Sunday 22 April 2012

Common Search Engine Optimization Mistakes


Common Search Engine Optimization Mistakes

Search engine optimization is an increasingly vital part of a robust marketing strategy for any business. People looking for goods and services turn to the internet to find what they want; if your site is not displayed in the top ten results for keywords related to your business then your chances of getting noticed plummet. Take a look at the advice in this article to understand how to avoid some common mistakes made when conducting search engine optimization.

First, ask yourself with what words and phrases you would like to be associated. You can cast your net wide, but make sure that the words are still specific to your line of business. Incorporate this list of specific words and phrases throughout your site to appear higher up in search results for these terms. Many times, business owners will fail to choose a concrete list of keywords and therefore fail to repeatedly integrate them throughout their sites. This prevents search engines from closely associating the sites with those terms and, therefore, prevents them from appearing in the top relevant links for the terms.

Create a schedule where you are updating and adding content on your site at least once a week, preferably more often. Many people set their sites up and consider the job done. Not true. The algorithms search engines use will assign a greater value to your site if there is more activity and new content. Don't forget that the content needs to be relevant and interesting in order for people to want to visit your site; discuss matters relevant to your site's/business's purpose.

Metatags and tagging in general can be wonderful assets in search engine optimization but are often underused. Make page titles, tag posts, make picture captions, etc. while keeping in mind what keywords you want your site to be associated with. Include these keywords when you can.

A site that is not easy to navigate is a recipe for disaster. The primary reason is that, with a disorganized layout, visitors will not be able to discover the content you have put up on the site and your time investment into the site will be wasted. People want to find what they are looking for and, if they can't, they have a tendency to get frustrated and simply click away. This is a lost opportunity for them to get to know your business. The second reason is that search engine algorithms cannot properly assign value to your site if it can't find all of the pages within it. Let's say you've followed the previous advice in this article and tagged appropriately, regularly generated unique content and integrated the perfect keywords. This is all for naught should search engine algorithms be unable to comb your disorganized site!

There is nothing wrong with diving head first into search engine optimization for your business, even if you have no prior experience. However, take care to follow the tips listed in this article in order to ensure you don't make any silly mistakes.