A Few Simple Changes to Your Web Site could Result in More Search Engine Traffic . . .and More Business

Its a simple fact: if you have a Web site, you want it found. One of the best and least expensive ways for your site to be found is through the major search engines.

However, its not enough to just be listed in the search engines rankings. In order to be found, your site needs to be in the top 10 to 30 rankings for the keyword phrases that are important to your business.

How can that be accomplished, with the fierce competition on the Web? Top rankings can be achieved by employing search engine optimization strategies.

Optimizing a Web site can entail anything from choosing the most effective keywords for your Web pages to employing complicated strategies, but all have a common goal: boosting traffic that converts to sales.

But lets say that you simply want to optimize your Web site to make it more engine friendly and get better rankings. What if you dont have a lot of time to spare? What are some simple changes you can make to your Web site to help boost your chances at better search engine rankings?

Step 1: Choose effective keywords

Choosing effective keywords is the most important thing you can do for the success of your Web site.

"Keywords" are the words that searchers will use when looking for your Web site through the search engines. So, spend some time finding out what your customers would search for when looking for your site.

You can also research your keyword choices by visiting WordTracker (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/wt) and using their free trial offer. GoTos Search Term Suggestion Tool is another good keyword tool to use. http://inventory.goto.com/inventory/Search_Suggestion.jhtml

Dont choose keywords that are too general. Instead, pick highly focused two- or three-word phrases that will point directly to your goods and services. Create a list of those keywords.

Step 2: Analyze your existing site

Now that youve chosen your keywords, look at your existing site and see which pages can be focused on the important keywords on your list. Youll want to focus each page on one or two keyword phrases only.

Set aside the keywords that dont fit on any of your existing pages. Right now, were simply concentrating on your existing site.

Step 3: Create simple titles and descriptions

Two of the most important tags on your page are the title and description tags. Most of the major engines consider these tags to be important, plus the content of the tags are often shown in the search results.

So, youll need to create captivating title and description tags for each page of your site. Youll want titles and descriptions that searchers can read at a glance and that are not so complicated that potential customers will skip over them to find something that is easy to read.

Make sure you use your important keyword phrase in both your title and description tags.

Step 4: Develop focused content

Look at each page of your site, and make sure you use your important keyword phrase toward the beginning of your body text, then sprinkled throughout the page. In this manner, youre proving to the search engines that the keyword phrase is important to that page.

There are many other simple strategies that you can try on your pages, and I recommend an easy-to-use software program called Search Engine Optimizer (SEO) (http://www.se-optimizer.com), which will inform you of those strategies. This program has saved me an enormous amount of time in optimizing pages.

Step 5: Submit your pages to each of the engines

Submit all of your pages to each of the major engines by manually visiting each engine and clicking on their Add URL link. Or, you may want to save yourself some time by using a submission service like Position Pro (http://www.positionpro.com) or by using a submission software program like Search Engine Commando (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/comm).

Step 6: Watch your rankings

After the major engines have indexed your pages, use a software program like WebPosition Golds Reporter (http://www.academywebspecialists.com/wpg) to determine your rankings.

Look over your rankings to see which search engines havent given your pages top 10-30 rankings.

Step 7: Create content-rich information pages to fill those holes

Your next step is to create content-rich information, or doorway, pages that are focused on each specific engine that hasnt given your pages top rankings. These pages will take into account what each individual engine prefers to see on a page.

When creating your information pages, keep them simple and focused on one or two keyword phrases only, pointing all of your tags and body text to those one or two keyword phrases.

Again, I use SEO software to accomplish this task, because its so easy to run pages through the software to be reminded of engine-specific things that I might have forgotten.

Now is also the time to create keyword-specific pages for those keywords you havent been able to use on your existing pages.

After creating additional pages, submit them to the major engines, then watch your rankings, following the same steps as outlined here.

Step 8: Check your log files.

Keep in mind that rankings arent the "end all" of search engine optimization work. The "end all" should be traffic, or even more specifically: traffic that converts to sales.

All of the #1s in the world will do you no good if youre not getting traffic. All the traffic in the world will do you no good if its not converting to sales.

So, check your log files often, then use that information to strengthen your Web site. WebTrends (http://www.webtrends.com) is an excellent log analysis program, and it even offers a Web-based service, WebTrends Live, that is very effective. (http://www.webtrendslive.com/)

In conclusion . . .

By following these simple steps, your Web site should be on the road toward better search engine rankings and more traffic. Good luck!

About the Author

This article was written by Robin Nobles, a professional freelance writer and the Director of Training at the Academy of Web Specialists (http://www.academywebspecialists.com). Over the past few years, she has trained several thousand people in her online and onsite courses in search engine positioning strategies and has written three books that can be ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academys training Web site to learn more about their online courses: http://www.onlinewebtraining.com.

:To contact see details below.


RobinN@acws.com
http://www.academywebspecialists.com