Search Engine Optimization Getting Started

Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by Pete Hollier in Keyword Research, Link Building, Search Optimization

Determining where to start an SEO program can be a daunting task. With so many different elements involved, deciding on just what should be done first can be far from easy. I get asked this question so many times I decide it was time to address this topic.

1, Firefox and SEO Plug-ins

The first step is to quickly review your web site for the key competitive indicators such as Google Page Rank, the number of Back Links, the age of your Domain and the Alexa rank of your web site. The quickest way to complete this is to use Firefox with any of the SEO Plug-ins available. I know Google Chrome has introduced a number of extensions to assist web developers, but so far I have not found the time to research these, although I am sure there must be some excellent tools available from Google if you have the time or inclination to try them.

Once you have your Browser set up and Plug-ins installed, visit your web site and make note of its Google Page Rank (1-10) , Back links and the Alexa Rank (the lower the number – the higher the web site traffic estimate). You will need this data as you move forward with your Search Engine Optimization project.

2. Review your web site

Web Site Design

Now this is the time where you have to sit yourself down and ask yourself the hard questions and provide honest answers. You may hate to admit it but one of the problems with the performance of your web site may come down to the simple fact that the design is not as visually appealing as it could be. Spend some time viewing your competitors’ web sites and comparing the design features to your own site. There are no hard and fast rules here as this is a very subjective comparative analysis.

Web Site Content

Once you have reviewed the design of your site spend some time navigating your site. You must try to see this from the perspective of a new web site visitor who has not been to your site before. Set yourself some tasks to complete, such as a product purchase, finding some specific company information or something simple, such as contacting your business.

• How hard is it to complete the task?
• Did you have to think your way through the process or was it intuitive?

Although not purely Search Optimization these are factors which will affect how well your web site performs for your business. If visitors find it difficult to use your web site, you can be assured they will bounce back to the Search Engine Results Pages and visit another site. If this happens frequently enough, you can be assured the Search Engines will make note of this fact and alter their search results accordingly.

3 Consider your keywords

I consider keywords the foundation of all your online marketing programs. The Keyword Research and Analysis you complete can be used in your Search Engine Optimization, Pay per Click and Social Media marketing programs. Do not underestimate the importance of your keywords, spend the time to gain a thorough understanding of the keywords and phrases which are used by your clients and customers to find the product and services your business provides.

I like to use 2 or 3 keyword research tools predominantly WordTracker, Keyword Discovery or Google Keyword Tool. All these tools provide various features which I rely on to complete my Keyword Research and Analysis.

4 Web Site Competitive Analysis

When you have completed at least some preliminary keyword research you will need to find out what the competitive environment for those keywords is like. This can be a very time consuming process however, if you decide to not complete this research thoroughly it is highly likely that you will optimize for specific keywords which although you think are ideal are likely to be very competitive and very difficult to achieve Search Engine Visibility for.

Domain Strength

The best way to approach Domain strength analysis is to set yourself up with a spread sheet with the primary performance indicators mentioned earlier. Create a section for each of the keywords you want to optimize for, search Google, since they get the most Search traffic and quickly review the sites to:

• Gain first impressions in comparison to your own
• Record ranking web pages; Page Rank, Back links, Domain Age and Alexa Rank

Do this for at least the top 5 sites preferably 10 and average the results and compare to your own web site’s performance indicators. This will provide you a very good indication of what work is required to compete with the ranking web site for your selected keywords.

This research is the absolute minimum which needs to be completed.

5. Keyword Optimization

Keywords are integrated into your web site content to provide the Search Engines with an indication of the web page’s topic and its’ relevance to an Internet User’s search query.

Keywords should not be over used. However, keywords should be used prominently within web page; URL’s, Page Titles and Description. It is also recommended the keywords be placed in the contents heading and placed prominently within sentences and paragraphs. Do not over use keywords in the web page content as this is likely to be classified as Keyword Spam by the Search Engines and also results in content which is not easy or pleasant to read by the visitors of your web site. For additional information on keyword integration you may want to read Increase Keyword Relevance Scores.

6. Link Building

Link Building is absolutely critical to achieving visibility in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The Search Engines view a link to your site as a vote of confidence in the quality and authority of your site within the relevant topical area. Be prepared, Link Building is a time consuming and ongoing task which cannot be over looked.

Having an idea of the keywords you are targeting is important to the Link Building program. Having your preferred keywords included in the text of links leading to your site (Anchor text) provides additional indication of the authoritative of your web site with regards to the areas of relevance determined by the keywords selected. There are numerous strategies used to develop a network of inbound links. Additional information on Link Building can be found by reading this article, Link Building Fundamentals.

The Last Word

Obviously this is not an in depth review of developing a Search Engine Optimization Program. However, these are the fundamentals which must be completed in the course of even the most rudimentary SEO Program. There is plenty of additional information within SeoWizardry’s Blog which provides additional information on the various topics mentioned in this Blog Post.

Otherwise you may wish to obtain a copy of SeoWizardry’s Step by Step Guide to Search Engine Optimization. This guideline provides you with a step by step approach enabling you to complete your own SEO Program using the processes used by Search Professionals.

Want to use this content on your web site?

If you would like to use this article on your web site please contact pete@seowizardry.ca for an html version. All I request is you provide Pete Hollier and Seo Wizardry with a reference to this article and provide a link back to www.seowizardry.ca