Orangejack

Last week I mentioned Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and said I would post more about it as it’s really been fresh on my mind lately.  Though SEO is a marketing discipline, there are some governing principles we can follow.  Below is meant to be more high-level and hopefully written in a way that you will have a better understanding of what SEO is all about.

OVERVIEW
When someone performs a search on Google.com, the visitor expects and receives great results. That is why Google has been the dominant search engine for many years. From Google’s perspective, they want to provide the most helpful and relevant search results so that visitors are happy and will return to use Google’s services again.

Google is aware of Billions of websites so how do you get Google to list your site on the first page of results when someone is searching for you?

The marketing strategy behind this is called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. There are many variables, but Google has been clear about what will help you rank well and what will cause you to rank low — or even ban you from their listings! Therefore, it makes sense to know, at least a little, about what characteristics a relevant and good site needs to have for Google to rank it well.

PROCESS
Make each Web page for a human visitor so that they:

1. can easily find what they want, and
2. are able to accomplish what you intended.

Make each Web page’s code optimized according to what Google requests so that:

1. Google has an idea how to rank you, and
2. you don’t compromise the human visitor experience.

Present your Web site to Google via the ways it suggests. Think of it as the way they want you to “introduce yourself”.

Find ways to have other Web pages link to your page(s) in ethical ways that are considered “Google approved”.

Monitor the progress of your page’s rankings for desired keywords and of visitors completing your desired action.

DETAILS

1. Determine description and keywords to be used
2. Buy domain name with keyword if possible
3. Prepare content and navigation based on keywords
4. Create report of current rankings for domain and keywords
5. Optimize the title tag on each page with relevant keywords
6. Fill in metadata description and keywords
7. Block Google from indexing a page if necessary or beneficial
8. Use header tags for Website title, tagline, and content headers
9. Use alt tags for images using keyword description
10. Use the nofollow link tag for pages not necessary for Google but are useful to visitors
11. Submit homepage URL and sitemap to Google
12. Monitor progress through analytics