Basics of SEO

Today, even the smallest company uses the Internet as a main tool in building a customer base, keeping in contact with their clients and this is also their most basic means of advertising.

Producing a company web site is inexpensive and very effective, not to mention necessary because the World Wide Web is the only medium that provides instantaneous information access to millions of users around the globe.

Any web developer worth his salt should know about search engine optimization or SEO.

This is imperative towards building an effective web site that would get a lot of hits and visitors. A web site that nobody visits is useless so the challenge lies in leading Internet users to visit your web site.

Thus, your web site needs to be found in the results when users type in keywords in search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Altavista, AOL and others.

A direct link to your web site should emerge on top of the list once a keyword relating to the products or services that you offer is keyed into a search engine.

You should employ search engine optimization techniques to lead traffic your way, and get more hits that would later on lead to more profit for your company, which is your ultimate goal.

Here are some tips on how you can make it to the top of the list of search engines, and use your SEO techniques to benefit your web site and your company:

1. If you have an existing web site and domain, just optimize the one that you currently have instead of purchasing a new domain.

It will take some time before your web site will show up in a particular search engine, like Google, so it better to use the one that you currently have instead of switching to a new one.

2. Know who your target audience is, and use this knowledge to aim for them. If you are in the manufacturing industry and a user types in your product in a search engine, then you would immediately have your target placed right in front of you.

As soon as the user hits the Enter button or clicks on 'Search', then the person will be lead to your web site. Make sure that your target market will get 'hooked' on your web site. Once the search engines show the link to your web site, their job is done.

What you might do next is to make sure that your visitor will not exit your web site without them trying out your products or services, or at least leaving some information necessary so that you can contact them in the future for marketing and advertising.

When hitting a particular target market, learn about their interests, location and age to have an idea of what you can offer them in return. Also, you can somehow link their interests to your products and services.

3. Search for the right keyword. You should be creative, persistent and flexible when looking for the keyword or keyword phrases to utilize in optimizing your web site. Google and Yahoo offer some tools and tips on how you can make keywords that will yield optimal results. Do not settle for just one keyword, because you can also change the words and phrases that you use for each page on your web site so that you can have more hits.

4. Consider your target market when designing your web site. The design itself would include the general theme of the web site. You should also pay attention to smaller details such as color and font style and size. Make sure that the web site is user-friendly and do not forget to insert helpful articles, tips, hints and related links that can be shared to other users.

It is a nice thing to have an option to send a link or an article to a friend, which will add more users and increase your client base. There should also be various ways to browse through your web site, to fit each user. A person might find it to difficult use the scroll down option so you should also provide hyperlinks which are accessible to them.

5. Concentrate on the web site content. Regularly update the content on your website so that old and new users can find something new when browsing through your site.

Make the content brief and precise. Writing a content which has more than 600 words will make the users lose interest, since most of them do not actually read but just skim through the text. Strive to be the best and most comprehensive web site and you will make your mark when it comes to information about the products and services that you offer.

It's a good idea to pay attention to the detail. Finally, keeping your web site's content updated is a must. Spread the word about your web site and use the basic search engine optimization techniques and you will surely gain positive results once users visit your web site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Schwartz, is the founder of Promotions Unlimited,an Internet legal directory (CA, TX & Las Vegas ) publisher and search engine placement technology analyst.  You can contact Bob via e-mail at  seo711@gmail.com or visit his San Diego legal directory at:  http://www.sandiegolawyerforyou.com/special.htm