It’s ideal for every business to have an online site and every online site should utilize Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Basically, SEO means looking for strategies for your site to rank high in search results, which translates to increased site traffic.
While aggressive SEO may require site reconstruction, there are a few tips for SEO you can do yourself with minimal effort.
1. Monitor Search Standing. Before you know how intense your efforts with SEO will be, determine first how you rank in search results. Make use of Alexa to track your page rank.
2. Keywords. Inject keywords throughout your site, think of them as search terms used by someone who wants information on this topic. The two most important places to put keywords in are the title tag and page header. A word of caution, DO NOT overcrowd your site with keywords, unless you want to be identified as a spammer.
3. Add a Site Map. A site map is a page listing that links to other major pages on your site. Creating a site map will make it easier for visitors to navigate through your site.
4. Easy URL. Rename URLs with clear keywords and replace those unreadable characters which don’t seem to make sense.
5. Steer Clear of Flash. Using flash won’t contribute to your SEO. Using this will prevent you from linking to a single page. If you have to use it, use it sparingly to attain desirable SEO results.
6. Image Descriptions. Don’t place descriptions inside images or web spiders can’t catch them. Therefore, make image descriptions as detailed as possible. This is vital for SEO.
7. Fresh. Make sure to keep site contents fresh and updated. Doing so will make your site more useful. One way to do this is by adding a blog page with relevant articles added on a regular basis.
8. Social Media. Utilize social media platforms by maintaining accounts with them. This way, you will be visible across social networking sites and therefore increase your chances of being “seen”.
9. Links. Linking to and from others is another way to get more site traffic. This will develop relationships with other sites. Just make sure that these links are relevant to the kind of business you have and that these sites have good online reputation.