Search Engine Optimization [SEO] Process and Tips
What SEO’s Normally Optimizes In developing a search engine optimization and placement plan for a website, SEO’s would recommend modifications to the following sections (or elements) of the website. In many cases, these elements can be found on all pages within the website, though in other cases, there may only be one or two pages these elements are found on or should be applied to. This list indicates areas we feel require some degree of modification, or optimization.
Title:- Each page in the site should have a unique title.
Meta Tags:- On new-generation search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, the Description is extremely important.
Text:- As search engine spiders can only read text with 100% efficiency and tend to miss important information phrased in images, java scripts and Flash, the body text of the website is by far the most important element examined by a search engine. SEO’s would run several tests on the body-text of this site looking for relationships between keywords and non-keywords in the text, the arraignment of keywords and keyword-enriched text, and the ratio of keywords to non-keywords. These tests may indicate a need to rephrase some of the text. (If text revision becomes necessary, SEO’s staff will write what we consider to be the proper text and forward it to you for approval before posting it to your site.)
Link-Structure:- SEO’s would fully examine how pages in your site are linked to one another and, if necessary, prepare a stronger internal linking system through a discrete navigation map applied to the bottom of each page in the site. This mapping system would not reorder links presently coded into the site; however, it would provide the clear paths necessary to ensure a spider could access all-important sections of the site.
Site Architecture:- SEO’s would examine how the site is built, paying particular attention to how spiders and live-editors move from level to level within the site. (Imagine a schematic diagram of your website)
Link Density:- This is a simple measure of the number of incoming links from other sites, as well as the number of internal links found on your site. We try to bump this number as high as possible through our optimization efforts.
Link-Relevancy:- New-generation search engines such as Google and Teoma examine the “relevancy” of information found on websites linked to your website. If the information on a site linked to yours relates directly to information found on your site, it is considered relevant and is beneficial to search engine placements. If the information found on the linking site is dissimilar to information found on your site, the link is not considered relevant, and may actually damage your search engine rankings. (Please think of an Audi dealership linking to a 5 star restaurant. They may share the same core customers but an electronic spider does not know that. In the eyes of the spider, the sites have no relational elements aside from the geographic location of the physical businesses. With links like these, who needs enemies?
Link-Popularity:- This term refers to the way a search engine will perceive your website based on Link-Density and Link-Relevancy. Link-Popularity is the final measurement used when Google applies their ranking formula known as PageRank to a site.
Search Engine Optimization Process:-SEO’s has a fairly simple, straightforward SEO process. Generally, a small business website can be optimized within two business days. Here is the process we follow in point form:
- Download entire site folders from host server (FTP codes provided by client or client’s webmaster).
- Review entire website measuring keyword to non-keyword ratios, link-structure, link-density and link-popularity.
- Review of competitive environment (getting a sense of who is in the Top10 under the keyword phrases we are targeting).
- Physical optimization of website
- Client review and approval (optimized website posted to a “hidden” section of SEO’s’s server, only SEO’s staff and client may access this section of our server. Site removed from SEO’s server after client approval).
- Re-posting the website to the host server.
Submission Process:-SEO’s submits all websites manually, without the use of any automated submission software. It should be noted that the majority of major search engines do not require formal submissions. We only submit a site if we feel it is necessary and never charge for the process.
- Submission to all Paid-Inclusion search programs that have been authorized by the client
- Submission to all non-paid submission directories (MSN directory, Open Directory Project)
- Submission to all major non-paid search engines
Please note:- SEO’s does not charge any premiums on third party fees (i.e. Yahoo! Directory submission). Due to recurring billing practices, all paid-submissions must be made using a credit card number supplied by the client.
Reporting:-SEO’s prepares and submits several reports during our contract period. Clients can expect to see the following reports during the course of their contract with SEO’s:
- Website Optimization Reportdetailing modifications, changes and recommendations made during the search engine optimization process
- Submission Report- Detailing the search tools the site was submitted to. - Paid-inclusion submission receipts will be passed directly to the client via Email.- A resubmission report will be issued if resubmission is necessary
- Debut Listings Report- SEO’s will forward a detailed search engine position report when your website begins showing debut listings
- Regular Monthly Search Engine Placement Reports- SEO’s forwards a standard search engine position report in the last week of each month
- Special Reports, Bulletins and Newsletters- From time to time, we will have information updates regarding your website, or important search engine information and changes. If anything extraordinary comes up during the contract period, SEO’s will forward a report as soon as possible. We will also send copies of any newsletters generated by SEO’s. We publish a quarterly Search Engine News newsletter available free of charge to all our clients.
Site Monitoring:-During your contractual period with SEO’s, we will monitor your website’s search engine performance on a weekly basis. If we perceive any notable slippage in site rankings, we will immediately take commercially responsible actions to improve the site’s rankings.
Payment Terms:-Payment terms will be negotiated with each client. If a client fails to meet terms of payment, SEO’s will make attempts to get in touch with the client for a period of seven (7) days. If alternative payment arrangements cannot be made within that time, SEO’s reserves the right to cease all work in progress as well as remove any work processed during the term of the contract. Our basic payment terms call for a 50% deposit on our work with the remainder billed on the 25th and 50th day of the contract.
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