Ok, here's the deal, follow these steps and shoot me if your rankings doesn't improve. I know that there's been so many articles on how to improve your search engine rankings but most of them are either incomplete or untrue. So I've put up a list of what works best to improve your rankings and I'm telling you now this works but it's no walk in the park.
1. Long before you register your domain, start creating pages. You have to write at least 50 pages with real content for your initial website. If you register your domain before creating pages, it would take you at least a month before you could create those 50 content rich pages (well of course that is assuming that you're not an english major grad. or a person with an IQ of 160) and you don't want your new website to be seen bared for that long.
2. For domain names, choose a catchy one word, easy to write, easy to type, easy to spell, easy to remember, easy on everything domain name like yahoo, google or webomania. Keywords domain (like bestoranges.com or workwhilesleeping.com) are way out today. They may still have some effects on rankings but not as much as they were not so long ago. Besides, if you think of it, the best and most popular websites have branded names, like yahoo, google, msn, amazon, nba, nike, and this goes on and on...
3. When designing your webpages always remember the popular verse, simplicity is the best policy! or was that honesty? anyway the point is, the simpler your webpages is the better in many ways.
Firstly, it would be more readable to your audience. Lots of clutters in your pages (like banners and heavy graphics) would defocus the attention of your audience from your content. Sometimes (or maybe all of the time) when a person looks at a webpage and see lots of distraction, he would leave your site immediately without even reading your content.
Secondly, search engines loves webpages with more content than html codes. Speaking of search engines, stay away from javascript as much as possible, SE hates JS so much and it does more harm to your site than good. If you can't help using JS, do it externally.
Thirdly, your webpages should be compatible with any web browsers out there in the entire universe! Seriously, with lots of different web browsers being used in the internet, your pages should be compatible with all of them. Of course, the simpler your webpages is, the more uncomplicated it is. And the more uncomplicated it is, the better for any web browsers however simple or complicated they may be! Are my sentences getting complicated?
Fourthly, a more simple webpage means less graphics, less codes and less kilobytes. This means (if you didn't get it) your webpages would load much faster and in the world of internet, speed isn't everything. It's the ONLY THING! Take Google for example.
Lastly, (this is my favorite) a simpler website is easier to make. So why spend hours on creating a single page that would hurt your audience eyes from reading, be rejected by search engines, be uncompatible with different web browsers and loads forever when you can make it in minutes with much better result?
4. "Content is King" which has been said so many times already (my ears are begginning to bleed on this phrase) couldn't be more true. Search engines loves hard-written, quality content. Build one page of content with at least 200 words per day. Timely and in demand articles are best. Learn to write web style. Use short sentences. Lots of breaks. Something that would be read quickly. People don't really read articles, they scan them. Use humor to not bore your readers. Try not to use complicated words (unless your site is about english major or scientific names), if it exceeds three syllables, its complicated. Remember, not all your audience are good in english and will appreciate your english expertise. If you're not sure about your content's readability ask your seven-year old son, or brother, or neighbor to read your content and ask if he understands.
5. Keyword Positions and Density. Use your keyword once in the title, description tag, headings, url, alt, bold, italic, at the beggining of your content and at the ending of your content. Choose a keyword density of 5-12 percent but never ever compromise grammar. Spelling is equally becoming important today as search engines are gearing towards auto correction.
6. Links. Make sure that you don't have any broken links within your site. All pages should be within reach from the root or at least 2 levels deep. Important pages should be linked from as much pages of your website. Your homepage should be linked on all pages of your website.
For exchange links, link only with websites that are within your topic. It is also quite helpful if you can get exchange links with websites in your niche that has a higher ranking than you. Here's a good idea, search for your niche in DMOZ and mail each websites listed in there for an exchange links.
For outbound links, use your keyword to link to a high ranking site. Make sure that you link to a relevant site with the keyword you use.
7. For hosting, if you have the budget, go for a private hosting with a stand alone ip.
8. Directories. Submit to DMOZ and Yahoo. Getting an inclusion here is weight heavily by SE specially by google. If you have the money pay for a submission to Yahoo for a faster review. Submit to other directories that you can find.
9. Search Engines Submission. Submit your homepage to Google, Yahoo, MSN, Lycos. You can submit to other search engines but it's not worth the effort. These 4 generates more than 90 percent of search results. Submit only once per 3 months. Submitting too much may ban your site. Dont panic if your site isn't indexed in a few months. Some are lucky if they're indexed within six months.
10. When your site do get indexed, make sure it is crawled entirely. If not, check your links.
11. Log and track your visitors. Study your log files. They are valuable. See where visitors are entering, going and exiting your site. If they're not going to important pages, tweak your design. If they're exiting abnormally on one page see why. Know what keywords visitors are using to reach your site. Build specific contents about those keywords.
12. Promoting your website. Use forums to advertise your site. Create articles and pass it around freely (with your url attached ofcourse). If you have the budget, use PPC advertising. $.5 per visitors might hurt you but if you're confident about the quality and content of your website, that person's next visit would be free.
You should also promote your website offline. Print your url on almost anywhere you can. Use your car, ballpens, jackets, t-shirt, freebies and giveaways. If you can, use the media. It might sound trickier but it is equally important. People would find your website more important when they see it on tangible objects.
After doing all those twelve steps, the last and hardest thing to do is wait. Be patient, no web sites are a one night success these days. Sleep and recharge for you have done a good job and soon, success would be yours. Goodluck!
http://www.webomania.org - website development and promotion
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