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Engine Optimization Tips

Misconceptions about search engine optimization are common. One of the most common is that once a site is built and submitted to the search engines, heavy traffic is on its way. Another is that when making a submission to each engine, a site will be registered immediately and will stay listed with that engine for as long as it is in operation. Have you spend a large amount of your hard earned money on making your site easily available and not getting desired results? Hang-on and take the help of search engine optimization tips to know where your search engine optimization strategy was lacking. Search engine optimization tips can give you the maximum return of your money by providing your website a high rank on search engine listing.

Engine Optimization Tips - Design Tips

Engine Optimization Tips - Preparing Content

Prepare content for homepage, sub-pages, categories, sub-categories and products using main keywords. Keyword rich content is important for search engine spiders to find once they come to crawl your site. With search-friendly content added to individual pages you will have a better chance of improving search engine ranking and increasing web site traffic. It is a good idea to plan and prepare for about 100 pages of keyword rich content. Remember, proper preparation prevents poor performance!

Engine Optimization Tips - Design Theme & Coding

Build your site layout and theme using cascading style sheets (CSS), valid code and easy to use interface. Using CSS will “clean-up” your source code giving search engines greater accessibility to your page content. This technique can also allow you to place your most important content closer to the top of your HTML documents and will make it easier for you to update the look and feel over time from a single file. Each page should be W3C validated and function well in all major browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari etc.). It is a good idea to keep the site clutter free with a professional appearance to the best of your ability. The faster the better, every second your users have to wait for a page to load could be loosing you traffic and sales.

IMG ALT & Anchor Text

Include keywords within text links, anchor text, alt tags, image titles, flash comments and product images. Search engines will assume the link anchor text will be descriptive of the page the link actually points to. In addition to helping the search engines sort out content and crawl easily from page to page, adding keywords to your link text will benefit users who will not have to guess where a text link like “click here” will take them. Adding ALT text to images will help search engines read them as well as users who are disabled or using text-based browsers.

Engine Optimization Tips - Page Headings

Use keyword rich page headings, bold text and descriptive headlines at the top or near the top of all your pages. Headings should accurately describe and summarize the content beneath each tag in order for this technique to aid in your search engine ranking. In addition to using H-tags for search engine benefits they will also assist site users who read or scan your pages for information instead of reading each line.

Engine Optimization Tips - Robots.txt File

Use a robots.txt file to instruct crawlers, limit access to certain sections or to utilize site maps autodiscovery. Search engines will look in your root domain for the robots.txt file (http://www.domainname.com/robots.txt) to see which files it may crawl and index or to find special instructions. The technical term for the system is The Robots Exclusion Standard. The file should be created using Unix line ender mode. Most good text editors will have a Unix mode or your FTP client should do the conversion for you.

Engine Optimization Tips - Page Titles

Create unique page titles for homepage, sub-pages, categories, sub-categories and product pages. Web site Titles should be created for each content rich page using primary keywords and phrases in the correct order, density and character limits. Titles are simply elements in the HEAD section of an HTML document that tell search engines and users what you offer on your site. Your most important keywords should be used in this element in order to gain proper placement under your desired terms.

Engine Optimization Tips - Keyword Research

Research different keywords and phrase combinations to include within your site copy and design elements. Many millions of keyword queries are done each day on the search engines. Typically, keyword data is gathered using industry keyword tools (Wordtracker, Overture Suggestions, Google Keywords etc.), site query statistics, and actual search engine queries that people are already finding the site under.

Engine Optimization Tips - HTML Site Map

Build an HTML site map for users to navigate and for any users who may be disabled or using text-based browsers. Site maps are web pages that contain all of your most important and content rich pages. A site map will also assist the search engines in finding all of your web site content so that they may scan it to include within their search results. Bigger eCommerce sites can really benefit from a site map as there are usually many pages to be indexed.

Engine Optimization Tips - Meta Descriptions

Create unique meta descriptions (optional keyword tag) for the entire site, including categories and products. Meta description and keyword tags are simply elements in the HEAD section of an HTML document that help search engines classify your page content and desired keywords and phrases and serves as a descriptive paragraph so users can see what you offer before visiting the site. It is best to use the meta keywords tag sparingly as it is not taken into consideration by all search engines. Creating a unique descriptions for each page will help increase click throughs and conversions of your natural listings as well as provide search engines with an overall theme for each page.

Engine Optimization Tips - XML Site Map

Build an XML site map for search engines to find updates to your content and products at regular intervals. XML site maps can be sent electronically to most major search engines. Dynamic site maps are optimal, but site maps you update manually can also be useful. XML site maps are special files that contain links to the most important sections and pages of your site. eCommerce stores that update catalogs often should definitely consider using an XML site map to help search engines find new products and update old ones.

Engine Optimization Tips - Linking Campaign

Consider ideas to build links to your site through offering promotions, coupons, press or media releases and more. As link building is becoming more popular with merchants, it is important to include a link building strategy into your store marketing plan. Finding quality links that are already popular in search engines is key to getting listed higher, however links from newer sites will eventually be popular and can also be beneficial.