Search Engine Optimization Basics

Basic Search Engine Optimization categories:

1. On-page SEO
2. Off-page SEO

On-site SEO primarily involves editing a website's content and HTML coding, increasing its relevance to specific keywords and eliminating barriers to the indexing processes of search engines.

Off-page optimization, especially acquiring quality inbound links, takes time to research and patience in order to reap the benefits.

On-page SEO Basics

1. Construct individual HTML pages (or htaccess rewrite dynamic pages) with unique names
2. Incorporate unique page titles and meta keywords descriptions
3. Place at least 250 words of keyword rich text on each page. Write the text for people, not search engines.
4. Employ valid XHTML (or HTML) and CSS
5. Use descriptive image alt tags
6. Incorporate navigational text links into every page (not images, Flash or Javascript)
7. Link to external CSS and Javascript files
8. Include a privacy and or return policy page and link it in global footer
9. Incorporate an HTML or Google XML sitemap
10. Integrate htaccess database url rewriting and robots.txt
11. Normally a one time procedure

On-page Search Engine Optimization techniques are most effective and easiest to incorporate from the initial website design instead of an after the fact add-on, depending on how your site was originally coded.

If all this talk about code is confusing, you're new to the Web or have never seen HTML code before, view this web page's source code here. (To return here, simply close the new window)

Off-page SEO Basics

1. Acquire quality inbound links
2. Submit to directory listings
3. Submit to article directories
4. Market articles using blog posts
5. Submit to on-topic authority sites
6. Participate in on-topic forums
7. Comment on on-topic blogs
8. Communicate via HTML Mailing List Newsletters
9. Engage in social networking using Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc.
10. Normally an ongoing process

Ongoing off-page Search Engine Optimization services can be incorporated into new website projects or stepped up on pre-existing sites.

Many companies attach more importance to website aesthetics initial and inquire about SEO only as a last resort when their websites aren't successful.

If you're thinking about getting a website, even though the look is important, remember:

Don't spend your entire web development budget on the look of the design alone!

Learn more about Basic Search Engine Optimization Coding Techniques on our blog »

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