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Search engines are constantly trying to find the best way to rank websites, so they can provide their users with the most relevant results. One of the things that makes SEO so difficult is that search engines have no memory, meaning that all information they obtain from one page or even from several pages is treated as if it were new data. Search engines have to continually update their algorithms, which means that each time a change is made, everything needs to be recalculated.
Search engines crawl through your site looking for new information, and then pass this information along to other sites that are linked to yours. There are many different ways to optimize your site, but some of the most effective include:
Keyword research - This is probably the most important aspect of SEO. You need to know what keywords are being searched by your target market to determine whether or not those keywords are relevant to your business.
Optimizing your title tags - Your title tag is basically a description box for your webpage, and it should contain the main keyword phrase associated with your site. If you don't use the right keywords, you'll be penalized by search engines.
Optimizing your Meta descriptions - The meta description box will show up on the snippet of text that appears under your search result. Make sure that your meta description is optimized, because it's the only place where you can add a little bit of additional information about your website.
Optimizing your URLs - Using proper URL structures allows search engines to index your site properly. Also, using keywords within your URL will help improve your rankings.
Optimizing your content - By improving the quality of your content, you're showing the search engines that you know what you're talking about.
Using social media - Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook can actually help boost your rankings. When your site gets shared on these sites, it adds value to the content you offer, and search engines will give higher priority to sites with lots of links and traffic.
These are just a few tips for optimizing your site; there are dozens more things you can do to increase your ranking. Keep in mind that while there are many factors involved in determining how high your site ranks, the number one thing is still relevant keyword phrases.
Many people mistakenly believe that simply throwing a bunch of keywords into a document is going to make the document appear highly ranked. While it does have an effect, it's much less than you might think. To achieve top-ranked status, you have to optimize your content to fit your target audience.
What kind of content do searchers want? They want answers to questions they may have. For example, if your company sells widgets, then your content ought to address topics such as "How do I get rid of rust?" Or "Why did my widget break?" These types of questions and others are the ones your readers will come back for.
When creating your content, you must write in a conversational tone. Readers want to feel like they're having a conversation with you rather than reading something written in a formal style. Remember that search engines read your entire website, so it's not enough to create great content on specific pages. If you create great content across your whole site, your visitors will notice and appreciate it.
One of the best ways to ensure that your content is optimized is to take advantage of article marketing. Article marketing is essentially the act of writing articles about a particular topic and submitting them to article directories. As you submit your articles, you'll see them listed at the bottom of the directory page. Visitors who click on your article link will be taken to your site, where they can learn about your product.
If you'd prefer to host your own articles instead of relying upon article directories, you can post them yourself to a blog. Blogs are extremely popular among Internet surfers, so if you have a lot of compelling content, it's likely that you'll attract a following very quickly.
In addition to promoting your article through blogs, you can also promote your work through Twitter. You can tweet out your link to everyone who follows you, and the more people who follow you, the more exposure you will receive.
Social bookmarking is another excellent way to promote your content. Sites like Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon allow users to share their favorite articles with other users. If you submit your content to these sites, you can expect to see it pop up over and over again.
You might also consider setting up a forum on your site. Forums are typically populated by members who are interested in a certain subject and tend to discuss it frequently. You can set up topics that relate to your products and services, and encourage your customers to join the discussion. This helps build trust between you and your customers, which can ultimately lead to greater sales.
There are several different ways to gain visibility online. However, none of them will pay off unless you're able to generate good quality traffic.
