It is often the most basic search engine techniques that are the most effective at improving a results page ranking. Employing these techniques is also relatively simple and can be successfully achieved at a nominal cost by a consultant or you could even attempt to implement them yourself.
1. Existing Content Optimisation
All content, including the landing pages should be optimised for search engines. This means that it should be unique, relevant and of a high quality.
It should also be optimised for a specific keyword which will increase a web page’s relevance when being indexed by search engine bots. Every piece of content should have a title that includes this keyword. Ideally, the keyword should appear in the first sentence or opening paragraph as well as in the last paragraph. It should also appear in the body about once every 300 to 400 words.
Although it may seem like a good idea to use the keyword as much as possible to further increase a ranking, overuse can be penalised. It is preferable to alter the keyword slightly or use long tail keywords rather than using the exact phrase too often. Metadata and tags should also be added to existing content.
2. URL’s
A URL is basically the address where a specific web page is located and can be found on the web. These are normally automatically generated which means that it may not always contain the keyword or phrase that is so important for it to be indexed according to relevance. All existing pages should have their URL’s updated to include the keyword or other relevant phrases and added to a URL for new content.
3. Content Addition
Content needs to be added to your website on a regular basis in order for it to be constantly crawled and indexed by search engine bots. Just like existing content, this new content needs to be unique, relevant and high quality. Content in the form of blog posts, articles, newsletters, press releases, reviews and other information can all be added as new we pages and contribute to a higher search engine ranking. New content addition is one of the primary and most basic of search engine optimisation techniques.
4. Link Building
Adding links to your existing and new content provides spider bots with a way to find your web pages and then to index them correctly. Once again, relevance is key and links should be relevant to your website, business, products and services in order to create the greatest impact.
It is also advisable to use links that are to authority sites. These are sites that contain valid information that is generally trusted by internet users such as .gov and .edu sites. Authority sites provide strong links and therefore have a greater impact on a ranking.
It is generally advisable to avoid backlinks as these can have a negative impact. However, when used correctly, they can positively influence a ranking. These are links that are contained within your website and redirect users to another page on your site. It is recommended to always ensure that a link provides new information and does not simply link back to your home or other landing pages.
5. Create New Pages
It is advisable to create as many pages as possible to describe products or services on your website. A web page that describes all your products cannot be indexed optimally according to relevance. However, a page that is dedicated to describing just one product is far more relevant and simpler to index.
Always keep in mind that SEO is not a quick fix and that it is unlikely that you will see overnight results. Even though growth may be slow, it will provide a solid foundation to maintain a search engine ranking over an extended period of time.
This short guide to SEO for beginners has been provided by Konker SEO Tools. To find out more, simply visit the Konker website at – http://Konkerr.com – the UK’s leading SEO resource.