| Using a professional search engine | | | | every page of your website |
| optimization service can sometimes be | | | | |
| expensive. However, if your budget is tight | | | | From the standpoint of search engine |
| and you have a basic understanding of web | | | | optimization, the single most important |
| page construction it is possible to optimize | | | | sentence on any web page is the title tag. |
| your own website without hiring an SEO | | | | The title tag gives the search engine a good |
| specialist. For those who would like to give | | | | indication as to what your page is all about. |
| it a try, here are ten "Do it yourself" | | | | Incorporate your main keywords or search |
| search engine optimization tips: | | | | phrases into your title tag, and keep them at |
| | | | the very front of the sentence. These |
| 1. Think about SEO right from the start | | | | keywords are more important than your company |
| | | | name (unless it is Coca Cola!). So our XYZ |
| Many people plan, design and build their | | | | Bicycle Company might have a title tag that |
| websites without giving any thought as to | | | | looks like this Bicycles: Racing Bikes, |
| whether their site is search engine friendly | | | | Mountain Bikes, Road Bikes, Bicycle |
| or whether it will be capable of attracting | | | | Accessories from XYZ Bicycles. |
| traffic in organic search engine results. At | | | | |
| the last minute, after most of the site has | | | | The title tags of each of the sub-pages of |
| been built, they try to optimize their site, | | | | the site should reflect the main content of |
| not realizing that this work should have done | | | | those pages. Never use the same title tag for |
| throughout the planning and building process. | | | | all the pages of the site. |
| | | | |
| It is far better to think about search engine | | | | 4. Write a concise description tag for each |
| optimization at the very beginning of the | | | | of your web pages |
| process. For example, if it is at all | | | | |
| possible, choose a domain name that will | | | | Just as the title tag is the most important |
| allow you to include your most important | | | | sentence or phrase on any page, the |
| keyword or search term in your URL. If you | | | | description tag is the most important |
| are selling bicycles then you would do well | | | | paragraph on any page. Summarize the gist of |
| have to a domain name like . And don't stop | | | | your page in two or three pages, again |
| with the domain name; include your keywords | | | | incorporating the keywords and search phrases |
| in your file names as well. For example, a | | | | for which you think people will use when |
| sub-page of this hypothetical site might be | | | | searching for your site. A description tag |
| | | | for the home page of the XYZ Bicycle Company |
| 2. Design your site with both search engines | | | | could look like this: "The EXZ Bicycle |
| and users in mind | | | | Company manufactures mountain bikes, racing |
| | | | bicycles, road bikes and bicycle accessories. |
| Your site should be easy for your human | | | | Our bicycles are distributed and sold around |
| readers to understand, but it should also be | | | | the world. " |
| easy for search engine robots as well. If you | | | | |
| want to see what a search engine robot will | | | | 5. Put your keywords into headers and |
| "see" then view your site in a notepad | | | | headlines on your page |
| document or use the html view of the popular | | | | |
| web editing programs. | | | | Your human readers and search engines alike |
| | | | need prominent headlines in order to |
| If you have used gif images to render your | | | | understand what your page is all about. While |
| headlines or other important text, then this | | | | a human reader only needs to see the headline |
| text will not be picked up by the search | | | | in a large bold text, search engines |
| engine robots. In addition, if you have | | | | distinguish the headlines, which they regard |
| designed a site that is entirely in a flash | | | | as important indicators of the page, by |
| format, you will not be providing the search | | | | noting which phrases are encased in header |
| engine spiders with much "food," or | | | | tags such as , , , etc. H1 is considered most |
| searchable text. | | | | important and your first headline should be |
| | | | labeled with this tag. If the header tags |
| Furthermore, if you have long strings of java | | | | make your copy look too big, then you can |
| script and complex style instructions in the | | | | change the size of the headers by creating |
| head section of your html page it is better | | | | style instructions that will render the |
| to put the java script in an external file | | | | headlines into sizes that are consistent with |
| and the style instructions in a separate CSS | | | | the look and feel of your site. |
| (cascading style sheet) file, in order to | | | | |
| give prominence to the actual text of your | | | | In part two of this series I will give the |
| web page. | | | | remaining five tips for do-it-yourself search |
| | | | engine optimization. |
| 3. Write individual title tags for each and | | | | |