| In an earlier article, I covered why content is | | | | hyphens instead of underscores is preferred and |
| important to your SEO rankings. This article will | | | | nowadays having no hyphens or underscores in |
| cover what you can do behind the scenes to | | | | the file name is acceptable as well - the search |
| make sure the HTML code on each web site | | | | engines should treat them as the same. |
| page is optimized for search engines. Updating | | | | One item I do want to stress is that I do not |
| HTML code can be done using a web editor | | | | want you to run out and change all your file |
| program such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver, but | | | | names because if a page is bookmarked or |
| it can also be done by hand using Notepad. | | | | indexed in a directory somewhere and you |
| There are literally dozens of techniques that SEO | | | | change it, then it could not only hurt your |
| consultants employ to optimize each variable that | | | | rankings, but you may lose customers who can't |
| makes up a single web page. For example, at the | | | | find your site because of a broken link. So |
| bare minimum, you need to pay attention to | | | | consider changing the file name if the page is not |
| researching and creating effective page titles, | | | | yet indexed in the search engines or if the page |
| researching and creating effective file names, | | | | has poor search results placement AFTER you've |
| writing effective description meta tags, properly | | | | already changed the other items. If you are |
| using heading tags and alt tags for each hyperlink | | | | getting good search results placement, then of |
| and image file. This goes for every link, every | | | | course do not change your file names. |
| picture, graphic, image, and for every single web | | | | Description meta tag |
| page. As you can see, it is no small task to | | | | A good description tag will get you noticed! This is |
| optimize a web site - even a small one! | | | | the blurb that is displayed right under the title tag |
| While each variable plays a small part in the overall | | | | in the search results page. It is what people skim |
| optimization - think of it as a recipe with each | | | | over when viewing the search results. Too many |
| variable being a single ingredient - and all | | | | times people will search on a term that has |
| ingredients being important to the recipe, I want | | | | multiple meanings and the page titles may help a |
| to cover three items: page titles, file names, and | | | | little, but it's the description that will get their |
| the description meta tag. | | | | attention and let the person know that your is |
| Page titles | | | | the site they are looking for! Its placement is right |
| Page titles are the hyperlinked words that show in | | | | up there at the top of the source code, usually |
| the search engine results and also display at the | | | | right under the title tag and looks like this: |
| top of the browser page. They are not only vital | | | | Don't forget to add key words and key phrases |
| but greatly influence page ranking in the search | | | | here as well. : ) |
| results, so it's important that the page title is rich | | | | Quick Start Assignment |
| in keywords. You add the title of the page in | | | | Take just one of your web pages and optimize it |
| between the "title" tags in the HTML code at or | | | | for search engines. First, do some little research |
| near the top of the page. | | | | for keywords to use for the titles and |
| Example: | | | | descriptions. It's important to use words that your |
| This is the page title | | | | target audience is actually searching, not what you |
| Make sure every page has a different title. If you | | | | THINK they are searching for. For example, if you |
| feel that you cannot pin down one title for a page | | | | think people are searching on the key phrase |
| because it has too many sections of information, | | | | "certified life coach" - do some research because |
| then it would be best to create more pages and | | | | perhaps they are searching on different terms |
| categorize accordingly. For example, if you sell | | | | such as "midlife transition coach," "coach to guide |
| widgets in different colors and you put them all on | | | | me through a divorce," "adhd coach" etc. |
| one page and name the title of the page | | | | Check the title tag, do you have the keywords |
| "widgets," this isn't going to do much to help in | | | | near the front where they carry the most value? |
| your page ranking because your page will be | | | | Is the title too long? Is it an effective title? Is this |
| competing with thousands of others that contain | | | | page title the same as all your other page titles? |
| the same word. | | | | Do your page titles have your business name |
| Instead, create one page just to showcase your | | | | right in front? If so, make some edits. |
| red widgets and title the page "Red widgets." | | | | Next, write an effective description for the page. |
| Think about it ... when someone is doing a Google | | | | Lastly, only change the file names if there are |
| search, they will most likely be as descriptive as | | | | spaces in the title, if it is not yet indexed by the |
| possible so as to narrow down the search results. | | | | search engines, or if it has poor placement in the |
| Another rule of thumb is to keep the title to a | | | | search results. |
| maximum of 60 characters. | | | | Of course there is so much more to do in order |
| File names | | | | to properly optimize your pages, but start with |
| Choose file names that correlate with your page | | | | just ONE page and do this for each new page |
| titles. These should also be keyword-rich as they | | | | you add for the next few weeks. |
| do have a positive impact on search results. When | | | | Get started! |
| choosing file names, use all lower-case letters and | | | | Copyright 2008 Lisa Wells, Coast2CoastBusiness. |
| do NOT use spaces. I have read that using | | | | |