Search Engine Optimization Specialist Gives Top Tips

The following post is by Janet Meiners, a Search Engine Optimization Specialist and one of our Fairy Godmothers. She wrote to tell us how to optimize our web site or blog.

Think about what terms people might put into a search engine if they were looking for your blog, web site, or products. You can have a beautiful site with a lot of information, but if no one can find it, you’ve wasted your time. One primary way people find web sites is through search engines like Google, MSN, or Yahoo. They might type in your company name, your personal name, your product name, where you are located, etc.

Here are some possible keywords people may type in a search engine to find this blog: momentrepreneurs, mom entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, women startups, Utah entrepreneurs, actual names of the businesses or web sites Kelly Anderson (founder of Start Up Princess) reviews, the names of women entrepreneurs, Startup Princess, how to be an entrepreneur, working from home mom, WAHM , etc.

I would then use a keyword research tool and type these words in to give me more suggestions. It will also give you an idea of how popular the terms are by how many people search on them. Web sites like Hitwise report on the top searched words. The more people search on a term, the more competitive and difficult it will be to show up on the search engine for it. If your web site is on page 50 in search results, it’s doubtful people will find you for that term. So it’s a balance. Some people focus on phrases rather than words. You want to make the link text use your keyword too.

I optimized this post for the keyword “search engine optimization specialist” (a very popular keyword) just to demonstrate. In a few days try typing “search engine optimization specialist into a search engine and see if you can find this post. According to the Wordtracker tool, 539 people searched on this phrase in the last 90 days.

Once you identify the words people may use to find a web site like yours, you write content with those keywords. Use one or two keywords per article, web page, or blog post. Put the keywords in your title, and sprinkle them throughout. Use the keyword or phrase in the beginning, middle, and end. Most people say around one keyword per 100 or so words, but it’s not a formula, just a guideline. Don’t overdo it (especially with blogs, a catchy title is more important to get people to read than is using a keyword. If you can do both, great).

Writing unique content for your site is an important to get more search engines to find your sites. This site has a video by Heather Lloyd- Martin with a good overview of how to write so search engines find your web site (ultimately then directing people to your site). You are writing for people or your customers and for search engines too.

Ways to write more unique content (articles, new web pages) with keywords:
an FAQ page
a review page
about us page
press releases
a technical specs page (if you have a product, add more detail)
write different pages to different audiences (write a page for each group that you reach)
blog posts
product pages

Here are some tools to research what key terms people will use to find your web site:
WordTracker Keyword Research Tool or SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tool