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Web Page Optimization
Selecting the right keyword phrases for each
page of your web site is the first step towards ranking high in the Search Engines. However, it is only the first step.
In
addition to selecting targeted keyword phrases, you must also strategically optimize your page including:
• META description tag • META keyword tag
• Title • Image ALT tags • Image names • Heading tags • Hyperlinks •
Body text
META
The META description tag will contain a description of your
site. This description will be visible in some of the Search Engines when your site is returned in a search.
Your
description should include your site's most important keyword phrases.
Example:
<.META name="DESCRIPTION"
content="Providing dog grooming tips, supplies and training.">
The META Keywords tag will contain a list of your
keyword phrases separated with a comma. Your primary keyword phrase should be first, followed by one or two secondary keyword
phrases.
Example:
<.META name="KEYWORDS" content="dog grooming tips, dog grooming supplies, dog grooming
training">
TITLE Tag
Just as you must place your keyword phrases within your META description and keyword
tags, you must also use your primary keyword phrase as your web page title. Nothing more should appear between the <.TITLE>
and <./TITLE> tags except your primary keyword phrase.
IMG ALT
An image Alt tag follows your graphic address
or URL in your HTML code. These words will be displayed in place of your graphics through an older browser or when your visitors
have their graphics turned off.
To fully optimize your graphics, insert your keyword phrases within the Alt tags of
your graphics. At a bare minimum, make sure you use enough images to display all of your keyword phrases. Remember...your
primary keyword phrase should always come first.
Example Images (Notice the images are named using the three primary
keyword phrases):
dog_grooming_tips.jpg dog_grooming_supplies.jpg dog_grooming_training.jpg
Example:
<.IMG
SRC="WIDTH="80" HEIGHT="105" dog_grooming_tips.jpg ALT="dog grooming tips"> <.IMG SRC="WIDTH="80" HEIGHT="105" dog_grooming_supplies.jpg
ALT="dog grooming supplies"> <.IMG SRC="WIDTH="80" HEIGHT="105" dog_grooming_training.jpg ALT="dog grooming training">
H?
Tag
Heading tags are used to separate topics and range from <.H1> being very large and bold to <.H6> which
is very small and bold. Some Search Engines place relevance on text displayed within the heading tags. Top priority is placed
on the highest listed heading tag.
Your keyword phrases should each be used as a heading for sections within your
web page (placed in the same order as your keyword phrases within your META keywords tag) and placed within an appropriate
heading tag. These headings should be followed by some descriptive text.
Your headings should look something like this:
Dog
Grooming Tips Your descriptive content containing your keyword phrase.
Dog Grooming Supplies Your descriptive
content containing your keyword phrase.
Dog Grooming Training Your descriptive content containing your keyword phrase.
A
HREF Tag
When creating links on your web page, your links should be displayed together with a small image in front
of each link. This image might be a graphic bullet, arrow, or whatever you'd like. These images will not only enhance your
web page, but they will also enable you to place your keyword phrases within the Alt tags.
When you begin creating
your links, make sure the page name, image name and page description text all contain your keyword phrases.
Your HTML
code might look something like this:
<.img src="dog_grooming_tips.gif" alt="dog grooming tips"><.a href="dog_grooming_tips.htm">Dog
Grooming Tips<./a>
<.img src="dog_grooming_supplies.gif" alt="dog grooming supplies"><.a href="dog_grooming_supplies.htm">Dog
Grooming Supplies<./a>
<.img src="dog_grooming_training.gif" alt="dog grooming training"><.a href="dog_grooming_training.htm">Dog
Grooming Training<./a>
BODY Text
Optimizing your text is another important step towards ranking higher
in the Search Engines. Your web page should contain plenty of text and should contain each of your keywords and keyword phrases
used in different variations. If all of your keyword phrases you've listed within your META tags aren't found within your
text, the Search Engines will simply ignore them.
Search Engine Submissions
Once you've optimized your web pages
and uploaded them to your server, your next step will be to submit your main pages to the Search Engines. However, don't submit
your pages to Google. Your pages will rank much higher if you allow this Search Engine to find your pages on its own.
You
may want to consider creating a site map for your site and submit this page to Google instead. A site map is a page that outlines
how your pages are set up and linked together. If you design a site map with links to all of your pages, the Search Engine
robots can easily spider and index them.
Taking the time to optimize each of your web pages is the most important
step you can take towards ranking high in the Search Engines and driving your more traffic to your web site.
This concludes
lesson seven of the ten part series.
In lesson eight of this powerful series, we'll focus on writing effective web
site sales copy.
To Your Success!
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