8 Useful SEO Techniques Every Webmaster Should Know

Copyright (c) 2008 Titus Hoskins Every webmaster should have some basic understanding of these simple SEO techniques if they want to achieve Top Rankings for their site. The more you know about these Search Engine Optimization techniques; the better your web pages will fare in the different search engines, especially Google. Optimizing your pages for the search engines should be your main priority because conquering and dominating your chosen keywords is often cited as one of the major determining factors in the success of your online site or business. You must have a rudimentary grasp of how SEO can work for you and your site. These simple SEO Tips will help you understand the basics and help you reach your online goals. 1. Title Tag The Title Tag is located at the top of your html page and it tells the search engines what your page is about. When you open your page in a browser these are the words at the very top of the screen. Despite its simplicity, the title tag is crucial to 'on-page optimization'; it should include your main keywords and it should be 63 characters or less if you want your title to appear in full on Google. Many SEO experts create web pages in a three-prong approach. They place the title in: - the title tag - on the webpage itself - and in the URL for that page Sometimes they will just pick the main keywords from the title and place them in the anchor url instead. For example: www.yourwebsite.com/keywords.html 3. Meta Description Tag The Meta Tag contains the description for your web page. Your description will show up in all the search engines so you have to be careful to write precisely and objectively. It should be about 140 characters or around 20 words. Make sure to include your keywords but don't spam - don't repeat your keywords more than twice, using variations is helpful. Keep in mind, successful webmasters make their descriptions stand out from the crowd and entice the surfer to click their link. It is also the first contact with your potential visitor or prospect so make a good first impression. 3. Anchor Tag or URL The anchor tag is used to form links within websites or from site to site. This tag should have your title or the main keywords from your page title to be the most effective. Anchor text is also important to know, these are the underlined, clickable text or words in a link. anchor text If you want to check Google for all web pages containing your keywords in the anchor tags. Just type into Google Search: allinanchor:yourkeywords 4. Finding Backlinks One of the keys to higher rankings is building quality links from relevant related quality sites. The search engines, especially Google, counts each link as a "vote" for your site or content. Many experts suggest you include your main keywords in the anchor text of these inbound links in order to rank high. If you want to find the number of backlinks your site has. Just type into Google Search: link:yourURL and it will give you the number of backlinks you have. Google doesn't give you all your existing backlinks, so you can try Yahoo! to find a more exact number. Just open Yahoo! and type in: linkdomain:yourURL 5. Checking Indexed Pages If is very important for you to know what content the search engines have indexed from your site. You can also check to see how your links are displayed and to see if any titles or descriptions are missing from your pages. You can see how many of your pages are indexed in Google by using the site command. Just type into Google Search: site:yourURL Another way to look at your pages in Google is to type in "http://yoursite" and "www.yoursite" with the quotation marks to see the exact number of listings for each. 6. Checking Google Cache You can also check to see the Google Cache of your site by using the cache command. You will also discover when it was last retrieved. Just type into Google Search: cache:yourURL 7. Finding Associated Keywords Keywords are the heart of the Internet, you must dominate the search engines for your chosen keywords if you are to succeed online. So make sure you have your main keywords in the Meta Keyword Tag on your page. Many experts suggest you place your page's main keywords in the first and last 25 words on that page. You must also be able to find and use variations of your keywords to completely conquer your targeted niche. To find what other keywords Google has associated with your main keywords, just use the tilde ~ command to find associated phrases in Google. Just type into Google search: ~keywords Variations will be highlighted in bold print. 8. Finding Titled Keywords If you want to find competing sites that have your keywords in the title just use the allintitle command. Just type into Google search: allintitle:yourkeywords In summary, if used consistently, these basic SEO techniques should help improve your rankings and keep you in the picture with regards to your standings in the search engines. Your site's stats or raw traffic logs will also confirm the rise or fall of your keyword rankings. You must have complete knowledge of both your site and your keywords in the search engines, especially Google. Since Google will deliver most of your quality traffic, you must optimize for it and be aware of what is happening to your site and keywords within Google. This is yet another example where knowledge equals success.