, a travel site might use "caribean" in their keyword meta since it is a common misspelling for "caribbean". Watch out for repeats! Your want to include your most important phrases, but when doing so it can be difficult not to repeat one word many times. For example, "caribbean vacation" and "caribbean vacations are two different phrases, but the word "caribbean" appears twice. This is okay to do in order to make sure you get the phrases you need in there, but be careful not to repeat any one word excessively. There is no actual limit, but we recommend that no one word be repeated in the keyword meta more than 5 times. If your site has content of interest to a specific geographic location be sure to include the actual location in your keyword meta. 5. Optimizing your Images "alt" Attributes The images on your page can also help your listings. Each image on your page can include a keyword phrase or two that relates to the image. This text will also show up and help those that may have their images turned off when visiting your site. This does not work for all engines but it is worth a try. Be sure to use the keyword phrases that you also used in the text of your page, the title tag, meta description and other tags. Use no more than 2-3 keywords per image - do not try to cram a bunch of keywords into the "alt" attribute Describe the image - do not just list keywords. The "alt" attribute is also a good place for misspellings and plural keyword phrases that you may not have used elsewhere. 6. Optimizing Text Hyperlinks Text based hyperlinks can help improve your listing in the search engines so you should make your links text-based instead of images. The search engines basically figure that if you are linking something from your page whatever it is your are linking to is likely to be closely related to the content of your page. For that reason some of the engines actually look for keywords in the hyperlinks and any text immediately surrounding the hyperlinks. Therefore, you should include the most important keyword phrases in the link itself and possibly in the surrounding text. Try to include your most important keyword phrases within the hyperlink itself. Try to include your most important keyword phrases in the text that immediately prceeds or follows the hyperlink. Be careful not to keyword stuff! Make sure your links and surrounding text are still readable and make sense after you include a keyword phrase or two. 7. Optimizing Heading Tags Although they are not used very frequently any longer HTML heading tags can help improve your listings in the search engines too. Since they are "headings" the search engines figure that they are very closely related to the content of the page that they appear on. Try to include your most important keyword phrases within the hyperlink itself. Consider rethinking your page content. It is often very easy to take an existing page full of copy and find ways to break it up into separate sections with headings. 8. Optimize various pages Don't neccessarily focus all your efforts on your Home Page as there maybe other pages in your web site that can also generate traffic for you. 9. Links Currently Google value the attribute of high page ranks according to the number of page links. So you should get as many web sites linking to your site as possible. These should be links from trusted sites with a high page rank. Forums and blogs are some of the strongest referrers. The link will need to be in place for a very long time for optimal effect. A steady link building scheme is required to earn top rankings. Linking via a link exchange programme will not work as you will be seen to be manipulating their results. They value natural linking in their algorithms. 10. Submissions When you have submitted your web site to Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines bear in mind that it may take a few months before you see results though, and even then there is no guarantee. Finally... Remember search engine optimization is literally guerrilla warfare. You must do everything possible to be at or near the top or you will go un-noticed!	Can't find what you are looking for? 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