The next several pages will introduce the 80-20 best practices of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Effective SEO improves the likelihood your submitted page will obtain a Top 10 to 20 ranking position for your Specific Keyword on a Search Engine’s results page. The higher the ranking, the better are your chances that a surfer will see your listing and click over to visit your site!
Please follow these recommendations but be careful not to go overboard. Some
online marketers fall into the trap of constantly experimenting with on-page
criteria in order to obtain better rankings. There are so many criteria factored into
the SEs' ranking algorithms that such efforts are extremely low-yield. The key is
to build your pages properly the first time, and then focus on the “C” of…
C -> T -> P -> M
SEO is comprised of two elements…
• On-page ranking criteria -- This refers to ranking elements occurring directly
on the Web page you are creating. For example, the Title of your article as it
appears on the <TITLE> tag of your page is an on-page criterion.
• Off-page ranking criteria -- This refers to ranking elements that do not occur
on this page but yet affect its ability to rank well and obtain listings. Off-page
ranking criteria are important indicators of human behavior. Visitor reaction
reflects the quality of a page.
An example of such a criterion would be an in-pointing link (i.e., another site
has your URL on its site). While your first priority will be to create and optimize
your pages, obtaining a few credible in-pointing links should be a close second.
This is known as building link popularity. (We’ll see how to do it in DAY 7.)
Both on-page and off-page criteria are necessary for success. Let’s begin by
highlighting the most important standards for on-page ranking criteria. To rank
well at the SEs, your page’s Specific Keyword must be integrated in all the right
places. Where, exactly?...
1) TITLE tag
2) META keyword tag
3) META description tag
4) H1 and other header tags
5) Body copy
6) Link tags
7) File name/domain name
8) Image ALT tag and name of image
Let’s look at each of these “on-page” criteria quickly...
1) TITLE tag = WORLD’S BEST Fashion Factory Outlet Stores,
The Cream of Cyber Discount Fashions
• Must contain your Specific Keyword at least once, no more than twice, and
with some kind of variation or synonym. Try to include your most important
General Keyword, too.
• Use up to 70, even 80 characters. Get your most important message in, right
at the beginning. If the engine cuts your title off at 60 characters in its listing, you
would have been able to fire your “big gun.” Meanwhile, some engines will show
up to 90 or so characters.
• Remember, the title appears as the link in Search Engine listings. It must “get
the click” -- so make sure it’s attractive, without being misleading. Getting your
Title right for both your reader and engine is the single most important thing
you can do.
The TITLE tag is the key on-page elements. Make sure every single one of your
pages (yes, even your TIER 3 pages) contains a relevant, keyword-rich TITLE
tag.
2) META keyword tag = <META name="KEYWORDS" content="factory outlet stores">
• Consider adding a common synonym that has a nearly exact meaning
(ex.,”outlet malls”) but don’t dilute your META tag with a million synonyms.
• You could add a few General Keywords that people might add when they
search (ex., “discounts, shopping”).
• If you do put more than one keyword in this META tag (separated by commas),
always put your most important one, the one that this page focuses upon, first.
Here’s an example of an expanded META keyword tag...
<META name="KEYWORDS" content="factory outlet stores, outlet malls, shopping, discounts, mall">
Don’t lose sleep fretting over your META keyword tag. It is rarely factored into
ranking algorithms these days. Just include your most important keywords and a
couple of variations, and move on.
3) META description tag = <META name="DESCRIPTION" content="Ever been on
the road, far from home, when what do you see? A mall jammed with
fashion outlet stores! Nirvana, right? Welcome! Take this cyber-off
ramp to Outlet Heaven.">
• The META description often comprises a portion of what searchers see in the
Search Engine’s listings (SEs display their results slightly differently). So, like the
Title tag, make sure it’s attractive, without being misleading. Your goal is to
entice the prospective visitor to click through to your site. A gentle, good-natured
tease, like the above, will do well.
As with the META keywords tag, most SEs do not place much ranking weight on
the text inside META description tags. So focus on getting the click through, and
don’t worry too much about just the “right” blend of keywords for this tag.
• Use 150-200 characters. Some engines cut off the Title listing at as little as
140 characters. So again, make sure you get your “#1 benefit statement” up
front. Remember, a “benefit statement” does not have to be “in your face” -- read
the META tag above.
• Should contain your Specific Keyword at least once (try twice if it fits and see
how it ranks). Include one or two of your most important General Keywords.
Also, use common synonyms 2-3 times more (ex., “outlet” and “mall”).
(Synonyms will work better and better as engines become more and more
sophisticated. But your first priority is to place sufficient focus on your Specific
Keyword.)
• Remember, do not repeat the TITLE in this tag. The reader will just see the
same phrase twice in the Search Engine’s listing, once in the Title and then again
in the description. That’s wasting valuable “word real estate.”
4) H1 and other header tags = Fashion Outlet Stores Nirvana. The
headlines are more important than your regular body copy. That’s true for
both human readers and for the engines. As far as ranking criteria goes, it is
likely that the <H1> tag is second only to the <TITLE> tag in importance.
Please keep in mind that some engines don’t use the META description tag to
form the second part of their listings (i.e., after the Title) in their search results. In
those cases, they will usually use the first words on the page -- your H1 tag (first
headline), and the first words in the body copy after that.
Here are the key “musts” for your H1 tag...
• Contains your Specific Keyword at least once. Try to include an important
General Keyword, too (different from the one you used in your Title).
• Does not exceed 80 characters, 40 is better. Long headlines feel rather
“hypey.”
• Helps to “get the click” -- so make sure it’s attractive, without being misleading.
• Does not contain your Title. Otherwise, if the engine uses your H1 tag, your
listing and H1 tag will both say the same thing... needless repetition.