Niche Info Online Business

by Fran

Top ten SEO Tips

There's one thing that every online business owner has in common: Every entrepreneur wants his or her Web site to rank high in the search engines, particularly Google and Yahoo, arguably the top search engines today. Getting indexed high in the search engines is certainly possible, if you know what you are doing and are willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to build a high ranking Web site.

Search Engine Optimization is perhaps the most important factor in ensuring your Web site is ranked high. Because SEO is so important, you should follow some common and effective tips, such as:

Understand SEO. Before you start trying to optimize your Web and other content for the search engines, ensure you have a solid understanding of SEO. You can learn about the intricacies of SEO by doing online research or even by finding internet marketing or SEO forums and discussion boards where entrepreneurs of all levels often discuss SEO strategies.

Engage in keyword research. Keywords are essential when it comes to the search engines. Make use of the keyword tools available to you - including Word Tracker and Overture - to choose the best keywords for your content.

Don't go overboard with keywords and keyword phrases. If you've ever conducted research online, you likely have come across Web sites and articles that are filled with keywords and keyword phrases - and not much else. Experts recommend having a keyword density of only one to three percent. If you saturate your content with keywords and keyword phrases, ultimately you're going to hurt yourself when it comes to search engine rankings.

Compelling copy sells. People want to read information packed articles, so make sure your content is always valuable, in some way, to your readers. Additionally, make it easy and enjoyable for readers to read your content by writing naturally.

Build links to your Web site. Links - both inbound and outbound - are vitally important to your SEO efforts, so set aside time to build your links by posting comments on related blogs and adding your URL to the comment; by exchanging links with other Webmasters in your niche, and by including your URL in all of the content you submit to article directories.

Create a plethora of content. Don't just write content for your Web site; also create content for article directories, blogs, and Squidoo lenses.

Spice it up. The search engines, particularly Google, do not want to see the same content posted all over the internet, so do your best to avoid using duplicate content. So, if you post an article on your Web site then submit it to article directories, make sure you change the original article by at least 30 percent (some say you should change each article as much as 70 percent) before submitting it to the article directories.

Ensure your keyword or keywords are included in your domain name. Choose an available domain name that includes your main keyword or keywords.

Create a reputation as an expert. The search engines love experts, so it's essential that you establish a reputation as an expert in your particular niche. Establishing expert status is as easy as publishing valuable content and joining in discussions on online forums and adding value to the conversations, for example.

Make the most of SEO tools. There are plenty of SEO tools available to entrepreneurs, and you may want to try some of them. Among the many SEO tools on the market are the Similar Page Checker, Search Engine Spider Simulator, Backlink Summary, and Keyword Density Checker.