|
|
Search Engine Optimization --- An Overview
Search engine optimization is one of most popular online marketing tool for any website. With most websites looking forward to increasing the online sales of their products/services, search engine optimization can be a very cost-effective tool to target and procure your customers online. In this paper, we will discuss about search engine optimization, its benefits and how you can optimize your website for top search engine rankings.
What is search engine optimization?
Search engine optimization (also known by various other names like search engine ranking, search engine promotion, website promotion, SEO etc.) is a method through which a website is given top rankings in various search engines. According to a recent industry study, 1 in every 20 people go to the second page of search results pages, but only 1 in every 100 people go beyond that. So, by top search engine rankings, we mean that your website should be within the first two pages of the search results, preferably in the first page (i.e. within top 10 rankings).
2. What are the prime benefits of search engine optimization?
§ Top search engine rankings result in more pre-qualified business leads coming to your website which in turn can convert to greater sales for your organization.
§ Search engine promotion is one of the cheapest methods of advertizing for your organization. Compared to advertizements in the newspapers/magazines or in the television, search engine promotion costs many times less and can bring more traffic to your websites, thereby providing greater ROI.
§ Search engine optimization enhances online brand identity of your organization.
3. What are the key factors for your website to have top search engine rankings?
Search engines change their algorithms frequently, thereby forcing the search engine optimization companies to re-strategize their search engine optimization techniques. However, the following attributes are basic and play a major role in procuring top search engine rankings.
a. Keyword Research ? Keywords play the most vital role in your search engine optimization campaign. Keywords (can be 1, 2, 3 or more words) are the search terms which a surfer types in the search box of a search engine to reach your website. Let us consider that you are an "India-based Outsourcing consultant" interested in optimizing your website for top search engine rankings. The following are some of the keywords which surfers will type to reach your website -
Keywords
bpo
bpo india
bpo outsourcing services
business outsourcing services
business process outsourcing
offshore companies
offshore outsourcing
offshore outsourcing services
offshore services
outsource india
outsourcing companies
outsourcing consultants
outsourcing india
outsourcing services
outsourcing services company
Keyword research tips ?
- Always target keywords that best describe your products/service.
- Try to find multiword potential keywords compared to single keywords.
- Try formulating keywords which give answers to as "why/how/what ??.?"
- Utilize your server log files to know what your customers searched most while visiting your site.
- Use keyword generator softwares like Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com) or Overture (http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/)
- Include popular common misspellings (e.g. viagra typed as viagara etc.) in your keyword list.
b. Title of the webpage - ?? - Title has a deep impact on your website's search engine rankings. Experience shows that most companies use the following as title of their index page which can prevent them from getting top search engine rankings.
Welcome to the website of XYZ.com
For example, let's continue with the above example of "India-based Outsourcing consultant".
An ideally optimized title should contain the top 3-5 keywords of your business, e.g. outsourcing consultants, outsourcing india, outsource india
Optimized Title - Outsourcing Consultants, Outsourcing India, Outsource India
c. Description Meta tag of the webpage ? Description of a webpage also plays important role in getting top search engine rankings.
Optimized Description - Develop a suitable description based on your top 3 keywords
d. Keywords Meta Tag of the webpage - This meta tag was of great importance at one time. But rampant manipulations (i.e. multiple, often non-relevant keyword stuffing in the "keywords" tag), leading to abuse has resulted in search engines giving lesser importance to "keywords" tag while ranking sites. Nevertheless, you can always place top 3 ? 5 keywords of your site in the "keywords" tag.
Optimized Keywords -
e. Importance of Content/Keyword-enriched optimized pages for top search engine rankings ?
Well, if there is one aspect which holds supreme importance in search engine, specially in Google ranking, then it is this. Yes, content! The popular industry say ? "Content is King" was perhaps devised by watching Google's love for content. Develop content based on the top keywords related to your business. While developing content for your web pages, keep in mind the keyword density (KD).
Mathematically speaking, Keyword Density is the ratio of the total number of time a keyword is repeated divided by the total content words. Since KD is normally represented in percentage, the above figure is to be multiplied by 100
For example, if you have developed a web page of around 250 words on the keyword "search engine optimization", and that particular keyword (search engine optimization) is repeated 10 times, then
Keyword Density (KD) = 10/250 * 100 = 4%
As a thumb rule, Keyword Density of an optimized page for top search engine rankings should vary between 2 ? 7 % (this figure varies among different search engines)
4. Submission of Keyword-enriched optimized pages ? After you have finished content development for the optimized pages based on the keywords targeted for top search engine rankings, submit those pages to various search engines.
5. Role of Link Popularity in top search engine rankings ?
Link popularity has assumed tremendous importance for getting good ranks in Google now a days. In fact, what started as a friendly reciprocal link exchange program among various webmasters has now become a sub-industry within the SEO industry itself, with thousands of link farms popping up every day! Yes, if you are interested in getting top ranks in search engines, especially Google, then you must pay effort in building up links for your site.
Create a html page, preferably named as "Resources/Links/Partners" and place a link of this page from Index Page of your site. This page should never be more than 1 click away from the index page of your site, else webmasters won't be interested in participating in the reciprocal link exchange program.
Target both "industry-related" and "non-industry-related" websites as your link exchange partners. For example, if you are providing outsourcing services, then try getting links from "industry-related websites (i.e. websites dealing with outsourcing services, maybe your business rivals!). This is important, because if 10 of your rival sites give links to your site, then Google will surely pay importance to your site, because getting links from rival companies are difficult. Your site MUST be of some high caliber, else the other 10 sites won't have linked! Also, try procuring links from top ranked general informative websites as well.
Always exchange links with websites which have high Google PageRank (PR) of at least 4, the more the better! (both Index Page as well as Resources/Links Page of the Link Partner's site should have PRs of >=4) [PageRank is a proprietary tool that Google uses to determine the importance of a page and varies in a scale of 0 (least important) to 10 (maximum importance)].
Have a link code ready for participating in link exchange program. Here is a sample link code for an India-based Outsourcing consultant.
- Indian outsourcing consultant providing guidance to companies willing to set up outsourcing centers in India.
Always prefer a text link (as given above) in comparison to a banner link, where your chance of Google and other search engine spiders finding the potential keywords is limited only to the "alt tag" of the banner. Also, Google pays importance to the text of the incoming link/anchor text (i.e. the incoming link text must contain high potential, relevant keywords), so develop a link text with title ("indian outsourcing consultant") which will help you in Google Ranking.
Refrain from javascript link code because Google spider finds it difficult to index.
Key SEO Factors
- Targeting the right keywords for your website
- Title of your webpage
- Description Meta tag of your webpage
- Keywords Meta tag of your webpage
- Quality, Informative Content
- Link Popularity
Conclusion -
With Google's numero uno position in the search engine market being threatened by arch-rivals Yahoo! [bought Overture, the largest PPC search engine recently, who in turn bought Altavista and Alltheweb] and Microsoft's MSN [believed to be developing its own search engine], it is no doubt that the search engine industry is going to experience tremendous changes in the next few months. The recent Google "Florida" Update is just one of the many upheavals that we may be witnessing in an industry where the only constant factor is the "change". However, the various techniques outlined in this paper are basic and are we believe that following them you will be able to achieve top 10 ranks in Google and other search engines.
About The Author
Prabuddha S Raychaudhuri is the Founder & CEO of Search Engine Optimization Guru Pvt. Ltd. (http://www.searchengine-optimization-guru.com), a premiere Search Engine Optimization and Marketing (SEO/SEM) consultancy firm, catering to clients which range from Fortune 500 to small home business start-ups. Our services include Top 10 Google and other search engines rankings, Pay Per Click (PPC) targeted traffic campaign, Paid Listing Management, Keyword Advertizing. Prabuddha holds a Bachelor Of Engineering (B.E.) in Construction Engineering and can be contacted at prabuddha@searchengine-optimization-guru.com.
prabuddha@searchengine-optimization-guru.com
The Budget Webmaster?s 6 Step Guide to Improving Existing Rankings in Google
The Budget Webmaster's 6 Step Guide to Improving Existing Rankings in Google
10 Costly Search Engine Mistakes to Avoid
If you have a website then you already know the importance of traffic. Traffic is to Internet marketing as location is to real estate. It's the only thing that really matters. If you cannot generate targeted visitors to your site, you will not make any sales.
How to Use Keywords to Improve Your Ranking in Search Engines
The importance of keywords
Google is Quickly Changing...
Google is quickly changing...
Does Google Hire Mad Scientists?
Online search giant, Google, often tests the waters for new services by rolling out a "beta" (first) version of an idea to gauge public reaction.
SEO India: Tips & Techniques
SEO is all about "Individualism"
What To Look For When Shopping For A SEO Specialist
When, shopping for a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company/specialist you need to be aware of a few things.
Anchor Text Optimization
Anchor Text (also called phrase linking) can significantly improve your web pages relevance in the search engines. Optimized or keyword rich anchor text can help your web site gain positioning in the search engines as well as help drive better targeted search traffic.
7 Search Engine Optimization Strategy
Search engine optimization refers to the technique of making your web pages search engine friendly so that search engines are more easy to understand and analyze your website. Consequently, your site has a better chance to gain high search engine ranking.
Google Has No Content On Page
One of the post from My SEO world Meet Up Group?.!
What Is Search Engine Marketing?
It's in our genes, we're driven to seek. We 'hunt' for food, homes, partners, jobs and lately ? with the advent of the Internet ? information.
Five Short Quick Tips on Web Page Titles
By Catherine Franz
When to NOT Hire a SEO and Why
When you get an e-mail from SEO Company with content similar to this:
How You Can Easily Compile A Gigantic Keyword List
It doesn't matter what kind of marketing you are involved in.
SEOs Relationship With Website Architecture
SEO's Relationship With Website Architecture
Google Wireless - Search Away From Home
For so many web surfers, it's almost automatic to type Google.com in to our address bar when we want to search. So big and well-known is Google that many browsers have a built-in search box or typed shortcut for Google searches. In fact, we tend to associate Google with search so much now that the word itself is commonly used as a verb, as in "let me Google that". It's much the same as Band-Aid, Kleenex, and Xerox, where the brand name is so pervasive that it's very often substituted for the generic function of the item the brand is applied to.
Seecrets on Website Promotion: Search Engine Wars ? a Different Perspective
The objective of all search engine providers is epitomized by the ideal search often portrayed in the popular television and movie series "Star Trek". When the captain issues a request for all information on a Klingon spaceship, the search engine intuitively understands that he wants military information. It does not provide information on how much the spaceship costs in the commercial market and where it can be obtained, nor the scientific details that would interest an engineering student.
When Google PR Tool Bar is Down!
Where is the need to worry? Who needs a PR Tool Bar Anyway!
7 Steps to Highly Relevant, Search Engine Friendly, and People Useful Web Site Content
The task is to build a Content Rich Search Friendly and People Friendly Web Site Quickly. These 7 Steps will show you how with about 10 Hours work you can build over 50 pages of rich, Search Engine relevant content for your web Site
Optimum SEO Keyword Density ? A Real-Life Case Study
So you've built your website, you know what keywords you want to target (i.e. what words your customers are searching for), and you're ready to write your copy. You've been told that you should use your keywords frequently so that you appear in search results for those words. But what does "frequently" mean?