PlusOne - Musings of a marketer

Here is a list of Search Engine Optimisation activities every website owner should do. This is from a newsletter sent out by Clicksor - an online advertising business.

The comments in italics are mine:

1. Including the keyword of your website in the domain name is fundamental. Websites will be listed in search query containing the keyword even if it is not included elsewhere in the site. It is not always possible to have this in the domain name, especially if you have an established site. However including them in the URL, by way of descriptive page names can be done at any time.

2. Comprise a descriptive page title at the top of each webpage between the tags within the and tags. Be sure to place the important keywords at the beginning of the title. This is fundamental - every page must have its own unique set of keywords

3. A description of the webpage content using the main keywords or key phrases should be include in a Description META tag at the top of the website between the and tags. Not too long, but just enough to indicate the content of the page

4. The keywords should be included in Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.) and in the first paragraph of the webpage text content. Again, use these tags. They are vitally important. Using them also creates a good page structure, which is a must for both human readers and search engines

5. Keywords that are hyperlinked in the body text are also considered important by search engines. Not too many, just enough for the essential aspects, to lead to other relevant pages within your site

6. Several pages focused on keywords of the site would lead to higher ranking than a page with general content. Therefore, try to develop content targeted pages within your website. Every page should be focussed on something specific. Making additional pages is easy and each acts as its own entry point into your website

7. Ensure your webpage is search engine friendly by avoiding the use of frames or flash for the navigation menu. It is best to use regular HTML links and a chain of hyperlinks that lead search engine spider from the home page to other pages of your site. I suggest using PHP includes for navigation. It means consistency and easy updating when you add new pages

8. Submit your website URL to important web search engines through Add Your URL or Submit Your Content links on these search engines. If your website is already indexed by a search engine, only re-submit it if significant changes have been made. There are many who argue against this. They say it is better to have other sites link to you and have search engines find you that way. Good linking is an essential aspects as well. The simplest way is to participate in forums and include your site URL in the signature. This will also bring targeted traffic to your site.

If you would like assistance with doing any of the above, please feel free to contact us.