By Joanna Carla Simbajon
What is SEO?
SEO or a short term for Search Engine Optimization, is an active practice of outnumbering visitors by improving both intrinsic and extraneous aspects of a web, therefore increasing the volume of traffic to the site. This can be possible if the website ranks itself at the highest position in a search result of a particular search engine. Internet users usually click on search results that are posted first before them. It's rare that they scan through pages just to look and read for the facts that they need. In that case, the site which was earlier presented or initially given as the result for the search is oftentimes visited. So if users or researchers type in keywords that relate to your keywords too, and they find your site on the primary page of any search engine result, your site will be popularly visited since you obtained the highest search engine result position.
On the other hand, in order for search engines to read, understand and eventually index your site, SEO must analyze and identify your site foremostly. This is done only by supplementing or modifying obscure texts in your content so that search engines will be able to read the site. It is not spamming search engines, it is just assisting search engines in helping you promote your site. There is an immense need for SEO because if the content of your site is vague or can not be understood by search engines, they will ignore it and they will not index it. And if that happens, all your hard work plus the money you've invested in making the site will all be a waste. So to be sure if your site is acceptable to a particular search engine, make use of SEOs or optimizing tools; thus it would increase the possibility of seeing your site in a search engine.
SEO Techniques:
There are diverse techniques in Search Engine Optimization. It is significant to do it in a subtle and sure way. The following are:
1.The use of SEO Tools.SEO tools are used in optimizing your sites. These tools will allow you to scrutinize whether your keywords are the best phrases for your site, to see the total pages you have in the various search engine databases, to check the page rank as well as the backlinks of your competitors. But if you are still creating or planning to make your own site, these tools are helpful in opting the right keyword phrases for you, in giving you synonymous terms related to your keywords to include in your page, and in viewing the page rank and backlinks of the sites you will be competing with for your targeted keyword phrases. There are various tools that could help you that can be searched through the Web.
2.Creating Keyword Phrases for your site.In generating keywords for your site, make sure that those are search able or can be easily searched. There are tools that could aid you in checking your constructed keywords to find out how often they are being searched. Or you can also go for SEO tools that could give suggestions for different keyword phrases apt to your site. Now, if you already have one, add keyword synonyms to your content. Be sure to put those keyword phrases in the title. You should also insert those keywords in a heading1 tag at the outset of your page and those keyword synonyms in a heading2 tag. These tags are useful in identifying which one is the title and subtitle in the article.
3.Keyword DensityIt is important to heed on keyword density, because it is the percentage of how often you use your keywords or keyword phrases in the content of your site. The higher the keyword density, the more it will be considered as a search engine spam and can get you blacklisted. It is advisable to include those keywords at the top of your page and your keyword phrases in every paragraph or every second or next paragraph, depending on the paragraph length.
4.Construction of title tags, meta description tags, meta keyword tags.Fabricating title tags is one of the most crucial things in SEO. You have to make sure that every page should have differing titles, consisting of 2-3 keyword phrases that you have created. When people are searching for something and the results are displayed before them, the title is the first thing they will notice. Under the title is a description of your content. The beginning of your details should also possess 2-3 of your keyword phrases. Since your titles in every page differ from one another, description tags might as well go with it. On the other hand, meta keyword tags are not that noticeable and important as to constructing the title and description tags. But the need to put it in every page is somehow necessary. And just like the two mentioned earlier, these keyword tags also should vary in every page.
5.In selecting Domain and File Names.Select a domain name that is easy to spell and easy to remember, and thus contains words from your original keyword phrase. So is with the creation of your file name, your keyword phrases should go with it.
6.Your Content quality and quantity matters.The excellence of your content may lead your site to "forwarding links" from other resource sites. This will also grab people's attention and eventually bring them back again or share your site to others . Always keep your keyword phrases in mind in writing the content of your site. So as to volume, the more facts you share, the better it would sound to the readers.
7.Separate the Content from your Presentation.Separate your content html from the presentation code itself by using Cascading Styles Sheets (CSS) for the latter. It will make your html files up to 50% stinted, which is more preferable for search engine bots. And the more substance you have compared to the presentation, the more you get rated.
8.The Author and Robots Tags.The company that owns the site should be found in the author tag. This tag will endow your company's name the possibility to get the #1 position. This is done by using this: . In generating a robot tag, use a common tag in all pages that you want to be indexed. This will instruct the robots to look over for the page. A generic robots tag is: .
9.Backlinks.A backlink is a link from other websites from which you have trade links with. This is simply explained by an example wherein an Internet user views the page of one of the sites which you had trade links with. When it happens he sees a word in the text related to your keyword phrases, when he clicks the word, which is actually a link to your site, your page will be opened immediately. It is said that it is better to gain numerous relevant backlinks to your site than submitting it directly to a search engine. It is far more better to obtain a high Search Engine Results Position (SERP) than a Page rank itself. The more connected the backlinks are, the higher SERP you will get. So be very careful in choosing sites to reciprocate links with. Always consider the relevance of your keyword phrases and content.
10.Page Rank.You will be able to gain high Page Rank if you have several backward links from other website pages which have a higher page rank rating than your site. The search engines update PRs once a month when they update their databases of web pages.
In your pursuance in aiming for a high PR, keep in mind that numerous backlinks will get you a higher SERP than just a plain high PR. You should always aim in gaining proper backlinks for your site, and not just on high page ranking.
11.Get rid of making Dynamic URLs.As much as possible, avoid including symbols like "?" in your URL because some search engines find it hard to read them. Create a static page as much as possible. Dynamic URLs are usually via asp, php and cf documents.
12.Frames on Pages.Some tend to put frames on their pages. But unfortunately, most of the search engines can not read frame links. So to be sure, you should provide an alternate method for them to crawl in and index your site.
13.Site Maps, Themes and Designs.Make sure you construct a good menu system or what we call the site map for your page. A good site map is having one on each page and contains a link to every page on a website. On the other hand, good site themes focuses only on one specific topic. Also, by using like keyword phrases in each page, the search engine will detect a theme that will sooner be advantageous to you. Hence, this will put you to a better rank. The Site design mainly points out to the color of your site. Just see to it that your site is attractive to the viewers. The color should not be bad for the sight and convenience in manipulating the page is offered. Like placing the menu bar and other important accessories in your page on the same place.
14.Bad Techniques.Some techniques are considered spam like cloaking or camouflaging, including unseen texts, minute texts, identical pages, doorway pages, refresh tags, link farms, filling comment tags with keyword phrases only, using keyword phrases in the author tag, high keyword density, mirror pages and sites.
15.Submission to Search Engines.After having completed the content of your website and applied the techniques prior to this, your site is now ready to be published on the Internet. You are opted to either submit your site to top search engines or obtain backlinks from other websites which have relevant substance as yours so that the bots will be the one to find your site. The top three search engines are Google, Yahoo and the MSN. These three have URL submission forms which one has to fill up first before completely submitting the website. Both Google and Yahoo search engines have free submission. However, there is a search engine which requires payment but it is guaranteed that your website will be placed to the high ranking search engines that can be viewed worldwide.
So to sum up, a good Search Engine Optimizing is a combination of design, user-friendliness and considering the web site's substantial content.
Joanna Carla Simbajon is currently working as an agent for agents of value. She is a content writer in Eversun Software Philippines Corporation, Davao City. She finished a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education focusing in Communication Arts and Reading.
