Overview of Search Engine Optimisation
SEO is the process of optimising your website so that Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN are able to crawl and index the site better. This is done in order to allow you to get a good ranking when people use the search engines.
If possible, it is best to define your Search Engine Optimisation plan prior to building any part of the web site. That way, you can build the site with SEO in mind from the offset.
When defining your SEO plan, you will need to define or create a list of Key phrases that you wish to concentrate on in order to be found within Search queries. Bear in mind that there is no point aiming at single words but instead you should consider phrases. For example, forget concentrating on the keyword "dog" as this will return in the region of 26,000,000 results. However, if you target a phrase such as "Dog coats" you have more chance of success as this returns only 146,000 results.
These phrases can then be carefully integrated into your site's content where ever possible (and where relevant).
Inbound Links
Inbound Links also play a large factor in the Search Engine ranks you will achieve. The more sites that link to yours the better, especially if they themselves have high Search Engine Rankings. Also try to get links from sites that focus on similar topics to link to you where possible. You may need to add a link back to their site in return but this can help you both.
Tips for Search Engine Optimisation
- Regulary review and update your content.
- Consider adding a blog to your web site which can provide you with regularly updated content.
- Include other search engines such as Yahoo, MSN and Lycos in your SEO plan. Don't just focus on Google.
Next: Basic SEO Techniques