SEO Basics

Basic SEO, or search engine optimization, is not as complicated as it sounds. To put it succinctly, it's the task of making your website attractive to search engines. Think about what sort of search terms you use when using Google or Yahoo. While each search engine has its own covert algorithms, just using your brain will tell you which search terms to use for your website.

There are a plethora of SEO books, and classes, and one can spend a lot of money trying to beat the system. All of it is unnecessary if you plan well. Believe it or not, the most important thing to focus on is content. Well written content, that is updated often, is the major player in the SEO game.

Search engines send out very erudite spiders, called bots, that collect site information. These bots read text, determining the quality and freshness. This is why content is the champ! Good spelling and grammar ARE important.

Bots check a site's URL first. If possible, try to include words in your URL that reflect your site. For example, if your site sells shoes, try to have your URL include that word. Next, the bot examines the page title. Make the title informative, using strong keywords that pertains to your site. Remember, readers will also see your title at the top of the browser. Description Meta tags are checked next. Write 2-3 sentences here, again using strong keywords, describing the site.

Use keywords that will people would use to find your site. Don’t add words that aren't found on your site. It won’t help and some search engines penalize sites for this practice.

Make a list of words that may be used about your site. Think outside the box – what you call shoes, some folks call footwear. Think of your readers, and who is being targeted. Older readers may use more formal search terms, while teens may use slang.

Once you have optimized your site, monitor it to see how effective your SEO is. You may need to tweak the description meta tags and title time to time for a more successful page!