Webupon

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is simply adjusting your website or web page so that it will bring in more traffic and appear higher up in search engine rankings. The key here is looking at how search engines work and these days the way that they work is changing. Gone are the days when keyword stuffing fooled search engines. The linking of websites within groups to essentially spam the search engine index also will not work. Search engines are changing their algorithms, or how they index pages, and are now looking at quality of site and, more importantly, quality of linking. Keywords still play a role but are certainly not the Holy Grail of search engine optimization.

There are so many companies out there offering SEO services at a price. It seems to be a secret art that only a specialised few have access to. Yet SEO is common sense and something you should not have to pay for. Here then are some simple tips that can work well for you as a web master.

Obviously your site needs to be visitor friendly. Good navigation is essential and allows your visitors to get to the information they need quickly and effectively. A site map allows better access and more importantly allows the search engine to clearly see all of your pages and how they link together. Validating your page is important as well. Not only does this ensure clean coding within your website, it also helps to make your site browser compatible. Your site should be viewable on any browser the visitor uses and so browser testing is vital before you go live with your website.

Content, above all, is the key these days. If you have rich content then you will do well. You need to have h1 tags for your page titles and a powerful first paragraph. When creating your content ensure that it is well written and does not rely on keyword stuffing. The page should read naturally and flow easily. This ensures that your visitor will stay on your page for they will feel that they are being informed rather than pitched at.

Prevent too much coding in your web pages can be achieved by using external style sheets. Having your styling on a css sheet will keep your pages lighter in terms of html, and will also be more search engine friendly. You should also submit to website directories as well as the major search engines. If you have a specialised site then you can join related forums and post links to your site or offer a link exchange. Above all don’t spam.

The key then is rich website content and link popularity. If your site is well built and has many good quality pages then linking will be easier and with all that content your site will do well. Do not try to fool the search engines because it will not work, you will only harm your web page rankings. Build your site for your visitors and let the search engines do the rest.