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 Utilizing effective search engine
optimization techniques will improve the page rank of your
website.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process by which
webmasters or online business owners utilize strategic
copy to increase their website’s popularity. Given that
the internet has grown so rapidly over the past decade,
the competition for the best search engine position has
created an enormous market focused on how best to position
a website for better rankings on Google, Yahoo and other
prominent search engines. Therefore, understanding the
fundamental elements of SEO is critical to online
business’ success.
Search engines are sophisticated pieces of technology that
allow users to quickly find relevant websites by searching
for a simple word or phrase (e.g. “day spas”). While
there are many tricks that can be used to increase page
rank, the most effective methods must include providing
consistently high quality online articles. This seems like
a simple concept, but there are many websites that fail to
provide content that visitors find interesting. If you can
set your website apart from these boring, lifeless sites,
then you’re already a step closer to achieving high page
rank via search engine optimization. Sites that provide
articles that are informative, well-written, and regularly
updated create highly engaged online visitors who are more
likely to return to the site I the future.
The second critical component of effective search engine
optimization is to include key words and phrases within
your articles. These keyword phrases should mirror the
phrases that website visitors use when traversing the web.
Visit your site’s traffic report to determine what
keywords are drawing visitors to your site already, and
make an effort to incorporate those words into your
articles. Alternatively, study your competitors’
websites to determine what words they use to attract
traffic. Be sure to use simple titles that clearly state
what the article is about, and try to include a keyword or
two in the title if possible. The more key words you use
in your articles, the more likely it is that visitors will
find your site when they conduct a search with those
words. If you are consistent with these methods, your
overall search engine optimization will increase, which
will in turn boost your page rank.
Next, when writing articles to post on your site, make
sure you develop a clear means of organizing their
content. This can often be done by simply adding a new
page to your site. This will allow room for more articles
to be added as you write them, and allow you to develop an
archive of articles that will continue to draw unique
visitors. Be sure to include your archived articles in a
directory that is near the root web of your site, to
ensure that search engines effectively index your online
articles. Don’t forget to add the pages to your site
navigation, and include links to and from the main page
and the articles page. Creating an articles page that is
easy to find not only makes your content more readily
accessible, but also allows spiders searching the web to
tag a larger percentage of your sites’ information.
Finally, consider allowing others to link to your website.
Not only does this provide free advertising for your site,
but it creates the impression that your site is important
because of its affiliated links. Just be sure that you
avoid linking to pages that have a lower page rank than
your own; it actually could reduce your site’s
popularity within the rankings.
Search engine optimization strategies are important in
developing your site’s popularity. Therefore, write high
quality, keyword rich content and link your site to and
from a strategic family of other sites. In so doing, you
will help improve your site’s popularity and, hopefully,
drive increased business through your online business.
Online reprint rights granted as long as the article is
published in its entirety, including links and resource
box. © John
Doetsch 2005.
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