Get Website Visitors with Search Engine Optimization

©2005 by eibhlin morey macintosh

You've created a webpage. Now, you'd like visitors. For the best success, design your website so that the search engines can place your site in the best categories related to the focus of your website.

There are many opinions about what will move you into the best positions at Google and other popular search engines. Here are a few points that most experts agree on:

WHAT TO DO

Focus on just one topic for each webpage. Think of each page as an encyclopedia entry for one particular phrase. The focus should be that narrow.

Each webpage is like real estate. Every square inch is valuable, and what's "above the fold" (the part of the webpage which people can see without scrolling) is most important. Use that space well.

Find a niche and focus on that. Start small. Expand your site within the focus of your category of niche.

For example, if your category is "Italian Cooking," it's fine to create pages about Italian cooking ingredients (and places to buy them), Italian cookware, Italian recipes, Italian cookbook reviews, Italian-themed table decor, Italian restaurants, and travel tips related to enjoying Italian food.

However, if you decide to talk about Swedish cooking, you'll need to redesign your site so that it's clearly about food in general... or create a new website for Swedish-themed webpages. The latter is generally better.

Write pages that are between 100 and 600 words each. If your article is 800 or more words, it's best to break it into two pages.

Add up to three links per page, to you own or others' related webpages... but especially to your own.

WHAT NOT TO DO

Don't throw a bazillion words into your META code, figuring to cover all possible search terms.

Don't try to hide keywords in invisible text (white text on a white background, for example).

Don't sign up for "ffa" link exchanges (ffa = Free 4 All).

Don't write stilted text that is contrived just to include certain keywords.

Don't use any automated program that promises to get you a great position at Google, or create thousands of webpages that will attract visitors.

WHAT REALLY WORKS, LONG-TERM

Write a website the same as you'd write a book. Narrow the focus to appeal to a niche audience. Keywords can be useful, but today's high-paying and popular term may be worthless tomorrow. Select a subject--any subject that interests you--and write about that... one subject per website, unless it's a personal site with your hobbies, etc.

Create interesting content. Build a site with at least ten webpages that offer unique information.

Make sure that every webpage is linked to at least one other webpage at your site, so that the search engine 'bots can find every page. Don't try to fool the search engines or artificially move your site into a higher position; content and popularity should do that.

If you write good pages that people want to read, within a year you'll have good positioning at several search engines. Your book website probably can't compete with Amazon. It's not worth trying unless you're well-funded and have a large staff to help you.

On the other hand, your website about Northern Italian vegetarian cooking with home-grown herbs can probably secure a good spot in that niche. In time, you may even reach the top search engine spot for Northern Italian cooking, or even Italian cooking.