Search Engines

Sirius Media News | April 2010

We all want our websites to get more traffic. And the best way to do that is to be near the top of the page in search results. But how do you get Google’s attention or Bing’s blessing? It’s all done via the mysterious process of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here are 7 easy steps to increasing your SEO score and get more visitors coming to your website.

1. Start at the top — use your page title.

The title bar is at the very top of your browser is the first thing a search engine spider sees, so make it count. The limit is 60 characters, so be sure to include your site name, location and a few words telling more about the site.

2. Write hardworking headlines.

Extra! Extra! Headlines tell us what to expect! They also create curiosity about the topic. Headlines are also the first piece of content the search spider sees on the page and are very important for SEO. Use your headline to announce the page topic.

3. Provide navigation to the destination.

Nav links are the road signs of the web and search spiders look at them closely. They should be concise, descriptive and informative. For extra SEO points, nav links or web buttons should have a title with additional information about what will be found at the destination page. These show up as as a tooltip when you hover over the link.

4. Make your links logical.

Links inform visitors and search bots what to expect when action is taken, and are very valuable. Don’t miss this easy technique to enhance your SEO. Simply tell the visitor where the link leads using keywords. “Click here” is a wasted opportunity because it gives no information where it leads. More about using “Click Here”>>

5. Make connections.

Incoming links from other sites are the holy grail of search engine marketers. So are links to and from the other pages on your site. Cross-linking page on your site provides a way for the web visitor to get additional information easily. Link between pages wherever possible.

6. Always use alt tags.

Alt tags are short descriptions of photos found on website to provide information for non-sighted web users using screen readers. We often don’t notice them, but they are seen by search engine spiders and can add a lot of value to your SEO score. Be kind to the blind and make Google happy by using your alt tags.

7. Find the magic keywords and use them wisely.

Make a list of words you and your colleagues use when discussing your topic, then make a list of the words people really use when chatting or asking questions about it. If you have site stats, check to see what keywords people used to find your site. Use these to provide a base for your keyword list.

Don’t search for help — give Sirius a call.

These 7 simple steps will go a long way to improving your search engine placement and will bring more web traffic to your site. Each website crafted by Sirius Media has SEO built right in, with custom keyword research part of our small business website package. Ready to take your website to the next level? Just give us a call.

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It is used all over the place. Click here to get this coupon. Click here to send us your story. To visit our webpage click here. It’s simple, direct and devoid of any clues. Out of context on the page, it is a meaningless call to action.

As a designer committed to enhancing web usability and clear communication, I believe using “Click here” as a web link is a bad idea. And the WC3, the worldwide authority on web standards and best practices, agrees with me.

Here are 5 ways that “Click here” violates both web standards and best practices.

1. The link provides no usability clues, because it doesn’t tell you what you’ll be able to do or can expect to find when you get there.
2. It’s not accessible for the blind for the same reason.  Providing clues to those who use a screen reader to navigate the web is not just polite — for government and public agencies, it is the law. For the rest of us, including accessibility in our web designs is simply good practice for an aging population.
3. It’s bad for search engine optimization (SEO) because it tells search engines nothing about the purpose of the link. The words are generic when they could be hot, juicy, descriptive keywords. Using keywords in strong, descriptive links will beef up your SEO scoring.
4. You won’t find any lazier copywriting anywhere. This overused phrase is a cliche that focuses on the mechanics of using the link instead of the benefit the visitor will receive.
5. A web visitor deserves your respect, and “Click here”  implies they are stupid. This far down the road we do not need to tell people how a web link works. Hello — how do you think they got here?

“Click here” is just another way of saying “You idiot. Put your mouse or cursor over this blue underlined text to proceed to somewhere you know nothing about.” It’s like having “turn page” at the bottom right hand corner of a book instead of page numbers.

Please join me in stamping out the  use of  “Click here” for web links whenever you have the opportunity. Better yet, send me prime examples of “Click here” used online. I’m starting a collection.

It’s a great feeling when you finally see your new website online. You send an email to your family and friends, maybe even do some print marketing or a press release about the new site.

Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the world to find you… among the other billions of websites out there. How do you reach the many potential web visitors who have never heard of you? By using the power of search engines.

A search for your website by name on Google is one way to measure how well your site is being recognized, but it actually just measures how effective your business name is as a search term.

The key to attracting new visitors is to have your website show up when people don’t search for it by name. When the your site is optimized for search engines, your website will appear when searches are made that include words about what you do, where you are, skills you offer, professional jargon, descriptive phrases and slang terms. These terms are called keywords.

Start collecting a list of keywords for your business and add to it as you go along. Look for opportunities to use keywords on your website as often as possible.

Search engine optimization has evolved into a science of its own, with formulas and strategies unique to the specialty. Consultants and specialists abound. But you can get your website off to a good start by following these 10 basic rules.

1. Review site statistics to find the keywords people use to find your site and build on them.
2. Be consistent – navigation names should match destination page headlines. Page titles should match page headlines as well.
3. Use alt tags to describe each image. This also meets accessibility requirements.
4. Use a title on each link that describes the destination page.
5. Include keywords in links, titles and copy
6. Include misspellings of all keywords, terms and names. Allow for sloppy typing.
7. Link between pages in the website
8. Link to other websites about the topic
9. Provide a site map (Google loves them)
10. Update content frequently.