Quick Summary of Do-It-Yourself SEO Tips
Many people who buy this book will never read it in its entirety. To help whet your palate and ensure you get some value out of this text (and, therefore, read the whole thing), here is a quick-start checklist highlighting the most important aspects of search engine optimization and Internet marketing. When looking to start with search engine optimization, consider the following issues: SEO Tools Oftentimes using the right tools can save you both time and money. I have created a free PDF checklist of all the SEO tools I use. Picking a Product You may read this title and think that you have already accomplished this step, and that your product (or your vision for your product) is already refined, wrapped, and ready for purchase. However, there are many key questions that should be considered before bringing your wares or service to customers:
The Internet makes marketing anything a possibility. You are far more likely to succeed if you are interested in what you are trying to sell. Also, it is far easier to sell people what they want than to get them to want your product. Create something the market wants.
Examples: Posters, credit cards, prescription drugs, hosting, generic site design, and ink refills are all oversaturated markets. Breaking into these markets can be exceptionally difficult, so think carefully about what would make your product different and needed.
Another example: In 2002, I created a SEO “worst practices” directory. To this day, nobody else has made a site like it. It earned me thousands in the first year with a marketing budget well under $100. In the end, ask yourself -- Would people want to link to your site without you asking them to? If not, what creative or original ideas can you add to your site to make people want to link to it? Picking a Domain Name Finding the right domain name can be a tricky business, and indeed, can mean the difference between success and failure in the online marketplace. As such, it is important to consider the following before choosing a domain name:
Domain Registration & Hosting Once you have selected a domain name, you must make sure that it is available, and then register it. After your domain name has been registered, you must find a reliable host for your website.
.com, but a great .net or .org is still available, it might be worth it to register one of those instead of registering a longer (and less memorable) .com domain.
9 Analytics It helps to install a free or cheap analytics program like Google Analytics or HaveAMint.com before you start marketing so you can see what keywords you rank for. It is easier to rank for related keywords than to rank for entirely new keywords. You can also use pay per click marketing on Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft right off the start to learn what keywords convert well for you and which keywords do not. Keyword Selection Keywords are what help your site get recognized by Internet search engines, and as a result, help would-be customers find your Internet presence. There are many strategies that can be employed to ensure the likelihood of your website coming up in keyword searches:
The tool at http://tools.seobook.com/general/keyword/ is free and cross-references just about every useful keyword research tool on the market.
Page Optimization Page optimization is the process of making sure that your website functions in the most effective way possible in relation to search engines. The following are steps you can take to optimize your page:
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Home Page Optimization In addition to page optimization for search engines, it is also important to optimize your site's home page for customers in order to make sure it functions efficiently.
Site Optimization Your home page is just the starting point for what will probably be a very multi-layered and multifaceted website. As such, it is important to look at 11 every page your site contains to ensure a cohesive, streamlined design that works well with search engines as well as customers. Keep the following in mind:
Registering With Directories Register your site with the major directories and second-tier general directories. Try to register with about a half-dozen to a dozen of the better general directories if you are targeting Google. If you are targeting the other engines first and can wait on Google, you may want to register with about twenty to fifty general directories. Register with at least a couple local or niche-specific directories. Niche-specific directories are findable via search engines and some are listed at http://www.isedb.com, but you should check to ensure they provide static links before spending money registering your sites, although directories that rank well may deliver quality traffic even if they do not provide direct links. Search for things like “<my keywords> + <add URL>” to find other niche directories. Oftentimes I do not mind spending hundreds of dollars getting links from different sites (or directories) across many different IP ranges. Many of the second-tier directories charge a one-time fee for listing, and some of them allow you to add your sites free if you become an editor. In my directory of directories, I have 50-100 general directories listed in the general directory categories. Most top ranking sites in mildly competitive fields do not have text links from fifty different sites pointing to them, so if you can afford it, 12 doing this offers a huge advantage to you for your Yahoo! and MSN rankings, but you need to choose directories carefully when considering how TrustRank (explained in the Google section of this e-book) may effect Google. If you are in more competitive fields and rent some powerful links, these listings in various directories can help stabilize your rankings when search engine algorithms shift. Some directories I highly recommend are Yahoo!, DMOZ, Business.com, JoeAnt, Best of the Web, and Gimpsy. Link Building In the area of link building, there are many important factors to remember. After all, link building is the single most important part of achieving a high-ranking website in modern search engines. As such, there are many things that can significantly impact the growth and spread of links to your site:
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