The secret to achieving exceptional search engine placement for your website lies in the strategic use of a method known as "entrance pages". These pages are designed with a singular goal: to secure a high ranking on a specific search engine for a particular keyword phrase. While they may not be aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, their purpose is to appeal to search engine algorithms. Let's delve into the reasons behind the use of entrance pages and how they can be optimized to boost your website's visibility.
Entrance pages are tailored to one keyword phrase and one search engine. This is in contrast to your website's home page, which may not be optimized at all or may be designed to achieve a moderate ranking across various search engines. The techniques that secure a high ranking on one search engine may negatively impact your ranking on another, making it nearly impossible to achieve high rankings across all major search engines with a single page submission (i.e., your home page).
This is where entrance pages come into play. By using this method, you can optimize a web page to secure a high ranking on a specific search engine for a particular keyword phrase. To achieve high rankings across all major search engines for your keyword phrase, you'll need to design multiple entrance pages. For instance, if you aim to rank highly for the keyword phrase "internet marketing", you'll need to create separate pages for search engines like Alta Vista, HotBot, Lycos, Excite, InfoSeek, MSN, and others.
Entrance pages don't need to be visually appealing. Instead, they should be rich in tags, links, and body text sprinkled with your keyword phrase. Each search engine uses a different ranking algorithm to determine your placement. Here are some general tips to consider:
The title tag is the most crucial element as it sets the text that appears in the title bar of your browser. Most search engines use this text as a major ranking factor. Ensure to include your keyword phrase at the beginning of your title tag. Avoid listing your company name or welcoming visitors to your website in the title tag as it wastes valuable space. Instead, consider adding other relevant keywords after your primary keyword phrase. Some search engines look for synonyms on web pages, and if they are found, your ranking is likely to improve.
While not all search engines recognize meta tags, they certainly don't harm your ranking. Many search engines use meta tags to allow webmasters to submit a description of their website that will be displayed with their link. They are also used in ranking algorithms. Meta tags should be placed in the "head" of your web page, above the body tag. Avoid repeating your keywords more than once or twice in your meta tags.
Headline tags are used to make text appear large and bold. Search engines place importance on text contained in headline tags. The larger the headline, the more important the text. It's advisable to have several headline tags on your page, but avoid repeating your keyword phrase too often. Use synonyms instead of repetition.
Image tags are used to display graphics like GIFs and JPEGs. Include one or two graphics on your web page, linked to your home page. Search engines use the "ALT" property of the image tag in their ranking algorithms.
Form tags can also play a role in search engine rankings. It's important to have links on your entrance pages. Link both to your home page and all your other entrance pages.
Start your body text with your keyword phrase. Begin the next sentence with a synonym. Different engines require different amounts of body text, so experiment and see what ranks best for you. Avoid repeating your keyword phrase or synonyms excessively. Sprinkle them lightly throughout your text.
Professionals often use a keyword density analyzer to ensure they are not repeating keywords too often on their entrance pages. For most search engines, a keyword density (number of keyword repetitions on your page compared to the number of other words) of about 3% - 4% is ideal.
Once you've created your entrance pages, uploaded them to your server, and submitted the URLs to the search engines, be vigilant. Unscrupulous webmasters may attempt to steal the code to secure their own high placements. One way to protect against this is by using cloaking software.
Check your rankings often, and experiment to get the best results. Software like WebPosition Gold can be used to check your rankings, or you can do it manually by visiting each search engine and searching for your keyword phrases.
Patience and persistence are key. It isn't always easy to secure top rankings, especially when competition for your keyword phrases is tough. Be creative, work hard, and your website will get the hits it deserves!
