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Seven Simple Steps to Search Engine Success
By Cayley Vos, Founder, Netpaths.net
81% of internet consumers find websites by using search engines. More than half of these people never look beyond the first page of search results. This is why search engine optimization is critical for your online success.
If you’re feeling frustrated with the lack of attention your website receives, you may not be doing everything you can to improve your search engine rankings. But here’s the good news.
Search engine optimization is like a relationship: The more you put in, the more you’ll get out.
It’s easy to get more exposure and traffic. Here are seven simple steps to build your success with the search engines. You may be surprised to see how few of your competitors are using all, or even most, of these techniques.
The Search Engine Optimization mindset
If you want to improve your search engine rankings and attract more traffic and exposure for your website, you have to think long-term.
Search Engine Optimization is a lot like physical fitness. You can’t just do it once and go away. It will take continuous, sustained effort. But this price of admission will automatically discourage your less ambitious competitors, giving you a powerful edge.
Don’t give up too easily.
Search Engine Success Secret #1: Engage your online community
You’ve probably heard the term “Web 2.0” before. People want to express themselves, share information and feel they’re being heard. They want to be part of something and feel connected to a community of like minded people.
If you can inspire a sense of belonging and community, you’ll reap fantastic rewards. One of the keys is to make sure your visitors have a positive experience.
At the very least, this means easy navigation and engaging design. We’ll get to the importance of content in a minute, but it’s important that your visitors can find your content. Navigation and intra site links are the lynchpin of your website architecture.
If your visitors can easily find their way around your site and get to the information they’re looking for, they’ll reward you with bookmarks, links, and referrals. (Not to mention more sales)
Search Engine Success Secret #2: Get Linked
To make your site more successful with the search engines you need to get other relevant, quality sites to link to your site. The search engines have always evaluated the importance of your site by the number of other sites that link to it. Now the algorithms are more sophisticated, and you need to link with the right sites, not just a sheer number of any sites. Chances are you already have links to your site, to find out how many use the yahoo.com link finder: in the search box type link: mysite.com
Take some time to find websites related to your own industry or business, and create links to these sites. More importantly, try to have them link back to your site.
You can accomplish this by working out a link exchange with the webmaster, publishing articles and other content on relevant sites, or even by getting involved in a discussion on someone’s blog or forum.
This is the bottom line: A common problem of websites big and small is not becoming a part of their topical online community. The more links you give the more you will receive. Sharing more information will increase your topical authority.
Search Engine Success Secret #3: Keyword Research
If you want to improve your search engine success, you need to incorporate the right keywords. But to make this work, you need to know which keywords people are searching for to find you. You also have to see how often they search for specific key words and terms.
Keyword research is the keystone to search engine success. Use these online tools to help you find your competitive niche: www.netpaths.net/m/wordtracker, www.netpaths.net/m/keyworddiscovery. Data is only as good as the person manipulating it. Your best bet is to hire a search engine optimization company that knows how to find and interpret the keyword data, and integrate it into your site.
Search Engine Success Secret #4: Write better content
When you think about it, the content on your website might be almost as important as the navigation itself. When your content is high in quality and quantity, you’ll naturally incorporate lots of keywords. But this is just the beginning.
Your users are looking for useful, candid information. If you can provide it, you’ll get more links, repeat visits, and referrals. All of these benefits will not only improve your search engine success—they’ll also help you sell your products or service.
Search Engine Success Secret #5: Write better title tags
A title tag is a short description of your web page that shows the search engines what is on the page. By putting a relevant keyword into your title tag, you can dramatically boost your success with the search engines. Your title tags are almost as important as your content and links.
Search Engine Success Secret #6: Create Search Engine friendly URLs
Your URL has a lot of impact on your search engine rankings. A clear, simple URL with a relevant keyword will give you a powerful advantage.
For example, www.mysite.com/about will work better than www.mysite.com/page.php?id=234e1&file=fdsa. If your site has a lot of confusing URLs, they need to be reworked.
Search Engine Success Secret #7: Connect your online and offline marketing
Is this you? Your company creates a stellar print advertising campaign with beautiful fliers. But there’s no reference to your website.
Print is expensive. Web space is cheap. You can use your website to expand upon your offline marketing, and tell your story in greater depth. Likewise, your offline marketing can drive further traffic to your site.
You should mention your website on every letterhead, poster board and company item that leaves your office, to increase the likelihood of people finding your website. In fact, it’s a good idea to regularly put out material that specifically invites people to visit your site—especially in conjunction with a special online offer or promotion.
Provide as many opportunities as possible for your website to be found – it is your greatest sales tool and best marketing device.
The most important secret to online success—leverage your strengths
As you can see, there are a lot of simple strategies that can catapult you above your competitors in the search engines.
But this takes a lot of time and effort, which is often better spent running your business.
That’s why you need a skilled professional to manage your search engine campaign for you. Every frustrating hour spent tinkering with your site is an hour you could have spent working with your clients, developing new products, or marketing your services.
One of the best investments you can make is to have an expert optimize your website, and your return on investment can be 25% or more in the first year.
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