Hello all... quick post today. I recently received a question from a reader, "What is the number one secrets for top search engine rankings." The answer is actually quite simple. Keyword research. If you want to rank high in any given area, make sure it's possible.
Find a niche with low competition. Review the top ranked websites. What is there Google PR? How many sites are linking in? Do they take advantage of best practices for on page optimization? Do your research correctly and your rankings will virtually take care of themselves. Okay, not entirely, but having reduced competition can help your rankings improve much more quickly than they would otherwise.
For more info on SEO, sign up for FREE search engine optimization lessons at The Webmaster's Book of Secrets: Improve Search Engine Ranking.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Fundamental Difference Between SEO and SEM
Many individuals new to web marketing have some questions about search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Are they one in the same? How are they different? SEO and SEM have many similarities but are not the same.
First, lets focus on how search engine optimization (SEO) and search marketing (SEM) are similar. Each of these online marketing techniques requires a basic and advanced understanding. SEO requires knowledge of search engine and how to effectively optimize a website or web page. SEM requires knowledge and understanding about online marketing, online advertising, and keyword marketing.
Both internet marketing methods may appear as difficult subject matter but they are relatively easy to understand. The complexity comes in the actual implementation of SEO and SEM programs. SEO can be explained as techniques that used to drive your search engine ranking. Simply state, where your site is ranked on major search engines is based on your understanding and implementation of SEO best practices.
Search engine marketing is the practice of online advertising via major search engines. Even though Google is the largest and most well know, there are literally hundreds of smaller ad networks. Each network functions in much the same way. Advertisers place online ads throughout the network and when a browser clicks, you pay a fee. This is true regardless of conversion.
Search engine optimization is different from search engine marketing in many ways. SEO is defined as the organic result that shows up in search engine results pages after a user generates a query. Techniques associated with SEO are broken down into on-page optimization and off page-optimization. These techniques have their own nuances but are independent of one another.
The result is that search engine optimization drives organic traffic to your website or blog. That is to say that after users complete searches on major search engines like Yahoo! or Google that the results list comes from each search engine determining the best result. When users click on these results the advertisers owes nothing. Organic search is usually referred to as free traffic for this very reason.
SEM is different than search engine optimization for one fundamental reason. With SEM, you pay when someone takes an action. Unlike traditional advertising you do not pay for your advertisement to appear, only when someone clicks on your ad. Your cost varies based on how competitive your keywords are and where you want your ad to display.
Online marketing is based on a good understanding of SEO and SEM best practices. These internet marketing subject areas are common among today's marketing professionals but rarely do you find the level of expertise needed for success. Learn more about these subject ares with some research and be sure to subscribe to an SEO newsletter or blog. As you gain more knowledge implement new techniques and improve your rankings.
First, lets focus on how search engine optimization (SEO) and search marketing (SEM) are similar. Each of these online marketing techniques requires a basic and advanced understanding. SEO requires knowledge of search engine and how to effectively optimize a website or web page. SEM requires knowledge and understanding about online marketing, online advertising, and keyword marketing.
Both internet marketing methods may appear as difficult subject matter but they are relatively easy to understand. The complexity comes in the actual implementation of SEO and SEM programs. SEO can be explained as techniques that used to drive your search engine ranking. Simply state, where your site is ranked on major search engines is based on your understanding and implementation of SEO best practices.Search engine marketing is the practice of online advertising via major search engines. Even though Google is the largest and most well know, there are literally hundreds of smaller ad networks. Each network functions in much the same way. Advertisers place online ads throughout the network and when a browser clicks, you pay a fee. This is true regardless of conversion.
Search engine optimization is different from search engine marketing in many ways. SEO is defined as the organic result that shows up in search engine results pages after a user generates a query. Techniques associated with SEO are broken down into on-page optimization and off page-optimization. These techniques have their own nuances but are independent of one another.
The result is that search engine optimization drives organic traffic to your website or blog. That is to say that after users complete searches on major search engines like Yahoo! or Google that the results list comes from each search engine determining the best result. When users click on these results the advertisers owes nothing. Organic search is usually referred to as free traffic for this very reason.
SEM is different than search engine optimization for one fundamental reason. With SEM, you pay when someone takes an action. Unlike traditional advertising you do not pay for your advertisement to appear, only when someone clicks on your ad. Your cost varies based on how competitive your keywords are and where you want your ad to display.
Online marketing is based on a good understanding of SEO and SEM best practices. These internet marketing subject areas are common among today's marketing professionals but rarely do you find the level of expertise needed for success. Learn more about these subject ares with some research and be sure to subscribe to an SEO newsletter or blog. As you gain more knowledge implement new techniques and improve your rankings.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Power of Article Marketing - Improve Search Engine Rankings
Article marketing is the most powerful tool I have in my arsenal of online marketing tactics. I've used article marketing to significantly improve my search engine rankings. I guess the world has caught on. The concept of article marketing has really gained momentum during the last few years and is a widely practiced discipline. As webmasters learned more about SEO and search engine optimization drivers, quality content has risen to the top.
If you have yet to jump on the article marketing bandwagon, then I suggest that you get started right away. Article marketing is here to stay. So you do not have to be all that concerned that others are using article marketing as well. In fact, article marketing works no matter how many people use it.
The reason why article marketing is so effective is because you are doing two things that create value for your site and search engines. The first is that you are producing keyword focused content that can drive interest to your website, products, and services. Additionally, you imbed links back to your website. These in bound links are powerful tools for search engine dominance.
When you distribute your article to article sites, blogs, or partner websites, your content gets additional exposure. As your content ages, and links are included back to your website, you benefit from the Google page rank associated with that page and your in bound link.
One error I see made all too often is when individuals, new to article marketing, is that they forget to include a link back to their website or simply link in the wrong way. The proper way to develop in bound links is with keyword rich link text. What this means is that your link is displayed with your keyword not the traditional http.
If you are unaware of how to produce such a link, do a Google search on create html links. You will find dozens of websites that give you the html code you need to create links in the proper way. If you do not embed your keyword in your link text, you are wasting your precious time and effort in article marketing.
After writing your articles and imbedding links using the proper format, the next step is to distribute them on sites that have a high Google PR and are popular for article aggregation and or distribution. I used to believe that the benefit of these article distribution sites were that they served as a resource for webmasters seeking content. The truth however is that it is the site’s Google PR itself that provides the value.
Many of these online article sites do not distribute content at all. In fact, the percentage of individuals copying content and pasting it on their site correctly is fairly limited. That said, if you focus on the top sites you derive most of your value from getting your articles posted on their website.
Create articles in your niche and structure them correctly. Your links in the author box or imbedded in the article must use your keywords in the anchor text. Test all of your links to make sure they work properly. Once you have validated that everything is working properly, distribute your articles to the top article directories.
I personally recommend Article Submitter Pro and Bryxen Article Submitter
If you have yet to jump on the article marketing bandwagon, then I suggest that you get started right away. Article marketing is here to stay. So you do not have to be all that concerned that others are using article marketing as well. In fact, article marketing works no matter how many people use it.
The reason why article marketing is so effective is because you are doing two things that create value for your site and search engines. The first is that you are producing keyword focused content that can drive interest to your website, products, and services. Additionally, you imbed links back to your website. These in bound links are powerful tools for search engine dominance.
When you distribute your article to article sites, blogs, or partner websites, your content gets additional exposure. As your content ages, and links are included back to your website, you benefit from the Google page rank associated with that page and your in bound link.
One error I see made all too often is when individuals, new to article marketing, is that they forget to include a link back to their website or simply link in the wrong way. The proper way to develop in bound links is with keyword rich link text. What this means is that your link is displayed with your keyword not the traditional http.
If you are unaware of how to produce such a link, do a Google search on create html links. You will find dozens of websites that give you the html code you need to create links in the proper way. If you do not embed your keyword in your link text, you are wasting your precious time and effort in article marketing.
After writing your articles and imbedding links using the proper format, the next step is to distribute them on sites that have a high Google PR and are popular for article aggregation and or distribution. I used to believe that the benefit of these article distribution sites were that they served as a resource for webmasters seeking content. The truth however is that it is the site’s Google PR itself that provides the value.
Many of these online article sites do not distribute content at all. In fact, the percentage of individuals copying content and pasting it on their site correctly is fairly limited. That said, if you focus on the top sites you derive most of your value from getting your articles posted on their website.
Create articles in your niche and structure them correctly. Your links in the author box or imbedded in the article must use your keywords in the anchor text. Test all of your links to make sure they work properly. Once you have validated that everything is working properly, distribute your articles to the top article directories.
I personally recommend Article Submitter Pro and Bryxen Article Submitter
Monday, February 16, 2009
Good SEO Design Is Essential for SEO Success
For anyone designing a new web site, search engine optimization is top of mind. Have you chosen a good niche for your website to focus on? Without the right focus, all of the SEO in the world wont help you drive traffic. Have you also considered a simple design that improve our chances of top search engine rankings?
Search engine optimization of web site design is easy if you know what to do. Even if you have done all of the planning and preparation that you can to guarantee a functional website, you must consider the needs of search engine spiders and SEO.
The first step is to start with an web site designed in html and to use cascading style sheets. CSS keeps your coding to a minimum and helps create a consistent look across all web pages. The design of your site needs to be simple yet effective supported by clean navigation.
Web pages should all have a unique set of meta tags including title, description, and keywords. Additionally, the keywords you are trying to optimize for should be contained within your meta tags and on page as well. Your template should have your keyword phrase at the top of your page as well as at the very end of your page.
One simple way to apply this technique is by beginning your title tag with a keyword phrase. Additionally, include a copyright notice followed by your keyword phrase in a clean simple flow. One example is Copyright 2009. WebmastersBookofSecrets.com Marketing Expert. Marketing expert in this example is the keyword and is the last text on your page.
In addition to including your keyword at the beginning and end of your web page template, consider the following SEO design techniques. Include your keyword phrase in heading tags such as H1 and H2. Shoot for a keyword density of around 3 to 5 percent. Finally, be sure that your keyword phrase is in bold, italic, and underlined. Well optimized sites keep their word count between three and six hundred words.
By using simple seo design techniques that help expose your keyword phrase to search engine spiders and making each page simple to scan, your website ranking will be improved. To take advantage of seo design, keep things simple and the results will follow.
Search engine optimization of web site design is easy if you know what to do. Even if you have done all of the planning and preparation that you can to guarantee a functional website, you must consider the needs of search engine spiders and SEO.
The first step is to start with an web site designed in html and to use cascading style sheets. CSS keeps your coding to a minimum and helps create a consistent look across all web pages. The design of your site needs to be simple yet effective supported by clean navigation.
Web pages should all have a unique set of meta tags including title, description, and keywords. Additionally, the keywords you are trying to optimize for should be contained within your meta tags and on page as well. Your template should have your keyword phrase at the top of your page as well as at the very end of your page.
One simple way to apply this technique is by beginning your title tag with a keyword phrase. Additionally, include a copyright notice followed by your keyword phrase in a clean simple flow. One example is Copyright 2009. WebmastersBookofSecrets.com Marketing Expert. Marketing expert in this example is the keyword and is the last text on your page.
In addition to including your keyword at the beginning and end of your web page template, consider the following SEO design techniques. Include your keyword phrase in heading tags such as H1 and H2. Shoot for a keyword density of around 3 to 5 percent. Finally, be sure that your keyword phrase is in bold, italic, and underlined. Well optimized sites keep their word count between three and six hundred words.
By using simple seo design techniques that help expose your keyword phrase to search engine spiders and making each page simple to scan, your website ranking will be improved. To take advantage of seo design, keep things simple and the results will follow.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Power Of On-Page Optimization
Even though off-page optimization is essential for improving your Google rankings, on-page techniques can be used to build a strong SEO foundation and support good results on Yahoo!, MSN, and other major search portals.
Here are a few SEO tips you can use to make your site more search engine friendly:
Optimize Your Website Name. If you have not yet picked a URL for your website then consider purchasing one that includes your keyword but is broad enough to represent your business. Additionally, try to find a website name that is memorable. This helps with word of mouth and repeat visitors. Include your main broad keyword into your URL.
Optimize Your Page Title and Header Tags. Develop a title that is relevant to your website content and which has no more that sixty characters. The reason you want to keep your title to a fixed width is because longer titles wont display fully on search engine results listings. The title is important because it gives you an opportunity to display your keywords and entice browsers to click on your link.
The first title or headline that appears on your web page should include your keywords. It is best to have this title display with an H1 tag which signals each search engine as to the importance of the content being displayed. The sub text should be presented with an H2 or H3 tag. This shows the search engines how important your keywords are and helps them promote the key elements of your web page.
Optimize All Your Meta Tags. SEO experts continue to debate the value of meta tags. I can tell you that although meta tags including the title, description, and keywords is less important that it was many years ago, it still plays an important role in optimization.
Optimize Your Keyword Density. Creating a keyword rich content page is essential but do not get carried away. Your keyword density should be between three and five percent in order to appeal to all major search engines. Some people believe that you could go as high as six percent for Yahoo! optimization but Google seems to like pages that have a smaller keyword density. In addition to keyword density, focus on H1 and H2 tags and place keywords at the beginning, middle, and end of your web page. This variety is helpful when signaling search engines as to the keywords that are important to your web page.
The most important part of any search engine optimization campaign is to make your site appear natural, present valuable content, and follow on-page optimization best practices. If you use the above suggestions as a guide, you will be well on your way to a fully optimized website.
Here are a few SEO tips you can use to make your site more search engine friendly:Optimize Your Website Name. If you have not yet picked a URL for your website then consider purchasing one that includes your keyword but is broad enough to represent your business. Additionally, try to find a website name that is memorable. This helps with word of mouth and repeat visitors. Include your main broad keyword into your URL.
Optimize Your Page Title and Header Tags. Develop a title that is relevant to your website content and which has no more that sixty characters. The reason you want to keep your title to a fixed width is because longer titles wont display fully on search engine results listings. The title is important because it gives you an opportunity to display your keywords and entice browsers to click on your link.
The first title or headline that appears on your web page should include your keywords. It is best to have this title display with an H1 tag which signals each search engine as to the importance of the content being displayed. The sub text should be presented with an H2 or H3 tag. This shows the search engines how important your keywords are and helps them promote the key elements of your web page.
Optimize All Your Meta Tags. SEO experts continue to debate the value of meta tags. I can tell you that although meta tags including the title, description, and keywords is less important that it was many years ago, it still plays an important role in optimization.
Optimize Your Keyword Density. Creating a keyword rich content page is essential but do not get carried away. Your keyword density should be between three and five percent in order to appeal to all major search engines. Some people believe that you could go as high as six percent for Yahoo! optimization but Google seems to like pages that have a smaller keyword density. In addition to keyword density, focus on H1 and H2 tags and place keywords at the beginning, middle, and end of your web page. This variety is helpful when signaling search engines as to the keywords that are important to your web page.
The most important part of any search engine optimization campaign is to make your site appear natural, present valuable content, and follow on-page optimization best practices. If you use the above suggestions as a guide, you will be well on your way to a fully optimized website.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
How To Design Your Web Page For Top Search Engine Rankings
When you begin and SEO campaign, start by focusing on your on-page optimization. The practice of on-page optimization is all about what you do on your web page to help search engines understand your content and what your site is focused on. Even though off-page optimization is an important factor in the rankings equation, on page optimization builds a strong foundation for all SEO efforts.
Below are a few helpful search engine optimization strategies you can use right now to make your web site more accessible to search engines and as a result, improve your search engine rankings.
Optimize Your Website Name. If you have not yet picked a URL for your website then consider purchasing one that includes your keyword but is broad enough to represent your business. Additionally, try to find a website name that is memorable. This helps with word of mouth and repeat visitors. Include your main broad keyword into your URL.
Optimize Your Page Title. Develop a website title that is relevant to your site and is limited to only 60 characters in length. The reason you want to limit the size of your title is because larger titles cannot be fully displayed on search engine results. You do not want your titles to be cut off when browsers are searching.
The first headline that appears on your site should include your most important keywords. It is best to have your title display with an H1 tag. An H1 tag provides emphasis and signals each search engine that you deem the content as important. Other titles on your web page should be displayed using an H2 or H3 tag, indicated once again, the importance of the keywords being used.
Do Not Forget To Optimize Your Meta Tags. Search engine optimization professionals continue to question the true value of meta tags. I know that meta tags are based on a number of core tags but can include many more. The core tags are for a page title, description and keywords. These tags are less important than in years past but should still be included.
Search engines use meta tags as a reference for search engine crawlers that view your website content. Your meta tags need to be correlated to your content and also include your keyword phrases. Doing so creates consistency, something that search engine spiders weigh heavily when determining website rankings. Make sure you fully develop your description and keywords.
Optimize your keyword density for Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Creating a keyword rich content page is essential but do not get carried away. Your keyword density should be between three and five percent in order to appeal to all major search engines. Some people believe that you could go as high as six percent for Yahoo! optimization but Google seems to like pages that have a smaller keyword density. In addition to keyword density, focus on H1 and H2 tags and place keywords at the beginning, middle, and end of your web page. This variety is helpful when signaling search engines as to the keywords that are important to your web page.
Varying Your Keyword Phrase. Each time you list your keyword phrase, change it up a bit. Rather than stuffing your site with the same keyword phrases again and again, use keyword variety. One way to do this is to add a word or two before your keyword phrase and after it. Creating variety is critical because it shows each search engine that your site is really about the core content you are promoting.
The most vital part of any search engine optimization campaign is to create a site that utilizes SEO but doesn't over due it. Make your web site appear natural, include valuable content, and follow on-page optimization best practices. This will keep your site ranked well among most major search engines.
Below are a few helpful search engine optimization strategies you can use right now to make your web site more accessible to search engines and as a result, improve your search engine rankings.
Optimize Your Website Name. If you have not yet picked a URL for your website then consider purchasing one that includes your keyword but is broad enough to represent your business. Additionally, try to find a website name that is memorable. This helps with word of mouth and repeat visitors. Include your main broad keyword into your URL.
Optimize Your Page Title. Develop a website title that is relevant to your site and is limited to only 60 characters in length. The reason you want to limit the size of your title is because larger titles cannot be fully displayed on search engine results. You do not want your titles to be cut off when browsers are searching.
The first headline that appears on your site should include your most important keywords. It is best to have your title display with an H1 tag. An H1 tag provides emphasis and signals each search engine that you deem the content as important. Other titles on your web page should be displayed using an H2 or H3 tag, indicated once again, the importance of the keywords being used.
Do Not Forget To Optimize Your Meta Tags. Search engine optimization professionals continue to question the true value of meta tags. I know that meta tags are based on a number of core tags but can include many more. The core tags are for a page title, description and keywords. These tags are less important than in years past but should still be included.
Search engines use meta tags as a reference for search engine crawlers that view your website content. Your meta tags need to be correlated to your content and also include your keyword phrases. Doing so creates consistency, something that search engine spiders weigh heavily when determining website rankings. Make sure you fully develop your description and keywords.
Optimize your keyword density for Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Creating a keyword rich content page is essential but do not get carried away. Your keyword density should be between three and five percent in order to appeal to all major search engines. Some people believe that you could go as high as six percent for Yahoo! optimization but Google seems to like pages that have a smaller keyword density. In addition to keyword density, focus on H1 and H2 tags and place keywords at the beginning, middle, and end of your web page. This variety is helpful when signaling search engines as to the keywords that are important to your web page.
Varying Your Keyword Phrase. Each time you list your keyword phrase, change it up a bit. Rather than stuffing your site with the same keyword phrases again and again, use keyword variety. One way to do this is to add a word or two before your keyword phrase and after it. Creating variety is critical because it shows each search engine that your site is really about the core content you are promoting.
The most vital part of any search engine optimization campaign is to create a site that utilizes SEO but doesn't over due it. Make your web site appear natural, include valuable content, and follow on-page optimization best practices. This will keep your site ranked well among most major search engines.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Power of Unique Article Wizard
Doing business online is more competitive today than ever before. Do you ever wonder why some Internet marketers seem to get top search engine rankings and more traffic than the rest of those doing business online? Why? The answer is more simple than you might think.
The reason why their getting all the traffic is because they are using the power of article marketing - with a twist. Article marketing has been a popular technique for building back links to web sites, blogs, and jump pages for a few years now.
In recent months, Google has begun to penalize web sites who post duplicate content and devalue the content when it appears identically on other websites. As a result, today's top marketers have begun leveraging a new aspect of article marketing... unique article distribution.
This technique is so powerful that many website owners have abandoned traditionally pay-per-click advertising and reinvested in article creation and unique article distribution. If you want to get the most from your article marketing, check out Unique Article Wizard and get started building one-way links today!
The reason why their getting all the traffic is because they are using the power of article marketing - with a twist. Article marketing has been a popular technique for building back links to web sites, blogs, and jump pages for a few years now.
In recent months, Google has begun to penalize web sites who post duplicate content and devalue the content when it appears identically on other websites. As a result, today's top marketers have begun leveraging a new aspect of article marketing... unique article distribution.
This technique is so powerful that many website owners have abandoned traditionally pay-per-click advertising and reinvested in article creation and unique article distribution. If you want to get the most from your article marketing, check out Unique Article Wizard and get started building one-way links today!
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