July 22nd, 2008The Dos and Don’ts of Search Engine Optimization
If you place a juicy red apple in a basket of juicy red apples, do you think your apple will get picked first? It doesn’t matter how delicious your apple may be. If it looks just like the rest of the other fruits, it won’t have an edge.
With thousands of websites marketing a single product, it is essential for your site to stand out from the rest of the bunch. The easiest way to do this is by landing in the top results of the major search engines.
SEO companies can provide this service for your online business, but you can also do a few things on your own to give your website a better ranking among the search engines. Here are some of the most important dos and don’ts that you must keep in mind.
1. Don’t fill your website with articles that are peppered with keywords but are lacking in content quality
So many online business owners make the mistake of using these types of content, thinking that it draws more customers to their website. In fact, all these articles do is give the readers a migraine after seeing endless keywords strung together in an essentially nonsensical paragraph. Seriously, someone should tell these site owners that this approach simply does not work.
2. Do submit original content to article submission sites
Well-written content relevant to your product or service can attract more potential customers. You should write in an informative yet conversational style that will keep the reader interested. Fresh and updated information is important so the article will not look like you just pulled it out of your old archives. These essays must be strategically placed in your website or on various article submission sites, with a link to your website placed at the end of the article.
3. Don’t plagiarize articles from other websites
Not only is this an insult to your intelligence, but it can cause legal problems for you as well. If you don’t have the skill or the time to create your own material, hire someone to do it for you. Just make sure their work is original and does not infringe on anyone’s copyright privileges.
4. Do make your site easy to navigate
If your website looks like a pigsty, your content will be useless, regardless of how well-written it may be. Make your website user-friendly, with links that are well-positioned and a layout that is easy on the eye. A pleasant-looking site will attract and keep more readers and potential customers.
5. Don’t fall victim to way too expensive SEO services
Many SEO services are available today that promise to give your site an improved ranking and more traffic. However, most of these services come at very steep prices. When selecting the SEO company to hire, make sure that they can provide you with your online needs at reasonable prices.
