Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Key phrase analysis can usefully be split down into three separate stages: Demand analysis , performance analysis and gap analysis . By using this structured approach to key phrase analysis (to determine the potential volume of searches for a phrase), your current performance – and the gap between actual and potential – is a powerful way of driving results from SEO. Demand analysis Demand analysis is where we identify the popularity of each search term, its relevance to the products or services offered and competition on it. When reviewing individual key phrases, we suggest assessing the following attributes for analysis and categorizing each phrase. As a minimum you need to assess search volumes, but some agencies will also assess relevance and competitiveness: # Estimated total search volumes: from Google Ad words campaign reports, Google traffic estimator, Google keyword tool Word tracker etc. # Relevance: an indication of likelihood for conversion based on intent indicated by

Once your site has been submitted to search engines and directories, you must be patient! Keep in mind that search engines can take anywhere between one and 12 weeks to list your site, so you may not notice ranking improvements for a few weeks. Below is a list of approximate indexing times for the major engines and directories: Search Engine / Directory--------------------- Time to Index Yahoo ----------------------------------- -----4-6 weeks (7 days if using Express Submission) Google ----------------------------------------2-5 weeks Direct Hit------------------------------------ -8-10 weeks Fast / All The Web ----------------------------9-12 days AltaVista --------------------------------------4-6 weeks (faster if using Express Inclusion) Netscape --------------------------------------2-3 weeks HotBot / AOL ---------------------------------1-3 weeks Inktomi ---------------------------------------1-3 weeks (faster if using Search Submit Inclusion) Lycos ------------------------------

Dynamic URLs vs. static URLs There are two types of URLs: dynamic and static. A dynamic URL is a page address that results from the search of a database-driven web site or the URL of a web site that runs a script. In contrast to static URLs , in which the contents of the web page stay the same unless the changes are hard-coded into the HTML , dynamic URLs are generated from specific queries to a site's database. The dynamic page is basically only a template in which to display the results of the database query. Instead of changing information in the HTML code, the data is changed in the database. Issues: A search engine wants to only list pages its index that are unique. Search engines decide to combat this issue by cutting off the URLs after a specific number of variable strings(e.g.:? & =). For example, let's look at three URLs: http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=12345&sort=date http://www.somesites.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=67890&sort=date

On- Page and Off-Page Optimization: - On- Page Optimization: - Things you can do to your website to get it to the top of Google. Off-Page Optimization: - Things you can do outside of your website to get it to the top of Google. ON-PAGE SEO:- Always start with keyword selection, research and testing Title tags Meta tags ALT tags H1 tags URL structure Internal Linking Content Keyword density Site maps Usability Track target keywords Expect results in 12 months OFF-PAGE SEO:- Always start with keyword research, testing and selection Keywords in links Links from high ranking publisher sites One-way inbound links (not link exchange) Different keywords in your link-ads from the same site Gradual link building technology (no growth spikes) Relevant keywords near your inbound link Deep linking (from multiple pages to multiple pages) Target a large list of keywords (5-500+) Link from sites with a variety of Link Ranks Track active link-ad keywords Discontinue campaigns if ranking does not impro

What determines ranking position in the natural listings? The position or ranking in the natural listings for a particular key phrase is dependent on a search engine’s ranking algorithm. For the search query entered into the search engine, the algorithm uses rules or heuristics to identify the most relevant pages, based on the page’s text content and its context (which can be indicated by links from other pages and sites). Each search engine has a different set of algorithms created by engineers who strive to produce the best relevance for its users. However, the ranking of natural listings has evolved as a science over the past ten years, based on an even longer history of document indexing and retrieval history. As with all sciences, there are fundamental principles which apply. So to deliver relevance search engines tend to use common search engine ranking factors. Six key Ranking Factors… Planning and strategy including setting performance targets. Index inclusion and coverage. On-