If you want to develop a successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, go out of your way to avoid blunders that limit search engine rankings.
Here are 10 to keep in mind:
1. Do not
utilize frames.
Why would you want to use frames if SEO is important? Dont risk confusing the search engine spiders, which happens commonly with frameset sites. Sure, you may write scripts or adjust the content to work within frames, but you most definately
have better things to do with that measure
and energy.
2. Dont make use of
Flash.
Everyone agrees--Flash looks awesome. But it also slows down the user acquired skill
and Flash makes it tough to get ranked. The Flash future looks bright for the ability of search engines to read some keywords, but what sizeably effective will this serve if site pages lack visible, readable writing
?
3. Do not
skimp on title tags.
Why would you simply call a page About Us in the title
tag when this meta data occupies prime SEO real estate? Always incorporate workable search phrases that reflect the content within name
tags.
4. Do not
overstuff name
tags.
Limit titles to 70 characters, with commas between phrases in EVERY title tag; utilize fewer characters on pages with limited content.
5. Dont bury text.
Design fairly often gets in the way of Text. Make sure your visible text is located high on the page.
6. Do not
use graphics as page headers.
Graphic headers are a waste of space, and thus of instant, when it comes to SEO. Use text as page headers and support them by utilizing strategic keywords - in the header, after the header or below the header.
7. Dont make use of
the wrong words.
Website owners love one-word search terms because they seem to get lots of visitors
. The reality is that only a fraction of Internet users entering a broad search word want what you have to offer. Go for search terms using two, three or four words that will help visitors qualify their interests.
8. Do not
ignore link building.
Hunt down links from other websites that have content and categories that relate to what you offer. If you sell sweaters, find a specialty guide about sweaters or a portal about clothing.
9. Dont overwhelm your pages with keywords.
You might not write the identical
keyword in succession 10 times, but you might
build the error of too much repetition. Mention your strategic search term several times throughout the page, but promise yourself not to force its use too much.
10. Dont make use of
long URLs.
If you make use of
a database to maintain the web page
, you might
finish
up with long URLs with several session IDs and parameters that produce many question marks and equal signs. These lengthy URLs can hinder search engines from properly indexing the pages. Work with your developer so as to limit them or to remove them altogether as much as is possible.