Linking techniques and social sites can boost rankings
By Alex Strzetelski
Finding a way to have a website rank high among all websites listed is an ongoing process that can take many forms. Finding a popular link, laying out a page or offering services have become popular methods, for the moment, but are subject to the whims and trends that move through the web. Some of the more current social media methods of obtaining a higher search engine ranking include:
Incoming social links
Popular social content
Capitalizing on current social trends
New technologies
Incoming links
Having links associated with a site is one of the most recognized forms of enhancing a websites ranking. In using incoming links the site is taking advantage of the reputation and content that the incoming link has to offer. In most instances, the best links are associated with educational institutions or governmental agencies, which give a substantial amount of added information about the subject in question. This is why the web search engines value the .edu and .gov links so highly.
Even though the .edu and .gov links are highly valued they do not necessarily rank as the best incoming links. The incoming link only needs to have a particular relevance to the subject at hand. The link does, however, need to be monitored because it will directly affect your sites ranking if something on it changes for the good or bad.
Popular content
The notion that an incoming link does not need to be from a source that is highly regarded is a phenomenon of changing internet socialization. Social links flow with current thinking and hold sway one week while not the next. Some may include:
Blogs
Social networking sites
How to sites
Related product sites
The advantage that these links offer is that they offer content. Providing relevant content is the leading form of increasing a ranking. The issue becomes what content is being offered. A link to a blog, for instance, cannot be a link for the links sake. The blog needs to be relevant to the site it is linked to. If there is little relevance it may hinder the sites ranking rather than enhance it.
Social trends
The world of the internet is a reflection of the social trends happening on the world as a whole. Trends come and go, and at a fairly quick pace. Finding some of these trends (witness u-Tube) can be a solid way to capitalize and increase a sites ranking. The reality that these trends come and go so quickly, however, means that maintenance of a site is a priority. Having outdated content is a quick way to reduce a sites ranking rather than increase it.
New technologies
As social trends come and go, so do new technologies appear. Being able to use a new technology to advantage is a good way to increase traffic and, as such, the sites ranking. In many such cases these new technologies are only an opening use of the technology. Finding out how the public will eventually decide to use it is the key to incorporating it into a website and increasing rank and traffic.
Be sure to check out the website at http://www.asimplelifeforyou.com
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
seo: Three Keyword Samples
They may not be fancy but they get the job done
By Alex Strzetelski
There are quite a few people and compamies, working in internet marketing, that do not write well or simply do not have the time to get the job done quickly and correctly. I offer this service and have been contracted to write keyword content about an astounding variety of products and services.
What you will find here is a sampling of just three items. Some of the countless hundreds that I have written may be better and some may be worse. They do, however, point to the fact that if a keyword needs to be placed into a flowing article I can get the job done in a timely fashion. Keyword content is but a small part of my writing activities but a necessary part in todays writing world.
Increased Web Traffic – Marketing With Articles
KW= Increased web traffic
#29 of 50
Increased web traffic can be accomplished in several ways. Some of the methods are free of charge while others are fee based. The Free of charge methods are the most common sense of methods while the fee based methods work well, and should since they cost.
Free methods
The free methods are oriented toward the origional intent of the internet, free and open communication with one another. Increased web traffic, to the desired site, can occur if a steady stream of relevant content is posted on the site in question. Within the content of the article words can be placed, or keywords, that indicate relevance to the search terms listed. Alone, these keywords will help increase traffic but they alone will not arrive at optimum results.
There are a number of other methods that will help the desired site reach its goal of a solid ranking. The web crawlers looking at the site, and article content, inspect several areas of the site and articles for key elements. Increased web traffic is one of those elements along with the number and type of links that are coming and going from the site.
Pay methods
The pay methods that can be used are no less or worse than the free methods. They simply cut down on the required effort and give the webmaster the ability to pick and choose which links he wishes to include. Increased web traffic is by no means a guarantee with the fee based methods but rather another option to follow.
There are so many potential ways to drive traffic to the desired site. Some people have tried a majority of them and have offerings regarding success rates. The free methods, and there are many, are where the founders of the process intended people to work. But, if fee paid is chosen it is no worse or better.
Insert reference box here
Money Saving Moving Tips
KW= moving, include 3 hyperlinks
#3 of 20
Even the richest of the rich know that moving the contents of a home or office is an expensive endeavor. Unlike the rest of us, however, the richest of the rich rarely think about the little things that could have the potential to save you a little, or allot, of money. There are several tips along the way to reducing moving costs although the one tip that will begin you along the way is how you look at your household items. Instead of looking at a washer and saying “ok, it’s a washer”, look at it and say “how much does it weigh? Will it need special handling?” Some other ideas include:
lighter is better
Can I let the movers pick the date
If you don’t ask you don’t get
Look at the fine print
Avoid cost of self storage
Can I move it myself?
Lighter is better
In the moving world weight is everything. Less weight, among other things, means less cost. As the moving date approaches and all the moving companies that you have been looking at are whittled down get your moving – home preparation in gear; what do you really need to move? If your refrigerator is old and inefficient maybe it would be better to buy new instead of moving it. If your home has been home for quite some time try tagging items in place instead of moving them outside. This will mean, less moving for you and the movers, less weight and extra cash for you.
Let the movers pick the date
When you start to find a moving company ask about their schedule. Generally, moving companies are like airlines, everybody wants to go at the same time. In most instances the moving company will grant a discount if you can bend a bit to meet their needs.
Fine print
You may want to add these to your moving check list as they work together. There are many little things attached to the contract you sign. Every now and again there is a little item that can save a bunch of money. Ask about them or you will likely not be asked. Does the moving company charge for packing?, can they give a discount off their base fee if it is derived from a standard industry pricing book? The point being ask for discounts and you’d be surprised how many you might get.
Can I do it myself?
As we began with, weight means everything. If you have specialty items that are bulky, heavy or particularly special think about renting a trailer. You could consider a small truck but gas will likely kill the benefit. If you use a trailer you can realize the cost savings because the car is going anyway and gas, lodging and a host of other items are tax deductable if you’re going more than 50 miles from your original place of employment (with conditions.) So, if you have a four wheeler, snow mobile, boat or washer dryer think about doing it yourself. Do the cost/benefit first though.
Learning Omaha Poker
KW= free money omaha poker
#8 of 40
Getting started in the game of omaha poker can appear to be a daunting task if you have never played before. Full houses, straights and flushes it is difficult to understand what beats what and when do I win anyway? All of these unknowns and you are betting money at the same time; not knowing if you are doing it right or not.
Free money omaha poker
All of these concerns have been addressed at VCPoker.com. At this site a system to guide you through the process has been created so that you can learn the “ifs” and “ands” about Omaha poker with no risk to your wallet or purse. It is called the free money area. In this area you can play free money omaha poker and not worry about losing your hard earned cash. Before each session you can order chips and they will be sent right to your chair. Go ahead and play free money omaha poker without worrying about the money.
Time to reload
One of the principles of Omaha poker is that you want to get the pot full of money as quickly as you can without driving to many others to fold their cards. This is because, in Omaha poker, the hands form up into some high value hands fairly quickly. As this happens people will fold thinking that their cards will not be good enough by the “turn” to win. Consequently, the pool of betters goes down making it more difficult to capitalize on a good hand.
What this ultimately means is that you need to learn how to be an aggressive better, and, if you are just getting started, means losing a lot. At the free money omaha poker table this is not a concern, this is why the table was put in place in the first place. If you need more chips at the free money omaha poker table you can reload your chips up to a certain level if you run out of chips or they fall below a bet level made by a competitor.
A practice table
In many instances, the more seasoned competitor may have come across a new strategy or wants to try a new way of looking at an existing strategy. The free money omaha poker table is the perfect place for this. Without the worry of losing all the gains that you have made over your stays at the tables you can develop your next campaign to further your dominance.
The free money omaha poker tables are there for you to learn and have fun without the prospect of losing your shirt. VCPoker.com developed the tables for you to be able to have the fun that gambling is. They are also there to challenge you, when you are ready, for the next step of playing for real money. So visit us at VCPoker.com to begin your next challenge.
END
Be sure to check out http://www.asimplelifeforyou.com
By Alex Strzetelski
There are quite a few people and compamies, working in internet marketing, that do not write well or simply do not have the time to get the job done quickly and correctly. I offer this service and have been contracted to write keyword content about an astounding variety of products and services.
What you will find here is a sampling of just three items. Some of the countless hundreds that I have written may be better and some may be worse. They do, however, point to the fact that if a keyword needs to be placed into a flowing article I can get the job done in a timely fashion. Keyword content is but a small part of my writing activities but a necessary part in todays writing world.
Increased Web Traffic – Marketing With Articles
KW= Increased web traffic
#29 of 50
Increased web traffic can be accomplished in several ways. Some of the methods are free of charge while others are fee based. The Free of charge methods are the most common sense of methods while the fee based methods work well, and should since they cost.
Free methods
The free methods are oriented toward the origional intent of the internet, free and open communication with one another. Increased web traffic, to the desired site, can occur if a steady stream of relevant content is posted on the site in question. Within the content of the article words can be placed, or keywords, that indicate relevance to the search terms listed. Alone, these keywords will help increase traffic but they alone will not arrive at optimum results.
There are a number of other methods that will help the desired site reach its goal of a solid ranking. The web crawlers looking at the site, and article content, inspect several areas of the site and articles for key elements. Increased web traffic is one of those elements along with the number and type of links that are coming and going from the site.
Pay methods
The pay methods that can be used are no less or worse than the free methods. They simply cut down on the required effort and give the webmaster the ability to pick and choose which links he wishes to include. Increased web traffic is by no means a guarantee with the fee based methods but rather another option to follow.
There are so many potential ways to drive traffic to the desired site. Some people have tried a majority of them and have offerings regarding success rates. The free methods, and there are many, are where the founders of the process intended people to work. But, if fee paid is chosen it is no worse or better.
Insert reference box here
Money Saving Moving Tips
KW= moving, include 3 hyperlinks
#3 of 20
Even the richest of the rich know that moving the contents of a home or office is an expensive endeavor. Unlike the rest of us, however, the richest of the rich rarely think about the little things that could have the potential to save you a little, or allot, of money. There are several tips along the way to reducing moving costs although the one tip that will begin you along the way is how you look at your household items. Instead of looking at a washer and saying “ok, it’s a washer”, look at it and say “how much does it weigh? Will it need special handling?” Some other ideas include:
lighter is better
Can I let the movers pick the date
If you don’t ask you don’t get
Look at the fine print
Avoid cost of self storage
Can I move it myself?
Lighter is better
In the moving world weight is everything. Less weight, among other things, means less cost. As the moving date approaches and all the moving companies that you have been looking at are whittled down get your moving – home preparation in gear; what do you really need to move? If your refrigerator is old and inefficient maybe it would be better to buy new instead of moving it. If your home has been home for quite some time try tagging items in place instead of moving them outside. This will mean, less moving for you and the movers, less weight and extra cash for you.
Let the movers pick the date
When you start to find a moving company ask about their schedule. Generally, moving companies are like airlines, everybody wants to go at the same time. In most instances the moving company will grant a discount if you can bend a bit to meet their needs.
Fine print
You may want to add these to your moving check list as they work together. There are many little things attached to the contract you sign. Every now and again there is a little item that can save a bunch of money. Ask about them or you will likely not be asked. Does the moving company charge for packing?, can they give a discount off their base fee if it is derived from a standard industry pricing book? The point being ask for discounts and you’d be surprised how many you might get.
Can I do it myself?
As we began with, weight means everything. If you have specialty items that are bulky, heavy or particularly special think about renting a trailer. You could consider a small truck but gas will likely kill the benefit. If you use a trailer you can realize the cost savings because the car is going anyway and gas, lodging and a host of other items are tax deductable if you’re going more than 50 miles from your original place of employment (with conditions.) So, if you have a four wheeler, snow mobile, boat or washer dryer think about doing it yourself. Do the cost/benefit first though.
Learning Omaha Poker
KW= free money omaha poker
#8 of 40
Getting started in the game of omaha poker can appear to be a daunting task if you have never played before. Full houses, straights and flushes it is difficult to understand what beats what and when do I win anyway? All of these unknowns and you are betting money at the same time; not knowing if you are doing it right or not.
Free money omaha poker
All of these concerns have been addressed at VCPoker.com. At this site a system to guide you through the process has been created so that you can learn the “ifs” and “ands” about Omaha poker with no risk to your wallet or purse. It is called the free money area. In this area you can play free money omaha poker and not worry about losing your hard earned cash. Before each session you can order chips and they will be sent right to your chair. Go ahead and play free money omaha poker without worrying about the money.
Time to reload
One of the principles of Omaha poker is that you want to get the pot full of money as quickly as you can without driving to many others to fold their cards. This is because, in Omaha poker, the hands form up into some high value hands fairly quickly. As this happens people will fold thinking that their cards will not be good enough by the “turn” to win. Consequently, the pool of betters goes down making it more difficult to capitalize on a good hand.
What this ultimately means is that you need to learn how to be an aggressive better, and, if you are just getting started, means losing a lot. At the free money omaha poker table this is not a concern, this is why the table was put in place in the first place. If you need more chips at the free money omaha poker table you can reload your chips up to a certain level if you run out of chips or they fall below a bet level made by a competitor.
A practice table
In many instances, the more seasoned competitor may have come across a new strategy or wants to try a new way of looking at an existing strategy. The free money omaha poker table is the perfect place for this. Without the worry of losing all the gains that you have made over your stays at the tables you can develop your next campaign to further your dominance.
The free money omaha poker tables are there for you to learn and have fun without the prospect of losing your shirt. VCPoker.com developed the tables for you to be able to have the fun that gambling is. They are also there to challenge you, when you are ready, for the next step of playing for real money. So visit us at VCPoker.com to begin your next challenge.
END
Be sure to check out http://www.asimplelifeforyou.com
Thursday, June 28, 2007
seo: Looking Like a White Hat When Getting Crawled
Appearing natuaral to a web crawler is not all that difficult
if you follow a few simple steps
By Alex Strzetelski
Appearing as a relevant and natural site to a search engine web crawler is not as difficult as it may sound. In many instances site designers and marketers tend to “over think” their work. There are several aspects that can be taken under consideration for getting a website noticed while not being noticed. The trick is not to be overly “heavy handed” about the process. Some of these aspects may include
Content
Page layout
Headings
Links
Navigation
Each of these areas is key to obtaining a higher rank in the website rankings. In addressing each, however, understand that there will be people reading and looking at what you are doing. It is this concept that will help you to appear natural because it is how the web crawler is looking at the page or; from the perspective of “Joe somebody” looking at the page. The key? Set up the page for a person not a machine.
Content
Content is the number one thing that a search engine web crawler is considering when it decides if a web page is “close” to what the user is looking for. From a content writers point of view the copy needs to be more like a sales pitch. Include the information in a simple and easy to understand way. Don’t try to appear as some sort of technical genius. The facts need to be laid out simply. Support those facts with the relevant vehicles, like a link or two, not an entire basket of links.
Page layout
The page layout is an important vehicle for the user. It needs to be pleasing to look at. From a crawlers point of view it only cares about the text, and text in certain places. It wants the text in the same places that a reader would expect it to be. Locate your text in these places for ease of use: at the top for a header, in the middle or upper right hand portion of the page (this is important because this is where a persons eye is naturally taken when they look at a page) for copy and at the bottom for where to go next. This is basic, to the point and easy. All things a user is conditioned for.
Navigation
With a proper page layout, there then becomes the issue of getting the user to respond to the page in the way that is desired. In most instances, conversion is the end result that the webpage is working toward. The web crawler recognizes this and factors it into its analysis of the page in terms of ease of use. In other words, it wants the page to be easy to move through.
Having a mechanism available to go straight to the end result is a good indicator for the web crawler and a good way to get the user around any extraneous information that hinders them from a quick resolution of what they are trying to do. Also, easy access to some quick tools is a way that indicates that the site is trying to help the user to accomplish their goals.
Ultimately, the best way to appear natural and relevant to the search engine is to be as helpful to the user as possible. All the tricks in the world will not ultimately help you get the user to act as you wish unless it is easy for them to get where they feel they need to be. A web crawler is looking at how you are trying to help the user. So, in trying to appear natural just try to help the user.
Getting crawled
The topic of how search engines determine which site will be ranked where is always a hot topic when deciding what to include or not to include on your site. Should meta tags be included or not?, where should this or that element be placed. All are valid questions and all have answers with one opinion or another being attached.
Regardless of what is used as a base line for a decision about what is used or not used, all can agree that there are several items that must be included as navigation tools. These tools will serve to form the structure of the site and aide in ranking and ease of use. Some of these include:
Name , keyword (optional), address in the Heading (H1)
Basics at the bottom
Layout
Meta tags
The search engine is sort of like a ghost. You are sure that it is there but you just cannot see it do whatever it does. There are, however, places that it will likely show up. The trick is to be there to get its attention.
Heading one H1
The H1 is the place you are sure the search engine will go to first. Some search engines will rank other elements first or higher but all will rank the H1 very high on their priorities list. Having an optimal H1 is crucial. If the search engine cannot get all the information it needs from this one stop the ranking will likely go down. This is not to indicate that other elements are less important but this area is key.
Basics at the bottom
Putting the basics at the bottom is just the way that pages have developed over time. It has become accepted that the basic navigation aids will be at the bottom of the page. These elements include:
Help
Contact us
About
Buy –this item is optional but important for conversion if the customer is ready to buy. It is unwise to muddle the customers thoughts in getting to the sales area when they have their credit card ready.
Layout
Layout is an important feature for a few reasons. The search engine could care less what the site looks like and would actually prefer not having color involved to get in the way. The viewer is another issue but the search engine will like to see ALT tags if there is text within color.
Meta tags
There is some debate about the usefulness of meta tags when it comes to search engines. Some search engines use them to a degree while others use them in a limited fashion. Although some people may disagree the consensus is that they are better used for your administrative use rather than in trying to optimize your site.
Key elements of primary keyword ranking success
Finding your site ranked high on a search engines list depends on several factors. Choosing and placing a keyword, however, are the elements that will most likely get your site into the top eight. When choosing and placing your keywords there are several considerations:
Placement
Relevance
Density
Placement
Placement is perhaps the most important consideration for a high ranking. Even before you have chosen your keyword you should be aware of where it will be used and how. Generally, the keyword should be found in the first heading or H1. This placement is not mandatory but highly recommended as most search engines look for a relevant term here.
Relevance
It would not make a whole lot of sense to use a keyword that did not have relevance but using similar words can have a similar effect. If your relevant keyword is one that is used often by others it may doom your site to obscurity. If you use that word along with a less frequently used relevant word you may see substantially better results.
Density
Using density of a keyword is an important aspect of a high ranking. The density, however, must be tempered to a degree because if it is used to often and in the wrong way the site may get barred for “breaking the rules” or ranked less high.
Content
With the possible exception of the H1 portion of your home page, content is the driving force of your ranking. The search engine crawler will rate your content on relevance, location, incoming links and key word density.
Relevance
The content found on the home page should have some relation to the site. Although the general theme may stay, the content should be changed, on average, about once per month.
The location of the content is just as important as the content itself. If the content is located near relevant aspects of the page, such as advertisements, the page will receive a better ranking.
Incoming links are considered as significant ranking criteria by many, but not all, search engines. These links could have your keywords in their link but this is not necessary. In either event they need to be quality links tied to the content.
Density is perhaps the largest keyword factor to consider in your home page content. The density needs to relatively significant although it cannot be overwhelming. If it is not relevant to the content or is too heavy handed in use the search engine may view this as a negative and rank the site lower or ban the site all together.
Choosing the keyword is just as important as how and where you place it. Generally, relevance and how it is perceived by the person doing the search are the important point to consider. Relevance, however, can be viewed in two ways for your use and effectiveness. If you choose a keyword that is fairly popular you will be placed along with a multitude of other users of the word. This may have the unintended effect of lowering your ranking. Because of this, the use of a word that is close to the popular word but not exactly the same may lead to a higher ranking and better results.
Keywords v. Keyword Phrases
One of the beginning steps in getting a user to your site is choosing the keywords or keyword phrases for use on your site. Ultimately, you are trying to incorporate the same keywords onto your site that a user will enter into the search engine window. The word(s) could really be anything but being relevant and specific are the two forms that should be considered.
Keywords
Using a one word keyword is an option. Using this one word, however, is not likely to accomplish the task of getting your site listed in the top page or two of the featured results. The problem is, that a one word keyword just leaves to many general options. The end result of using just one word is the attraction of millions of possible sites in the ranking and not the high ranking you desire.
Some one word keyword ideas that will not likely work well:
• AIDS
• Cars
• Pickles
Keywords obviously lend themselves to a keyword phrase. Using the one word within the phrase, however, leads to how the word is perceived, and the many forms that that one word might take. When the word “lift” is used, does it mean to “pick up” or a device to move a person from one building floor to the next?, or, for that matter does it mean elevator. With this in mind it would appear that several words used together in the form of a specific phrase would be more specific to attracting that one desired person to your site.
Developing phrase words
Developing these phrases is difficult because, as illustrated, a different word or set of words can mean differing things to differing people. Some considerations may include:
Do different common words have differing usages i.e. lift-elevator
Is the phrase to specific i.e. car seat v. child car seat restraints
Can the word be used in the plural
Are there spelling variations or is the word commonly misspelled
In certain instances each of these examples can lead to a positive or negative outcome for your ranking or conversion rate. In the first two examples the net effect may be a higher overall ranking but the addition of users that are not, generally, interested in one aspect of the intended product or service.
In the last two examples the overall effect is the same, to pull in people intended and not intended. In this case the effect is intended and may raise your ranking as the number of visits has risen. In either of these cases you are trying to gauge people and what they may or may not enter on purpose.
Don’t assume you’re right
Whichever strategy is taken there is one aspect of making a final decision that you should follow, don’t guess or think you are right. Just because you think in this way or that it does not mean that the general population thinks in the same way.
The best strategy to follow once you have a list of potential words and or phrases in mind is to make a list and go to a crowded market or mall and start to ask people what they associate with the words or phrases that you have come up with. It is likely that your initial feelings about the words are incorrect.
Be sure to check out
Be sure to check the website at http:/www.asimplelifeforyou.com
if you follow a few simple steps
By Alex Strzetelski
Appearing as a relevant and natural site to a search engine web crawler is not as difficult as it may sound. In many instances site designers and marketers tend to “over think” their work. There are several aspects that can be taken under consideration for getting a website noticed while not being noticed. The trick is not to be overly “heavy handed” about the process. Some of these aspects may include
Content
Page layout
Headings
Links
Navigation
Each of these areas is key to obtaining a higher rank in the website rankings. In addressing each, however, understand that there will be people reading and looking at what you are doing. It is this concept that will help you to appear natural because it is how the web crawler is looking at the page or; from the perspective of “Joe somebody” looking at the page. The key? Set up the page for a person not a machine.
Content
Content is the number one thing that a search engine web crawler is considering when it decides if a web page is “close” to what the user is looking for. From a content writers point of view the copy needs to be more like a sales pitch. Include the information in a simple and easy to understand way. Don’t try to appear as some sort of technical genius. The facts need to be laid out simply. Support those facts with the relevant vehicles, like a link or two, not an entire basket of links.
Page layout
The page layout is an important vehicle for the user. It needs to be pleasing to look at. From a crawlers point of view it only cares about the text, and text in certain places. It wants the text in the same places that a reader would expect it to be. Locate your text in these places for ease of use: at the top for a header, in the middle or upper right hand portion of the page (this is important because this is where a persons eye is naturally taken when they look at a page) for copy and at the bottom for where to go next. This is basic, to the point and easy. All things a user is conditioned for.
Navigation
With a proper page layout, there then becomes the issue of getting the user to respond to the page in the way that is desired. In most instances, conversion is the end result that the webpage is working toward. The web crawler recognizes this and factors it into its analysis of the page in terms of ease of use. In other words, it wants the page to be easy to move through.
Having a mechanism available to go straight to the end result is a good indicator for the web crawler and a good way to get the user around any extraneous information that hinders them from a quick resolution of what they are trying to do. Also, easy access to some quick tools is a way that indicates that the site is trying to help the user to accomplish their goals.
Ultimately, the best way to appear natural and relevant to the search engine is to be as helpful to the user as possible. All the tricks in the world will not ultimately help you get the user to act as you wish unless it is easy for them to get where they feel they need to be. A web crawler is looking at how you are trying to help the user. So, in trying to appear natural just try to help the user.
Getting crawled
The topic of how search engines determine which site will be ranked where is always a hot topic when deciding what to include or not to include on your site. Should meta tags be included or not?, where should this or that element be placed. All are valid questions and all have answers with one opinion or another being attached.
Regardless of what is used as a base line for a decision about what is used or not used, all can agree that there are several items that must be included as navigation tools. These tools will serve to form the structure of the site and aide in ranking and ease of use. Some of these include:
Name , keyword (optional), address in the Heading (H1)
Basics at the bottom
Layout
Meta tags
The search engine is sort of like a ghost. You are sure that it is there but you just cannot see it do whatever it does. There are, however, places that it will likely show up. The trick is to be there to get its attention.
Heading one H1
The H1 is the place you are sure the search engine will go to first. Some search engines will rank other elements first or higher but all will rank the H1 very high on their priorities list. Having an optimal H1 is crucial. If the search engine cannot get all the information it needs from this one stop the ranking will likely go down. This is not to indicate that other elements are less important but this area is key.
Basics at the bottom
Putting the basics at the bottom is just the way that pages have developed over time. It has become accepted that the basic navigation aids will be at the bottom of the page. These elements include:
Help
Contact us
About
Buy –this item is optional but important for conversion if the customer is ready to buy. It is unwise to muddle the customers thoughts in getting to the sales area when they have their credit card ready.
Layout
Layout is an important feature for a few reasons. The search engine could care less what the site looks like and would actually prefer not having color involved to get in the way. The viewer is another issue but the search engine will like to see ALT tags if there is text within color.
Meta tags
There is some debate about the usefulness of meta tags when it comes to search engines. Some search engines use them to a degree while others use them in a limited fashion. Although some people may disagree the consensus is that they are better used for your administrative use rather than in trying to optimize your site.
Key elements of primary keyword ranking success
Finding your site ranked high on a search engines list depends on several factors. Choosing and placing a keyword, however, are the elements that will most likely get your site into the top eight. When choosing and placing your keywords there are several considerations:
Placement
Relevance
Density
Placement
Placement is perhaps the most important consideration for a high ranking. Even before you have chosen your keyword you should be aware of where it will be used and how. Generally, the keyword should be found in the first heading or H1. This placement is not mandatory but highly recommended as most search engines look for a relevant term here.
Relevance
It would not make a whole lot of sense to use a keyword that did not have relevance but using similar words can have a similar effect. If your relevant keyword is one that is used often by others it may doom your site to obscurity. If you use that word along with a less frequently used relevant word you may see substantially better results.
Density
Using density of a keyword is an important aspect of a high ranking. The density, however, must be tempered to a degree because if it is used to often and in the wrong way the site may get barred for “breaking the rules” or ranked less high.
Content
With the possible exception of the H1 portion of your home page, content is the driving force of your ranking. The search engine crawler will rate your content on relevance, location, incoming links and key word density.
Relevance
The content found on the home page should have some relation to the site. Although the general theme may stay, the content should be changed, on average, about once per month.
The location of the content is just as important as the content itself. If the content is located near relevant aspects of the page, such as advertisements, the page will receive a better ranking.
Incoming links are considered as significant ranking criteria by many, but not all, search engines. These links could have your keywords in their link but this is not necessary. In either event they need to be quality links tied to the content.
Density is perhaps the largest keyword factor to consider in your home page content. The density needs to relatively significant although it cannot be overwhelming. If it is not relevant to the content or is too heavy handed in use the search engine may view this as a negative and rank the site lower or ban the site all together.
Choosing the keyword is just as important as how and where you place it. Generally, relevance and how it is perceived by the person doing the search are the important point to consider. Relevance, however, can be viewed in two ways for your use and effectiveness. If you choose a keyword that is fairly popular you will be placed along with a multitude of other users of the word. This may have the unintended effect of lowering your ranking. Because of this, the use of a word that is close to the popular word but not exactly the same may lead to a higher ranking and better results.
Keywords v. Keyword Phrases
One of the beginning steps in getting a user to your site is choosing the keywords or keyword phrases for use on your site. Ultimately, you are trying to incorporate the same keywords onto your site that a user will enter into the search engine window. The word(s) could really be anything but being relevant and specific are the two forms that should be considered.
Keywords
Using a one word keyword is an option. Using this one word, however, is not likely to accomplish the task of getting your site listed in the top page or two of the featured results. The problem is, that a one word keyword just leaves to many general options. The end result of using just one word is the attraction of millions of possible sites in the ranking and not the high ranking you desire.
Some one word keyword ideas that will not likely work well:
• AIDS
• Cars
• Pickles
Keywords obviously lend themselves to a keyword phrase. Using the one word within the phrase, however, leads to how the word is perceived, and the many forms that that one word might take. When the word “lift” is used, does it mean to “pick up” or a device to move a person from one building floor to the next?, or, for that matter does it mean elevator. With this in mind it would appear that several words used together in the form of a specific phrase would be more specific to attracting that one desired person to your site.
Developing phrase words
Developing these phrases is difficult because, as illustrated, a different word or set of words can mean differing things to differing people. Some considerations may include:
Do different common words have differing usages i.e. lift-elevator
Is the phrase to specific i.e. car seat v. child car seat restraints
Can the word be used in the plural
Are there spelling variations or is the word commonly misspelled
In certain instances each of these examples can lead to a positive or negative outcome for your ranking or conversion rate. In the first two examples the net effect may be a higher overall ranking but the addition of users that are not, generally, interested in one aspect of the intended product or service.
In the last two examples the overall effect is the same, to pull in people intended and not intended. In this case the effect is intended and may raise your ranking as the number of visits has risen. In either of these cases you are trying to gauge people and what they may or may not enter on purpose.
Don’t assume you’re right
Whichever strategy is taken there is one aspect of making a final decision that you should follow, don’t guess or think you are right. Just because you think in this way or that it does not mean that the general population thinks in the same way.
The best strategy to follow once you have a list of potential words and or phrases in mind is to make a list and go to a crowded market or mall and start to ask people what they associate with the words or phrases that you have come up with. It is likely that your initial feelings about the words are incorrect.
Be sure to check out
Be sure to check the website at http:/www.asimplelifeforyou.com
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
seo: How to be Search Engine Friendly
Wind up the web crawler and stay out of its way
By Alex Strzetelski
It may be hard to believe but search engines are lazy. Generally, they do not like to run up against things that make them slow down and look around. For this reason alone it is wise to be search engine friendly.
On the look-out
There are two main things to be on the lookout for when trying to be search engine friendly. The first item is to stay away from excess symbols where they may not usually appear. The second item is to put words where they would be expected to appear, by a reasonable person, so that the search engine can easily recognize them and move on quickly.
Stopping to take a look
Using quote marks in a title is one way to be unfriendly to a search engine. In this instance, the search engine is flying along looking for a keyword in certain places. One of those places is in the title of the first website page. Since the search engine is looking for a sting of letters and not a string of letters with a set of quotes around them it needs to slow down and check it out. In this instence the search engine is checking to see if the letters it wants are there but with quotes around them. This is not a good thing and not search engine friendly.
Keep it moving
The best way to be search engine friendly is to keep the thing moving. It expects to see key words in the title, in the relevant content at about a 5 percent density, a help section at the bottom of the page and maybe some relevant links. Don’t try and hide anything. This will slow it down to take a look. The main idea is to get the thing up to 100kph and keep it there.
Be sure to checkout the website at http://www.asimplelifeforyou.com
By Alex Strzetelski
It may be hard to believe but search engines are lazy. Generally, they do not like to run up against things that make them slow down and look around. For this reason alone it is wise to be search engine friendly.
On the look-out
There are two main things to be on the lookout for when trying to be search engine friendly. The first item is to stay away from excess symbols where they may not usually appear. The second item is to put words where they would be expected to appear, by a reasonable person, so that the search engine can easily recognize them and move on quickly.
Stopping to take a look
Using quote marks in a title is one way to be unfriendly to a search engine. In this instance, the search engine is flying along looking for a keyword in certain places. One of those places is in the title of the first website page. Since the search engine is looking for a sting of letters and not a string of letters with a set of quotes around them it needs to slow down and check it out. In this instence the search engine is checking to see if the letters it wants are there but with quotes around them. This is not a good thing and not search engine friendly.
Keep it moving
The best way to be search engine friendly is to keep the thing moving. It expects to see key words in the title, in the relevant content at about a 5 percent density, a help section at the bottom of the page and maybe some relevant links. Don’t try and hide anything. This will slow it down to take a look. The main idea is to get the thing up to 100kph and keep it there.
Be sure to checkout the website at http://www.asimplelifeforyou.com
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