Seven easy steps to search engine success

Posted by James Webb on Monday, 19 October 2009
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Natural search engine optimisation (SEO) is about common-sense web production, resulting in a bunch of free marketing. Yet some people still dismiss it for a number of reasons. They're either too sceptical, too busy, don't see it as their responsibility, or feel that it interferes with their copy. The truth is SEO is everyone's responsibility, from design, code, editorial and marketing. Ultimately, what's the point in being 'too busy' producing websites if your users can't even get to them?

Before launching any web product (or even a single page) identify your keywords, define the best possible site structure and seek links from authoritative sources from around the web. There are other aspects of SEO, but if you can knock off the following basic principles you'll be in great shape for performance in search engines.

1. Research your keywords. (This is not about meta keywords. These are used only by Yahoo currently. It's the words you will use throughout the page elements in #4). Don’t just think about the brand name.
Make it your business to know what people are looking for in relation to your planned content. Exploit other popular words and phrases people are using when searching. Always start with Google Adwords Tool.

2. Create a holding page early ensuring there are links to it.
This increases chances of being indexed by search engines and allows people to link back to your page.

3. Build your proposition’s overall structure around your keywords, using those keywords in your local navigation.
This means using keywords in all the right places, making it easier for search engines to take meaning from your page. Overall structure and the contents of individual pages should be informed by things people are looking for, and the phrases/labels they actually use when they search.

4. Use keywords in all the right places.
The more of these you can hit the better (* essential)

  • Title text - the most important element*
  • In the H1, H2 tags etc* - also very important that it complements the title text using the same targeted words
  • In the page content (first 200 words)*
  • In anchor text (link text) of any internal and external links*
  • Top level navigation (site structure)*
  • Meta description (under 140 characters including spaces) - this won't help rankings but increases chances of being clicked on in search results pages (SERPs)
  • In image filenames and alt text - (to improve chances of being indexed by Google images)
  • Video titles and associated descriptions
  • Meta keywords
5. Be a smart copywriter
Write copy that will be loved by both humans and search engines
Reinforce keywords in your body with synonyms and clarification words. E.g. green, eco, environment; green, vegetables, spring, recipe; green, car, fuel, efficient.

6. If you already have a site and you’re restructuring never just delete pages.
Do your research to see where inbound links are concentrated, and carefully create a 301 redirect plan.

7. Obsess about good linking behaviour.
Spend 30% of your editorial effort obsessing about the following types of linking:
i. Seek out external links from trusted sites that are most relevant to the central theme of your page
ii. Encourage related internal and external sites to use link text that matches keywords on your page
iii. Exploit every internal linking opportunity and always use matching keywords in the anchor text, never Click here or Read more.

If you're interested in learning more about SEO the following sites and blogs are leading authorities on the web:

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