| Are profitable, top search ranks possible without the | | | | away the extremes and you'll find the meat is the |
| help of an experienced search | | | | same. To increase your rank, you |
| engine optimization company?Can a software | | | | have to have searchable content, and it must be |
| package or online miracle site touting testimonials and | | | | quality. What is quality? More |
| grandeur | | | | importantly, what do the search engines think is |
| guarantees of success elevate your online presence | | | | quality?The answers depend on your site and position |
| enough to really increase sales?Unfortunately, unless | | | | on the internet. However, all quality |
| the software or miracle website were able to | | | | content shares some characteristics.It's useful |
| research your | | | | information about your products or service. Don't throw |
| market, find hidden niches within it, author intriguing, | | | | random free, |
| creative, relevant and | | | | generic, carbon copied stuff from the web onto your |
| keyword laden content, house it in a framework that | | | | site. Use some thought and |
| meshes precisely with that | | | | creativity. Build copy around different aspects of your |
| content, dissect and analyze your ranking competition | | | | target.LOOK FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVEIf you |
| and apply that statistical data | | | | have a site about restoring classic cars, make a page |
| within the afore mentioned tasks, you'll be using that | | | | about the evolution of |
| money back guarantee.The same goes of number | | | | headlights over the decades. Add another page about |
| one rank promises for a keyword for $49. Now I'm not | | | | how and where to find hard |
| | | | to find classic parts.Content should be:Easy to follow- |
| suggesting a claim like that is bogus or false | | | | and well written for a human reader, not a search |
| advertising. But, ask if that keyword | | | | engine.Unique- write it yourself or hire a writer.Varied- |
| or phrase has actually had more than one search | | | | Don't fill your page with the same keyword repeatedly |
| somewhere in the world in the past | | | | or you risk being |
| month. Or to shake them, insist your keyword phrase | | | | considered spam. Examine the keyword densities of |
| they must bring to the | | | | your keyword in the top 10 |
| number one spot is "online casino.IS THERE | | | | listings it returns in a particular engine. Stay within that |
| INEXPENSIVE HELP THAT WORKS?Is there a | | | | number.Take a few more evenings or weekends and |
| working alternative for smaller businesses and sites | | | | improve your ranks by doing some |
| that can't budget pro | | | | research and digging, and applying that invaluable |
| SEO right now? There are techniques that would give | | | | knowledge strategically to your |
| your site a chance of rising | | | | web site.KINDS OF SEO RESEARCH you can do to |
| higher in the ranks. You'll find countless articles and | | | | winThere are SEO companies online who offer |
| instructions online and in | | | | various reports that can save you a lot of |
| bookstores about general things you can do to your | | | | the legwork. Even the simplest of tasks can be too |
| site to improve it's online | | | | time consuming when you need |
| presence.While helpful and usually accurate, blindly | | | | to focus on editing your pages. For example, finding |
| applying techniques to your site without | | | | your current rank, if any, in all |
| some further knowledge of your own site, your | | | | of the major engines for all of the keywords you |
| competition, and your online market | | | | want to rank could take a day on |
| will hinder your efforts.With some real world, current | | | | your own. Some other types of reports available |
| analysis of YOUR individual situation at your disposal, | | | | are:Keyword Research-A list of keywords you or I |
| you can greatly improve your efforts with even the | | | | might make sitting down with a pencil and paper is a |
| smallest copy, title or content | | | | good start. The important word here is "start". That list |
| adjustment. It is going to require some work on your | | | | is dozens of revisions away |
| part, no matter what do-it- | | | | from completion. It will expand and contract many |
| yourself tactics you employ.HOWEVER, there are | | | | times as further information is |
| tools and analysis reports available to you that can | | | | gathered.Are your words focused and targeted |
| give you a | | | | enough so you'll attract qualified leads? Are |
| towering leap for the do-it-yourselfer. Some plain | | | | there related words and phrases that you haven't |
| English comparisons of your | | | | thought of? What words does your |
| page vs. the top 10 ranking pages in a particular | | | | competition have throughout their pages? And most |
| engine for a particular keyword | | | | importantly, are the words |
| phrase will define dozens of parameters to begin your | | | | you've chosen actually being typed into search |
| do - it -yourself optimization.How many links do you | | | | engines?You can find many different levels of |
| need, are there better keywords you should choose, | | | | keyword services from simple analysis of your |
| and | | | | existing pages to research and development of an |
| then what do you do with all this information once you | | | | entire list ready for use in your |
| have it? Comparisons and | | | | pages, Adwords or PPC campaigns.Competition |
| analysis of your site and your competitors are usually | | | | Research-Who is ranking now? Who is in the positions |
| presented in an easy to | | | | where you want to be? Examine your |
| understand format and reveal patterns and collected | | | | competition's pages with a microscope. An |
| intelligence that can help you | | | | Understanding of those you want to |
| re-write and revise your content and page layout and | | | | outrank gives you a working outline to revise your |
| begin your SEO efforts a lap | | | | own. (Do NOT copy their |
| ahead of everyone else.SET REALISTIC | | | | content.) Focus on trends, keywords, densities, titles, |
| GOALSYou must remember, legitimate, professional | | | | page elements... their pages, |
| search engine optimizers are | | | | structures and their links.On Page Optimization-A |
| immersed in their field and are educated with | | | | report like this analyzes the words in the elements on |
| experience. The time, knowledge, | | | | your page like titles and |
| talent and effort that you get with a pro is worth | | | | boldface or headings as well as your body copy, and |
| every penny.A professional SEO's approach involves | | | | link text. It also tells you |
| research of your market, competition and | | | | information about keyword density. Earlier I mentioned |
| many times a significant renovation of your existing | | | | that using a keyword too |
| site from code to content. The | | | | many times on a page could be considered spam. An |
| in-depth detail and deep analysis, content | | | | analysis like this will show |
| development, link and page structure | | | | how many times each word, word pairs and groups |
| requires a significant amount of time, experience, and | | | | of words were used on a page |
| a lot of hand work.In other words, if you want to feel | | | | and what percentage of all the words they are.A |
| better and improve your self image, you don't | | | | report on a high ranking competitor's site will give you |
| have to pay a doctor to tell you that eating healthy, | | | | some insight into a page |
| taking a vitamin and regular | | | | that is successfully ranking for keywords you |
| exercise will make a marked improvement in your | | | | want.Off Page or Link Reports-As soon as you start |
| well being.If you want the large scale, lasting and radical | | | | learning about search engine optimization, you'll |
| change a facelift can give you, you | | | | understand |
| must pay a plastic surgeon for his education, | | | | what a key role good quality links play in determining |
| experience and talent.Don't forget to use some | | | | rank. These types of analysis |
| common sense when looking at your market. If you | | | | will show who is linking to you, or even better, who is |
| think | | | | linking to a ranking |
| you're going to rank for a highly competitive keyword | | | | competitor. You can get some ideas of sites to list |
| that has several well known | | | | with and an approximate |
| companies at the top without the aid of a | | | | number of links of a particular quality that you'll need |
| professional, you'll probably end up | | | | to rank.TAKE SOME ACTION- a few well researched |
| disheartened.Achieving first page ranks for | | | | changes can give you a boostIf ranking and online |
| competitive keywords in a saturated market is a | | | | presence are crucial, then find a respected, |
| mammoth task, and at the very least would require a | | | | recommended and |
| full time effort by an | | | | experienced search engine optimization professional. |
| experienced firm with resources to take on such a | | | | The same logic that tells you |
| challenge. Don't be discouraged; | | | | to go to the doctor when aspirin doesn't do the |
| with some brainstorming you can think of some | | | | applies to this situation.If budget is constricting, your |
| related, less competitive keywords | | | | keywords have little competition, or you'd like to |
| and niche markets to target.HOW A LITTLE | | | | improve your presence to the best it can be without |
| KNOWLEDGE CAN GO A LONG WAYSome very | | | | employing a professional then |
| simple copy adjustments in the right place can go a | | | | you'd be surprised what a little knowledge and time |
| long way on less | | | | can do for your ranking. |
| competitive sites. Let's look at a few easy changes | | | | Applying the same techniques every few weeks and |
| anyone can make.Page TitlesThe page title, the words | | | | keeping your site fresh will put |
| that display in the top of your web window, is one of | | | | you a level even higher above the rest.Remember, |
| the | | | | many variables and factors are considered and given |
| most crucial elements on the page as far as the | | | | varying weights by |
| search engines go. When you do a | | | | different engines to determine where you rank. A |
| search for something what do you type in the search | | | | brand new site, no matter how |
| field? Unless it's a company's | | | | optimized it is usually doesn't show any rank in Google |
| specific name, you type in a keyword or key phrase | | | | until it miraculously appears |
| like "mens cross training air | | | | about a year later. Older sites of more than a few |
| sneakers".A very common mistake is to put your | | | | years often take the top ranks for |
| company name in the page title. Sometimes | | | | competitive words.Don't be discouraged. The simple |
| it's appropriate, but for ranking purposes, use a | | | | SEO methods you read about online or in |
| concise description of your page | | | | publications can give your site a stronger presence, |
| with a prime keyword from that page.Bonus Hint- | | | | but will achieve far better |
| Start your first sentence with that same | | | | results for you if you employ some smaller, budget |
| keyword!Content QualityYou'll surely find as many | | | | based intelligence and research.John Krycek is a SEO |
| opinions about content as there are about politics. | | | | and Creative Director at theMouseworks.ca. |
| Take | | | | |