How to Maximize Your Search Engine Placement

Each of the search engines have their own rules. Frustratingly, they change them without notice. A few basics built into your web site will help you retain a good ranking.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• a web site
• web page creation software

Maximize Your Site

1. Choose a good domain name. It should be easy to remember and reflect the content of your web site. eHow, for example, is a great domain name for this site because it contains how-to articles. eHow would not be a good domain name for a site full of information about antiques, however.

2. Think about the people who are going to visit your site: your audience. Give them the information they will be looking for. Think about the words they might use to search for you and make sure that information-those words-are there. The next few steps explain more about how to get those all-important keywords into your site.

3. Use keywords in natural places: page titles, navigation, page headings, and in the body of the content. Don't try to sneak them in using nefarious methods such as hiding strings of keywords on a page in the same color as the page background so they are invisible to the eye. The search engines are on to tricks like this.

4. Make sure your site is accessible. The search engines are often called your most important blind users because all they do is read and index the text. If your site can't be used by someone who relies only on the text, then it won't be providing any important information to search engines either. That means you need to make sure the site will work without JavaScript, with no images visible, and with important content not hidden away in a Flash movie.

5. Use meaningful words as link text. Don't say "click here." Provide some meaningful words for the user and the search engine to follow. Links are a good place for keywords. If you sell rings, pendants, bracelets, and earrings, those keywords would be great words to use in your links.

6. Give each page a unique title. It can have your site name in it, but it should also contain important keywords about what the content of the page is. For example, a site named Jewelry Store with a page about pearl rings could have a title like Jewelry Store : Pearl Rings.

7. Use the keywords again in the page heading tags and in the page contents. For example, a heading such as "Cultured Pearls from Japan" and then some text using words like "our stunning collection of cultured pearl rings meet the highest standards . . ." means you have the important information on the page several times. But keep it natural. Work it in so that it appeals to the humans reading the page as well as to the search engines.

8. If you have a business to promote and the budget to do devote to search engine optimization there are some links in the resources that will help you choose a reputable company.

Tips & Warnings

• It takes a while to see the results of search engine optimization. Be patient.

Resources

• Five Tips for Hiring a Search Engine Marketing Expert
• High Rankings