SEO or search engine optimization is the act of increasing the amount of internet traffic to a website. This is one of the most important aspects of internet marketing and web sales. There are search engine optimization consults for hire ranging in price based on experience and portfolio of clients.

There are many website optimization tips available to assist both newcomers and novices alike. As the internet constantly grows and expands, better and more efficient optimization methods are developed. Consequently there are a few basic tips that will remain consistent even as other methods change and grow.

The 20 tips to create a successful search engine optimized website include:

1. Create user-friendly url’s – use dashes between words as opposed to underscores
2. Update content daily and add a few new links weekly
3. Create lean, efficient code that doesn’t clog the website
4. Utilize accurate title pages that describe exactly what the page is about
5. Use clear buttons so clients can easily take action
6. Offer multiple types of payments including PayPal, credit card and e-check
7. While creating the page set obtainable SEO goals
8. Never repeat the name of a page without a serious benefit to do so
9. Always delete obsolete pages from the server so the website is not cluttered
10. Create sites made to pass a human inspection, not just a search engine algorithm
11. Always check for the percent of duplicate content across all pages
12. Keyword research is the most effective method for discovering what users are looking for and typing in the search engin
13. Gather links to quality external sites and resources
14. Eliminate all links to fluff external sites and dead links by checking regularly
15. Plan so the website is scalable and can be expanded for unplanned traffic
16. Adjust the website strategy based on the targeted market
17. Add content that .edu, .gov and .us sites would be interested in linking too; this adds credibility to the site
18. Rationally name folders so they make sense and relate to the product on that page
19. Plan so the website can easily change to new and updated technology
20. Create and maintain a sitemap

These are simple yet insightful tips that can drastically improve a website for better rankings in the major search engines. The main idea is to create a website that is appealing to those customers in that specific market. Creating for the customer will not only improve customer retention, but also improve page rank thus increasing traffic.

Content management systems allow users to increase the productivity of the website creation and maintenance process by offering a user-friendly platform that facilitates the organization, creation, and distribution of various types of content. With a quality content management system, you can streamline countless tasks, thereby increasing the amount of time you have to spend on other aspects of the business such as marketing. However, many people are unaware of the fact that a good content management system will also help them promote their website by optimizing the design and layout of their site for better search engine indexing and popularity.

Simplifying SEO with a CMS

Having a site that will rank well in the search engines is crucial towards the success of any online business. Having a site that is search engine optimized requires the adjustment of various factors within the site. A good content management system will aid you in automating the process of making these adjustments, so that even the most novice webmaster can have a site that is capable of ranking in the search engines. Without a CMS, you’ll find that search engine optimization is a much more time intensive process that requires a lot of trial and error. Using a quality content management system to simplify the process will not only save you time, but will also drastically improve your chances of ranking higher in the search engines. In this sense, a good CMS is a vital tool to have when learning search engine optimization.

Optimizing the Site Layout with a CMS

Creating a memorable URL within the content management system is easy, and many times the URL can be generated automatically by using content located on the page. The content management system will also let users create unique title tags for each page with ease, which will improve the keyword optimization of the site. The CMS simplifies the process of creating meta tags for each web page, which is another crucial aspect of search engine optimization. Perhaps the features that optimize the layout of the website are the most useful, as they build a foundation for successful search engine optimization.

Improving Keyword Usage, Site Design and Traffic Analysis with a CMS

A good CMS will also allow the user to make unique meta keywords for each page with ease. Although it may seem unnecessary to create met keywords when you already have a meta tags, placing your keyword around the site in virtually every aspect of he design is the key to proper keyword usage and density. A good CMS will also let you apply code to the entire site easily. This makes installing certain web applications that help with traffic analysis simple. Analyzing traffic statistics is a crucial part of successful search engine optimization, as you’ll need to know what is working and what is not in order to increase productivity. Another advantageous feature of a good CMS is that it will automatically update site maps and submit them to search engines for more immediate SEO results.

Search engine optimization involves a lot of variable factors, many of which are very easy to overlook. Some search engine optimization practices are tedious (such as link building), while other practices involve a bit of on-page tweaking. The entire process begins with on-site optimization, which consist of a proper internal link structure, and more importantly, properly developed content. Aside from the content on the page itself, a site needs to have the correct tags in order for search engines to index the site’s pages for particular keywords. For example, if your site is targeting the keywords  computer technology, internet technology, and Windows technology, then these keywords would need to appear in your tags throughout the site.

Title Tags

The first kind of tag you need to know about is the title tag. The title tag is located at the very top of the web browser, and is used by search engines to describe the contents of your page to visitors before they arrive at your site. Once the visitor arrives at your site this title tag is displayed clearly to establish the purpose of a web page. Without the right title tags, search engines will not be able to effectively rank your pages for their respective keywords. Using keywords in your title tags that are irrelevant to the content on the page can also be detrimental to your search engine ranking.

Meta Tags and Description

Meta tags are tags that are used to describe content that is on the page itself. A meta description is used by the search engines to tell each visitor what the contents of the page will consist of before they even get to the web page. When you conduct a web search, the text that appears directly below the title of the web page in Google is the meta description. This description can be extracted from the beginning of each page, or created intentionally for the purpose of search engine optimization.  A good meta description would include your targeted keywords and a couple of catchy sentences that will draw visitors in when they see your site in the search engines.

Image Tags and Anchor Text

Image tags are used to describe the content of an image for the purpose of search engine indexing an representing image content to visually impaired individuals or incapable browsers. When you scroll over a picture, the text that appears is the image tag. This text is also used to index pages within Google images, which can be a consistent source of traffic. Unlike some of the other tags, instead of simply using the keywords on the page, you’ll need to make a true effort to describe the picture briefly. Placing random keywords in your image tags can also be detrimental to your search engine ranking.

One of the most important on-page factors is anchor text, which is the text used to represent a hyperlink. Using the proper anchor text, image tags, title tags, and meta tags should be the first step in any search engine optimization campaign.

Although many search engine optimization “experts” would like you to believe that setting up a website and designing it to please the search engines is rocket science, in reality it can be very simple to get started. Everyone starts “somewhere,” and usually that “somewhere” is experimenting with uploading content to their site.

Website owners use a variety of methods to upload content to their sites, ranging from simple to complex, however the most commonly used method is FTP.

Installing Your FTP

Once you have your domain name and hosting account set up, you’ll need to setup your FTP (File Transfer Protocol) account. Your FTP account will let you upload content to your website with ease by using file directory located on your hard drive. If you do not yet have a hosting plan, you’ll need to get one and make sure it comes with Fantastico, which will let you setup WordPress quickly and easily. Once you have set up WordPress you’ll need your FTP software. Most people use FileZilla since it is free and effective. After you’ve downloaded the FTP client, you’ll need to configure the FTP client accordingly to make sure all of the settings are correct. After you’ve used it once all of the passwords and settings will be saved.

Setting Up Your FTP Account in WordPress

Once the FTP software is setup, simply go to your hosting account and look for the option that says “create and FTP account.” If you have not used the account yet then leave the directory information blank and fill in the username, password and other basic information. Set the quota to unlimited, and then click enter to complete the setup. After the setup is complete your login information will be presenting to you, at which time you should copy and paste this information into a document and save it for later reference.

SEO with FileZilla

Open Filezilla and then click on Site manager, then login to the site manager module using the information you saved to a document earlier. Enter Host as the FTP server, then set the logon type to normal, and enter your user name and password. Pick a name for the account that you can remember, and save all of this info to the same document. After you click on connect you’ll see four quadrants in the interface. Computer files, computer Folders, server files and server folders. These will bee the four main functions you’ll use. Here is where you will store your websites themes and other info.

To begin installing a theme, click on the quadrant in the top right called remote site, then scroll to where it says public html. Click to open the folder and then scroll down to public html, then click WP content, and then themes. The are under the server folders is where your server files are located. The default theme will be installed, but you will want to install the special theme you have downloaded by dragging and dropping it into the same area. Finally, activate your theme and you have begun building your website. Your search engine optimization campaign has begun.

Perfecting the art of search engine optimization is not easy in any regards, especially if you are not using the right tools and resources. Trying to do search engine optimization manually will almost always result in wasted time and plenty of frustration, within a minimal return on your investment. If you want to be successful and bring your site to the top of the search engine in the least amount of time possible, then you’ll want to be utilizing the right tools to keep you ahead of your competition. Most people see these tools as being particular kinds of software that help you monopolize markets and do keyword research. However, you should not overlook the importance of a good web hosting company when executing your search engine optimization campaigns.

What Can a Web Host Do For My SEO Campaign?

The important question is, what can you do with your web hosting account to make your job as a site owner and search engine optimization specialist easier? The answer to this question is simple – diversification. Does your web host allow adequate diversification. If the answer is no, then you will need to find another web host that will. What do I mean by adequate diversification? Well, you have to understand that search engine optimization can not be optimal by utilizing only one website.

The Backlink Game

The reason why you need the help of other websites is because you cannot effectively get the amount of backlinks needed for your main site through one website. Search engine optimization is like a team game. You need other websites to be successful, because you need them to link back to you. This doesn’t mean that you need to own all of these websites, it just means that you need to have your link on them, and this is why link exchanges exist. However, imagine how much easier this practice would be if you owned the majority of the websites that link back to your site! You would be able to get many backlinks without having anyone’s approval!

Why Can’t I Do This With Any Web Host?

The main reason why this can’t be done with any web host, is because all web hosts do not allow you to have different IP addresses for each site that you own. This is where SEO web hosting comes in. You see, if Google (or any other search engine) sees that there are many sites linking back to your main site, and all of these sites are on the same IP address, then you run the risk of having your site de-indexed from Google. However, if the sites that link back to your site are located on different IP address, then they appear to be completely separate entities! What an SEO web hosting company does is give you access to as many class C IP addresses as you need, so that you can create as many websites as you would like form different IP addresses, and create a network of links that you have complete control over!