For the last two years I have been successfully operating several web sites. I was fortunate in that I developed a process to get the sites listed in the search engines very quickly. I have been able to use this same method to get a few select keywords to rank very high, which allows the rest of the site enjoy the buoyancy effect of having a high ranking keyword. In the event you have not heard of the buoyancy effect, it is the concept that one or two keywords ranking well will lift the rest of the site in the search engine rankings.
When preparing a site for launch I will initially review a few characteristics of the site. The first things I look for on the main pages are the use of H1 and H2 tags inside the actual text on the home page. The reason for the tags is that the search engine spiders will instantly look at text contained inside of the tags to determine the overall theme of the web site. When the right tags are used and the right content is available to support them, the search engines have a very easy time determining what the site is about and can more easily include or exclude it when they encounter users looking for terms that are on your website.
I look for anchor text being used in the text on the home page. I have helped many website owners to achieve better rankings by having them remove images where the important message of the site, what it is all about, is embedded in the image. The simple fact is that, while it may look more attractive to the user, the search engines cannot read images and pull text away from the image, so it is not worthwhile to put the important message of the site in the image. I recommend using a smaller image and having the text be in a prominent position so that the user can click and go instantly to the point of interest.
I like to have a page contained in the site for each keyword being used. The search engines like to be able to specifically go to pages that are called the same as the keyword they are targeting. A page written for a wedding photographer should contain anchor text on the home page for a wedding photographer leading them to a page in the site of the same name. The search engines will know exactly what to do with that link and can quickly give it the right theme to work with.
I then move my efforts to looking for dashes and underscores in naming conventions. There are many solid examples of pages indexing better using dashes and not underscores in their name. I have no clue as to why this is but it has been proven so we should all follow the rule. If all else is equal, two pages named search-engine.htm and search_engine.htm will not rank the same. There have been lots of studies done to support this theory so I always remove the underscores from all file and page names.
I also will question the search engines to find out what they think the theme of the site really is. I have found the best tool to use is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. I always enjoy finding out what the search engines think the site is about by looking at the main keywords it gives back as the result. I am always amazed to see what the search engines think the site is really about and then get to work fixing their perspective. Most often the issues are easily fixed by adding some H2 tags and by adding no follow lines to some of the links in the site. If you and the search engines disagree on the theme of your site the situation can easily be turned around.
When preparing a site for launch I will initially review a few characteristics of the site. The first things I look for on the main pages are the use of H1 and H2 tags inside the actual text on the home page. The reason for the tags is that the search engine spiders will instantly look at text contained inside of the tags to determine the overall theme of the web site. When the right tags are used and the right content is available to support them, the search engines have a very easy time determining what the site is about and can more easily include or exclude it when they encounter users looking for terms that are on your website.
I look for anchor text being used in the text on the home page. I have helped many website owners to achieve better rankings by having them remove images where the important message of the site, what it is all about, is embedded in the image. The simple fact is that, while it may look more attractive to the user, the search engines cannot read images and pull text away from the image, so it is not worthwhile to put the important message of the site in the image. I recommend using a smaller image and having the text be in a prominent position so that the user can click and go instantly to the point of interest.
I like to have a page contained in the site for each keyword being used. The search engines like to be able to specifically go to pages that are called the same as the keyword they are targeting. A page written for a wedding photographer should contain anchor text on the home page for a wedding photographer leading them to a page in the site of the same name. The search engines will know exactly what to do with that link and can quickly give it the right theme to work with.
I then move my efforts to looking for dashes and underscores in naming conventions. There are many solid examples of pages indexing better using dashes and not underscores in their name. I have no clue as to why this is but it has been proven so we should all follow the rule. If all else is equal, two pages named search-engine.htm and search_engine.htm will not rank the same. There have been lots of studies done to support this theory so I always remove the underscores from all file and page names.
I also will question the search engines to find out what they think the theme of the site really is. I have found the best tool to use is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. I always enjoy finding out what the search engines think the site is about by looking at the main keywords it gives back as the result. I am always amazed to see what the search engines think the site is really about and then get to work fixing their perspective. Most often the issues are easily fixed by adding some H2 tags and by adding no follow lines to some of the links in the site. If you and the search engines disagree on the theme of your site the situation can easily be turned around.
About the Author:
Chuck Stewart operates a business that specializes in helping companies achieve a high search engine ranking for a few select keywords. He is a keyword marketing expert focused on delivering a high Return on Investment with a great track record of successful projects including helping his own web sites rank highly over an extended period of time.
No comments:
Post a Comment