Search engine optimization is primarily about getting the website tuned around optimum effectiveness so far as such sites are worried. However, the intent would be to get yourself a good search engine placement in order that more humans will be subjected to the "opportunity" to visit your site. If done properly, the steps you take to optimize your site for search engines may also often be utilized to optimize your site to get website traffic. In the end, it accomplishes little to acquire a good ranking by way of a search engine and yet be passed over by the human viewing the search engine results.

In another article, "Website Traffic And SEO: The Domain Name", I pointed out ways in which choosing the right domain name could be a step towards search engine optimization AND increased website traffic prior to the registration of the domain name and website design considerations. In this article, I'd like to discuss four basic areas that should be considered in planning and designing the website itself:

1. The Title Of THE WEB SITE

2. The Meta Tags

a. The Description Meta Tag

b. The Keyword Meta Tag

c. The Revisit Meta Tag

3. The Content Of The Website

THE TITLE OF THE WEBSITE IS THE HEADLINE

If you think of your website as the best advertisement it is possible to design and construct about your organization or product, then your title may be the headline. The title is embedded in the top of the web site. Most objects in the head are normally visible only to search engines. However, the title is seen to both search engines and visitors. In https://onepageadvertising.com , the title of the web site is normally the initial clue a potential visitor has about your website, as it is commonly displayed because the first identifying text someone sees when they get a list of websites from a search engine after entering a search. The title will also normally be seen in the line at the top of the page. Titles ought to be five to ten words long, 70 to 80 characters.

As with the domain name, the title will undoubtedly be scrutinized by the search engine as to its relevance to the search topic. Portion of the ranking awarded by way of a site such as Google, that's, the placement in the list of returns, may be influenced by the wording, or words, of the title. In talking about names of domain, I explained that using key phrases or phrases, hence the word "keywords", in the domain name itself may help raise the placement of the website. Continuing this use of keywords into the title can help this as well. For example, the domain bicycle-parts.com, may be enhanced by way of a title that uses what "bicycle parts"; "Bob's bicycle parts and service." Thinking when it comes to a headline, maybe Bob would want a title that reads, "Best bicycle parts delivered to your door."

THE META TAGS TALK TO THE SEARCH ENGINE

Meta tags are snippets of code which are put within the head. Normally, they only talk with the search engine, but not having the right ones could cost your site its rightful placement, and may develop a poor impression with potential visitors. While there are many Meta tags which could be of importance, there are two that are extremely valuable, and I am going to recommend one other that, without necessary, may be of value.

THE "DESCRIPTION" META TAG HAS MESSAGES FOR SE'S AND WEBSITE VISITORS ALIKE

The description will commonly expand on the brief "headline" presented by the title. Not merely will the info in this tag be of value in helping a directory or search service determine keeping your site within search results, however the description within this tag is generally shown along with the title once the search engine shows the returns for a search.

Failure to provide a description may not only make it more challenging to acquire good placement within returns, but it is probable that in the absence of a description, the search engine will simply grab the initial few words it sees on your own page, and that may be what the viewer reads as a description of your website.

It is a good notion to repeat your keywords in the description, but don't beat it to death. Also, most search engines is only going to display the first 20 or so words of the description, so don't get too wordy up front. Say what you need to say and get it over with. The description shouldn't exceed 150-200 characters.

THE "KEYWORDS" TAG IS FADING IN VALUE, BUT....

It used to be that search engines wanted YOU to list the important keywords in your site. These days, the programs used by the search engines generally extract the pertinent and relevant keywords from this content of the page itself and ignore the keyword tag completely. Many website designers have gone so far as to drop this tag. I among others leave it in for three basic reasons; we are used to using it, there may be a search engine somewhere that still uses it and just why miss out, and perhaps where relevant keywords cannot be picked up from context, the keyword tag may be the coin toss that decides the issue. How valid these arguments are, I've no way of knowing, but it is just as easy to devote a keyword tag as not. Simply list your keywords, separated by commas.

THE "REVISIT" TAG SAYS "YA'LL KEEP COMING BACK, NOW, YA'LL HEAR?"

While not specifically a search engine optimization item, the "revisit" tag may help provide more web site traffic. The "revisit" tag tells a search engine spider to come back in so many days to reindex the site. This could be of great importance with a site that updates data regularly, but might only get indexed by the search engines at longer intervals.

I've heard and read that when some search engines revisit a site, the site will rise in placement level. I have not been able to locate a definitive statement on this, but have noticed a growth in visits to, and sales from, some of my sites that appears to follow the cycle of reindexing.

CONTENT IS KING!

This statement has been around for a while. Though it might be debated and there are certainly exceptions, generally having a website full of valuable content is probably the best methods to make search engines and people happy. The search engines have something to sink their teeth into, and may extract far more data from this content than you possibly could tell them in the title and tags. I very often find search engines sending people to my sites who have searched on a term I never even thought of as a keyword.

Many people write this content of their website and then try to see where to stuff in the keywords. While this could possibly fool the search engine, odds are it will make the writing just a little strange, and may help cause the visitor to choose to visit, and do business with, a far more professional looking site. The easiest course is to choose the website topic, title, description, and keywords and then write heartfelt copy based on those items.

In fact, one very effective technique in preparing website copy, especially if you are writing it yourself, is to deal in topics what your location is knowledgeable and have a separate interest. An honest appeal from the true believer can be a lot more effective oftentimes when compared to a professionally designed and polished piece of advertising copy. Writing heartfelt copy on a topic also will often permit you to utilize the keyword or words without over with them or appearing to strain.

ONE LAST NOTE:

Whether you are coping with the title, the description, or this content, give thought to alternatives. For example; earlier I concentrated on bicycle parts, but a small group of people might actually be searching for bicycle "accessories"! In fact, I simply checked and learned that while over 9,000 searches were done using one search engine for the term "bicycle parts" in the month of October; over 5,000 other searches had been done for the word "bicycle accessories" in the same period. Simply adding one term to the mix may have helped "Bob's Bicycles" increase their target market by half!

This article is not the ultimate word on search engine optimization. At best, it really is merely an overview of areas to be looked at by the budding website designer or internet business entrepreneur. As in most things, the art of search engine optimization is an art, and sometimes seems to border on black magic. For self-optimization, never stop learning about this and another topics related to your goals and dreams.