Ever try to find a needle in a haystack? That is how most web sites appear to search engines. 

But with some basic knowledge and a little common sense, your site can be on top of the stack.

Targeting Keywords

Keywords are fundamental to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). After your URL, the most valuable real estate for keywords is the title bar or title tag that appears at the very top of your browser’s window. Many web sites fill this valuable space with words like “About Us” or the name of their company. How will that help someone find the Widgets you actually sell? Make sure your web designer fills the “title tag” with the keywords most likely used to find your product or service.

Second in importance for search optimization are the headers of your article and paragraphs. These little search targets should be formatted using “H1 tags.” The H1 tag is like waving to a search engine and yelling, "Hey I am important!, Look at me!" Many web designers are not aware of this. Many web sites owners fill these headers with incredibly important keywords like “Welcome!” or “Services.” The last time I searched for “Welcome!” was at a Foreign Legion Bar-B-Q.

SEO specialists know that H1 tags act like red flags for the search engines. Load your headers up with the keywords and phrases that your customers are actually searching for. Then follow it up with beautifully written copy that describes your product in a meaningful way. Here again you need to liberally sprinkle your copy with the same keywords you first used in the title tag and then in the H1 tag. Don’t put in gibberish and don’t go in for overkill. Your copy should be informative and interesting, but not spammy. The search engines aren’t stupid and can spot a red herring for what it is.

Pictures Are Not Worth a Thousand Words

Image captions are keyword positions that are often overlooked. For one thing, after headlines, captions have an 85% better chance of being read by your customer then the rest of your article. So add a keyword-sensitive caption to all your photos and get both better rankings and better readership. Additionally, all images on a web page are capable of containing an “alt tag.” Alt tags are what show up when you hold your mouse over an image. Alt tags also help the visually impaired. Many web sites leave these prime SEO ranksters empty. Big mistake. Filling the alt tags with meaningful keyword phrases adds another reason to rank your site on the first page.

The Meta Tag Myth

Meta tags are not the be-all and end-all of SEO. In fact, over the years they have been devalued to such an extent that they are not extremely helpful in getting your page ranked, but they are still important. Don't overlook them. These tags are hidden to the viewer but visible to the search engines. It is still best SEO practice to repeat your keywords in the meta description and keywords tags.

To obtain the highest page rankings have your web designer include the same keywords in the title tag, the H1 tags, the body copy, your image caption, your alt tags and both of your meta tags. Keep your copy readable, as redundancy can be flagged as spam. Adding keywords in strategic places will place lots of needles on top of the haystack where they can't be missed.

For more on optimizing
your web site contact

Dan Grant
iDig Design

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(805) 230-2327