ArticleBlaster SEO 101

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Article Title: SEO 101
Author: Pat Marcello
Word Count: 782
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=79491&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
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When you hear the term �search engine optimization,� do your
eyes glaze over? I know mine used to, until I studied the
practice intensively. I don�t know everything, and quite
frankly, I don�t think it�s possible. SEO is like sticking your
finger into a pile of mud and pulling out a diamond. Nobody
online today knows what the search engines� algorithms are
exactly and even if someone did, the knowledge wouldn�t last
because the search engines are changing all the time.

But there are a few very simple things you can do to your web
site to make it more search-engine friendly.

First, research keywords. Think about what people might type
into a search engine to find your product. For instance, you
may have a site about attention deficit disorder. If you do,
you may want to use the term ADD or ADHD. If you look those up
at http://inventory.overture.com (Overture�s Keyword Selector
Tool), you�ll see that ADD comes in second on the list of
keywords and ADHD comes in first. You may think you want to use
those words, but think aga! The competition will be too high and
it will be nearly impossible to rank high for those keywords.
Try to come up with a phrase that�s not so high on the list.
You�ll have an easier time ranking high for lower-ranking
keywords.

After you have done your research and chosen some great
keywords, evaluate your competitors. See which other sites use
those same keywords on their pages. You can do this via the
Alexa toolbar or a great free program called WebCEO.

Here are some things you can check: Do the sites have title
tags? Do they have META tags and do they display your chosen
keywords properly? What�s the keyword density on the page? If
you find that these areas are lacking in your competitor's
pages, you have a good chance of ranking high for your chosen
keywords. But if you find that the elements exist, ask yourself
if you can do better. Can you create a better title, without
stop words? Can you use the keywords to create a better density
on the page?

If you say, "Yes,� then continue on. If you say, �No,� you may
want to go back and research other terms. The object is to be
the best optimized page for the keywords you have chosen so
that you�ll rank high. The first 30 spots in the search engine
for any given keyword is golden.

Once you�ve done all this and you�re sure your chosen keywords
or keyword phrases are the best, be sure to use them in your
page title. (If you�re unfamiliar with META tags, they reside
in the section of your web page. View the source code in
whichever program you�re using to edit HTML and you�ll see what
I mean.) Your TITLE tag should be the first line after the tag.

Use the keywords you�ve selected, without stop words like a,
the, and, etc. Search engine spiders usually give up at words
like that and your page may not be ranked. Try to weed them
out. For instance, for my editing site, I used �Edit Copy |
Writing Coach.� I want people to know what I do and the search
engine, too. I edit copy, I write, and I coach. By using this
title tag without stop words, the search engine will know it,
too.

The next important tag in your META tag section is your keyword
tag. Here is where you'll list your keywords again. Be sure to
use the strongest word (the one that you have the best chance
of ranking high with) first.

In the text of your page, be sure to use your keywords as often
as possible without making it hard for the viewer to read the
page. Bold, underline, or make each keyword italic only once.
Also be sure that your keywords appear in the first 25 and the
last 25 words on the page.

These are only a few simple tips to help you with SEO. It�s not
as hard as it seems and it can mean the difference between only
a few visitors to your site and a bazillion. SEO is something
that many webmasters overlook. I, myself, heard Mark Joyner say
that it was unnecessary. Well, maybe it is for Mark, but for us
little people, it can be a big boost. Make some changes and see
if SEO doesn�t work for you.

About The Author: Pat Marcello is a professional writer and
offers her writing, editing, coaching, and consulting services
at OVEditing (http://ovediting.com) and you can get more
information on WebCEO at her marketing site, OVMarketing
(http://ovweb.net).

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