Search Engine Optimization-The Basics

So we all know that Search Engine Optimization is a big part of creating an online identity, and building an online brand. For those of you unfamiliar with SEO, Wikipedia will tell you. I recently had the opportunity to meet Steve Kinney, CEO to local SEO company Search Optimizers, and he offered up to the students in attendance some tricks and tips to perfecting Search Engine Optimization techniques.

Why SEO?

  • Search Marketing is GROWING as a style of lead generation.
    • As more and more people turn to Google, Yahoo, and Bing to find a plumber, accountant, or skydiving instructor, less and less is dependent of physical connections and referrals.
  • Cost to Marketers
    • The cost of running a proper SEO campaign is 7 times cheaper than that of typical opt in programs (think e-mail marketing) and generally produces better results.
  • Perfect Timing
    • By perfecting SEO techniques, your product or brand will always be in the right place (on the search screen) at the right time (when a potential customer searches). Its instant gratification for both the business and the customer.

How?

  • Keywords/Key Phrases
    • What does your customer type into the search bar to find you? By focusing on 3-5 Key Phrases, it is more likely that your website will come up for that search.
  • Steps for determining those phrases:
  1. Brainstorm- Build as big a list as possible, the more the merrier at this stage. I promise that by the end you will only have a core 3-5 phrases.
  2. Be the Buyer- What are the customers searching for to find a product like yours?
  3. Use Tools- There are HUNDREDS of keyword generating tools out there, here are a few that Steve Kinney suggested
  • Digital Point
  • Google Adwords

Make Your Site SEO Friendly

Search engines regularly send out “bots” to scan and ingest all of the information present on your webpage. By following just a few simple rules, you can make it easier for the bots to see all your information, and thus rank higher in the search engines.

  • Develop a Site Map, and put it in a “robots.txt” file
  • Name each page (not just 1,2, etc) be relevant to the information contained on that page.
  • Build a subpage for each of your Key Phrases
  • Use Key Phrases, especially on your home page
  • Use HTML links, not AJAX links

Tracking Your Results

Everyone is going to want to see the benefit of their work, and tracking your SEO results is as simply as visiting a few webpages.

  • Google Analytics- If you don’t already have this on your site, you should. This keeps track of how many people visit, where they come from, how they got their, and much much more.
  • Alexa Rating- Compare your Alexa Rating to those of your competition, this will let you see how you are performing in relation to them.
  • Huge influx in sales- Okay, that’s kind of a joke. But hopefully proves truthful to everyone who tries out some SEO techniques.

So remember, Rank High using Key Phrases and Optimizing your site for SEO, and Stay Ranked High by employing these techniques over and over again. Like the back of the shampoo bottle says, “Lather, Rinse, Repeat.”

For more on Steve Kinney and his company, Search Optimizers, please visit www.searchoptimizers.com

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