SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website for superior visibility on the Internet. The process of SEO, when conducted properly, is much like building a building that will still be standing 100 years from now. The idea is that the SEO specialist designs a campaign that will create a solid foundation that serves as the foundation that can be built upon while allowing the site to withstand search engine algorithm changes and can stand up to challenges from competitors. A quality SEO strategy will start with these three elements.
A Well Targeted Keyword Focus
Keyword research is key to any successful website. A website needs to be defined in order to be able to provide any value to potential customers. This means that the goal of the website has to be defined. The best way to do this is to assign keywords to the products and services that are relevant to what the website is offering. Keyword research is the basis of any successful SEO campaign and is ultimately tied to the success or failure of any website.
To start keyword research, keywords need to be defined. These are the search terms that users might use to get to the website in question. Start with defining the most basic keywords that are relevant to the products or services being offered. Then, take those keywords and find longtail keywords that relate to them. Then, branch out and begin to find other related longtail keywords related to those keywords and so on. This process will help to identify keywords that can be used to promote the site. Using this strategy to define the website will reveal highly targeted keywords that can really grab some traffic for the website and will result in a higher percentage of conversions, which is the ultimate goal of any webmaster.
Strong Page Element Optimization
In addition to keyword optimization, each page element needs to be optimized in order to provide the website with great visibility. Developers who understand SEO will add targeted search terms throughout the code. This practice helps search engine crawlers understand what the website is all about. Here are the vital page elements that have to be optimized in order to get the best results.
Page Title: The title tag and page title should always have targeted search terms included. In addition, the title tag should be well written and be more substantial than simply a string of keywords.
Page Headings: The page heading must use proper formatting and include H1, H2, and H3 tags that use the keywords identified in the keyword research process. H1 tags are for main page headings only and should only be used once. Subheaders will use H2 and H3 formats and should also contain search terms.
Image Alternate Text: This is one element that is often missed by web developers. Image alternate text should always contain keywords and also be relevant to the image. This means that the images used on a webpage need to be highly targeted as well in order to maximize the benefits of the image alternate text. Alternate text should always be brief and provide an explanation of the image and contain a relevant search term in order to be effective for SEO purposes.
Link Anchor Text: Last but not least, your website should link out to other relevant sites using anchor text that is not only relevant to the content and the site being linked out to, but also contain search terms. Having 2-3 keyword links within 150 words of text is the ideal mix.
Good Quality Page Content
There is nothing more important to a website than having good quality content. Search engines are constantly evaluating the value a website provides based on the content they offer. This makes it a key element to your SEO campaign. High quality content is content that is not copied from other websites and provides value to your readership. Having great content such as guides, FAQ pages, practical use and how to guides are a great way to add quality content and boost credibility with search engines.
