by Ron Daly
I've been thinking a lot about what Jimmy said in our previous post about search engine optimization. About how the sheer size of the Internet is daunting when you're trying to get noticed. But there are a few more tips I think are worth sharing when it comes to SEO. I don't know as much as, say, the people at Google do about SEO, but I've found a few good resources and gleaned from said resources several worthwhile pieces of advice.
How Domains Relate to SEO, from shayhowe.com (click here for the full article)
One of the things I learned from this article was that keywords are important - and in more places than just your "keywords" meta-tag. If you have a page that's only pricing information, why not name the root for that sub-section "pricing"? So, if your URL is:
http://www.example.com
You'd make your pricing page URL something like
http://www.example.com/pricing/
Or, if it's only about a page worth, go with the basic
http://www.example.com/pricing.html
"Keep it simple" is the name of the game. Google and other search engines, according to Shay Howe, pay attention to paths and file names as well as whatever other information you cram into the meta data.
Another take-away that I think is important, where your content sits in terms of your root folder (where your website's top level sits) and your sub folders. Sure, you're going to have to tuck certain content into a sub folder, but make sure it can be found.
And, as with email, make sure that IP address is sparkling. What does that have to do with whether or not you're found online? It's the same reason that, if you send out a bunch of bum emails, the ISP of the people you're sending to will keep you from reaching said people. If your IP starts getting a lot of complaints about crummy behavior or SPAM-site-esque operating procedures, you're not going to curry favor with the search engines.
How to Integrate SEO Into Your Business, from SEOmozBlog (click here for the full article)
A great article from a blog that has a lot to offer your SEO strategy. According to the article, SEO's place in our world is so important that it affects the overall strategy of product promotion. Some key tips:
- Be aware that the way you brand/promote your products will need to reflect what the product is (assuming it's something someone purchases) or where to find or use the product (assuming it's a local resource or business). Keep that in mind when coming up with the product names and descriptions.
- Don't be afraid to ask for a link-over from the website of your facilities provider/manager. So if you have a store/branch in the "Willow Oak Grove" shopping center, see if you can get a link from http://www.willowoakgroveshoppingcenter.com
- If you're generating a lot of content (blogs, video sites, etc.), compel your content producers to greater output by relating your page-views and traffic to performance.
There's plenty of great links in this article and more information on how to weave SEO best practices into your business. This blog is a great read and always comes up with new ideas about SEO. Go subscribe now!
Linking, linking, linking!
Why ignore the best way to drive up your referrals and traffic? You need other sites linking to you and vice versa. Now, this doesn't mean an entire page of blanket links that lead to SPAM pages (obviously), but rather a set of references to your strategic partners, your promoters, your sponsors, and your sister sites. All the better to "build a strong reference stream" between yourself and the sites most critical to your success.
It's time. Today's the day. Don't sit on your hands when it comes to your SEO anymore. Start getting found! Use these resources and make it happen today.
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