But isn t SEO complicated? AND expensive? What about the changing Google algorithms? How can I make my site SEOfriendly?

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1 SEO 101 How can I improve my organic search engine ranking? DIY SEO for the small business owner Your website is built! The design is simple and clean. Navigation is intuitive, and your site clearly depicts your business and it effectively speaks to your target market. So how will people find your site? In a world on information overload, how does your site get noticed by search engines? 93% of online experiences begin with a search 75% of users do not look past page one of search results 72% of business owners with an SEO strategy report that it improves their bottom line But isn t SEO complicated? AND expensive? What about the changing Google algorithms? How can I make my site SEOfriendly? Search engines strive to serve content that will be satisfying to the website visitor. Google, the undisputed leader in the field, has invested heavily to determine what constitutes a satisfying experience for the website visitor. They strive to see through the keywords entered by a searcher to determine the searcher s true intent. Good SEO takes a determined effort and there are steps that you can take or have your webmaster take to increase your site s visibility and improve your organic search engine ranking. So let s start with the basics... 1) Metatags Metatags are not scary! They are part of the HTML source code on your site pages. Search engines use metatags to categorize and catalog the pages of your website. Metatags include TITLE, DESCRIPTION, KEYWORDS They look like this...

2 Metatags demystified... Title: Your business name, a few word description, and phone Description: A concise, but detailed description of your site include your phone number Keywords: Include your company name + targeted words that someone might type in if searching for your product or service + specifics about your geographic service area. **HINT: If your target audience is local, you significantly reduce your competition by using geographically specific keywords. Choose keywords carefully... Understand your own message. Think about your website from the visitor s perspective and determine the substance and tone of your page content based on the unique knowledge and the passion that you bring to your field. This is where it all starts. Ask questions a visitor might ask. Think about search words and strings that might lead visitors to your site. YOUR COMPETITION IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE yes, that s right take a look at the keywords your competition is using Refine your list find 1 primary keyword that precisely defines your site + a short list of supporting keywords Relevance over search volume you want targeted search traffic, not volume of visitors Supporting keywords expand the range of the query, maintaining relevance, without sacrificing focus. Optimize your pages for the keywords you choose Sprinkle your page with keywords. Place keywords in copy, header, titles, descriptions, URL **HINT: Set up keyword rich URLS as alias domain names.

3 Back to the basics... 2) Content is KING If your site is going to be found on the first page of search results when someone makes a relevant search on your subject, search engines have to see you as a thought leader in your field. This begins with a lot of unique, relevant content on your site pages. Search engines like Google will recognize you as a thought leader in your field if your copy is yours and yours alone not taken from another source. *HINT: Make sure keywords are used in your page content, otherwise search engines will think your keywords are irrelevant and will ignore them. PUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL SPIN ON YOUR TOPIC! Deliver genuine value to your readers. Write your content for max search engine visibility without compromising your overriding intent to deliver your message to your target audience. The customer is always right It s not about you, it s about your customer/client. Design your site to be a pleasant and positive experience for your visitor. Your website will build lasting customer relationships. Take time to review your website Lose the clutter simplify your site. All the bells and whistles available detract from your message. Create a visual hierarchy lead your visitor to your Most Wanted Response. An ? A call? Speed up your site s download time visitors don t like slow sites and neither do search engines! Keep your site content fresh new information brings visitors back

4 Back to the basics... 3) Now spread the word about all your great content... Write a blog and promote it Generate keyword rich content that will be noticed! Blog posts add fresh and authoritative information to your site and search engines will react. Adding blog posts to your website will attract new visitors and grow your audience! Create promotions and campaigns offer a special or an online coupon have a contest or a drawing expand your audience, draw in visitors, drive sales, spread a message CREATE A BUZZ!

5 Social Media make use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube to generate interest in your product/service or to spread the word about promotions and specials *HINT: Social media pages only attract new visitors IF they are updated regularly. Build Link Exchanges Research companies in similar, but non competing industries. Become an information resource for your site visitors by adding a Related Links page. Ask other sites to exchange links with you. Google trusts you to be an authority in your field if your site is attracting inbound links. * Building link exchanges comes back to the basic principle of building relationships.

6 Set up a Google Webmaster account Verify ownership of your site with Google Webmaster Tools Add a Sitemap so your site is easy to index Check your site s website visitor tracking statistics Whether it is Google Analytics or website tracking statistics provided by your web hosting company, take control of your site. See who is visiting your site, what search engines sent them, what pages are most frequently visited and then make use of this information to tweak your keywords and site content.

7 WAIT... TMI! If you built your own website, most website development platforms will guide you in low level search engine optimization for your site. If you have questions, consult their FAQ page or... call their tech support to talk to a LIVE PERSON. (What a concept!) If this all seems daunting, ask your webmaster for assistance... or call Mind s Eye for a free SEO consultation. In the end, It s all about being real. Bring the human feel to a mechanized world Be yourself State your views Reach your audience Deliver your message Take control of your Internet presence IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU! website design. graphic design. marketing. solutions design@mindseyeweb.com Mind's Eye Presentations. All rights reserved. Mind's Eye Presentations provides customized, effective web strategies for businesses.