Good SEO Advice

I thought I would start this thread with some good advice for SEO. Please add anything else that may help as well, because I'm sure I'll miss a few things..

I will try to do this in the most comprehensive way possible.

1. First and foremost is design. This includes usability for both visitors and search engine spiders. You can be #1 on Google, but if your site irritates your visitors, it is useless. So make it comprehensive and easy to navigate. I would suggest that every website has a "static site map" (build a site map for free here). Not just for your visitors, but also the SE's (helps increase search engine saturation). Please no pop-ups, pop-unders, flashing animations that cause seizers, etc. Just keep it "crisp". Also Flash animations, frames, and too much JavaScript can be frowned upon by SE's. (A lot of use JavaScript along the way, so be sure to call the JS source file rather then adding the full code into the page.)

2. Choose the right keywords. This is extremely important. Optimizing a site takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work. Doing this targeting the wrong keywords can be devistating. Find relevant keywords that are searched for often. Make sure you target "phrases" rather than single keywords. For example, targeting "hosting" alone will not help you. There are too many search results. But targeting "web hosting provider", "web hosting service", and "hosting business" will get you more realistic results (and a ton of traffic). Plus you are still targeting "hosting". I would suggest targeting ONE "reach phrase" and TWO "realistic phrases". Three phrases may seem like a lot, but not when one or two keyterms is in all three phrases. When this occurs, things don't get watered down, giving better results.

3. Page optimization itself. Yes, SE's still use meta tags. Some more then others, but they are just as important as page content. If an SE ignores let's say the Keyword Meta Tag, then so what. It doesn't hurt to use it for those you give it a little relevancy. You can build free mete tags here, but I'm sure everyone already has this covered). You may however need to optimize your meta tags. Next of course is body content. Use your most targeted keyword phrase within the first 200 words of spiderable text. What do I mean by spiderable text? I mean image alt tags, anchor text (links), and body text (especially in headings bold text, and even in Italics). But make sure it is readable and do not keyword stuff or spam. It will only hurt your placement, and even worse, your site could get banned. So a liitle at a time is best. Every time your site is re-indexed, check your placement in the SE's. Then make minor adjustments, then check again after indexing, and so on.

NOTE: Try not to get obsessed with things like "Google PageRank". If your pages themselves are optimized (and you do not spam), your site will rank well.

4. Content, content and more content. Any "relevant" content will due, as long as it is useful to the visitor. Original content is best (but more difficult). This will not only add quality pages to your site, but attract visitors. The more often new content is added, the more of an increase in repeat visitors. Make sure it is useful and relevant to your site, or you will only "water it down" which can have an opposite effect. Good content will then incourage others to link to your site. The infamous "backlinks". Link popularity is very inportant for both ranking high in the SERP's (search engine results pages) as well as sending traffic to your site through these links.

5. Branding. This is also important. It's an old but very effective method. Even four year olds today know what "Google" is, and "Pepsi", "Coca Cola", "Xerox", etc. How many times have you said "grab me a Coke" instead of "soda" or "pop". Or "Where can I Xerox this page" instead of "copy". We all do it without even realizing it. Now "branding" or creating an "Icon" is very, very difficult and may never "take off", but starting now certainly won't hurt. How, well create a physical image or icon that says your business (without having to say it). How many times have people seen the Nike symbol with the words "Nike" before the symbol alone said it? A lot is an understatement, but images do stick. At SearchBliss, I use a dragonfly icon. I'm sure there are at least a few out there who would say "SearchBliss" when looking at it (even if they can't tell what it is). Another example is the "Olympic rings". Well, you get the point.

I'm sure I missed quite a few things, but my mind is turning to mush. So please add to this list what ever you can contribute. Thanks.