Since 1998, I’ve spent the first several months of each year looking for the best search engine optimization (SEO) tips of the previous year’s end. This year, I’ve come across the best SEO tips yet.
SEO Tip #1: Make Google Alerts Your Online Spy
Google Alerts is a great way to let the world’s biggest search engine be your online spy. This takes search engine optimization insider info to a whole new level. Here’s an excerpt straight from Google…
“Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (the web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:
* monitoring a developing news story
* keeping current on a competitor or industry
* getting the latest on a celebrity or event
* keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams.”
As you probably guessed, it’s the second one we care about most, “keeping current on a competitor or industry.” Here’s how it works… Each time Google finds a reference to the query or topic you request, you will be sent an email with the details. This is like having an online spy to ensure competitors are not using your protected keywords (trademarked names, company names, etc.) It’s also an instant identifier to know when your site or product is mentioned in a news story or even when a topic is hot so you can take advantage of the situation. It’s the easiest way in the world to stop competitors’ dirty tricks and identify trends you can take advantage of.
READ MORE :
- Web Design and Development Information
- The Law of Moses and the Believer
- Band Website Templates
- Tips for Choosing a Web Designer for Your Business WebSite
- Industrial Property Buying Tips and Tools
It’s fast, free, and works every minute of every day. Let Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) do your most time-consuming legwork while you reap the rewards!
SEO Tip #2: Optimize Your 404 Page and Always Be Found
“Error 404: Page Not Found” is a blessing most Webmasters curse. Why? Getting a visitor to any page of your site is fantastic! Don’t blow the opportunity. You can make your “404” page a valuable sales tool and use the following search engine optimization techniques to attract customers in droves.
A.) Use the main keyword in your title, add a “pipe” (usually above the Enter key), and then use your secondary keyword. Here is an example of an SEO site, “SEO – Search Engine Optimization Tips.”
B.) Add keyword-rich content using one to two keywords for the page. If you have less than 250 words on the page, use one keyword no more than three times total. Bold the first use and italicize the second or third use. Remember, this is an “inactive” page, so tell the visitor what your site is about and whet their appetite with a good description. Something like this works well… “Thank you for visiting SEO (bold) Group, Inc. We are sorry you landed on a missing page, but don’t worry, if you’re looking for the best search engine optimization tips (bold), you’re at the right place…” This will go on for a few paragraphs or as long as you’d like, then end it with something like “Please Click Here (link) to visit our site map or click any link to the left.”
C.) Add your site’s standard navigation system (bar, column, etc.).
D.) Make the look and feel of the customized 404 page match your main site as closely as possible with a template, matched palette, cascading style sheets, etc.
E.) Create a link to the site map page and make the link easy to find. You want your visitor to quickly get off the 404 pages and into your main content.
Setting up a custom 404-page link usually takes less than five minutes on most major Web hosting companies like Godaddy.com. But whatever it takes, it’s worth the effort.
SEO Tip #3: Get (Even More) Serious About Linking
I saved the most important for last. If you want to do well on any search engine, especially Google, linking is the most important thing you can do. It’s that simple.
Here are the five things you MUST do to make your site #1 on Google:
A.) Find the highest page rank sites linking to your and your competitors’ sites.
B.) Run monthly link campaigns and snatch up the best of the above-identified Web sites.
C.) Regularly check what pages are still linking to your site. Also, make sure they did not move you from a high page rank page to a lower one (don’t get cheated!)
D.) Eliminate any penalized sites you link to ASAP!
E.) Check your search engine ranking and competitors for each keyword weekly. At a minimum, do this for Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Alta Vista.
