SERP Experts

Before you write one line of code:

• Do keyword research to determine what keywords you want to target.

While constructing your website you should do the following:

• Use markup to indicate the content of your site
  • Optimize your <title> tags on each page to contain 1 - 3 keywords
  • Create unique Meta Tags for each page
  • Use header tags appropriately (H1 > H2 > H3)
  • Use <b> and <i> tags if appropriate
• Optimize your URLs
  • Use Search Engine Friendly URLs
  • Use keywords in your domain (http://www.keyword1.com/)
  • Use keywords in your URL (http://www.example.com/keyword2/keyword3.html)
  • Use dashes or underscores to separate words in your URLs (keyword2-keyword3.html)
• Optimize your content
  • Use keywords liberally yet appropriately throughout each page
  • Have unique content
  • Have quality content
• Use search engine friendly design
  • Create a human sitemap
  • Do not use inaccessible site navigation (JavaScript or Flash menus)
  • Minimize outbound links
  • Kept your pages under 100K in size
• Design the navigational structure of the site to channel PR to main pages (especially the homepage)
• Create a page that encourages webmasters to link to your site
  • Provide them the relevant HTML to create their link to you (make sure the anchor text contains keywords)
  • Provide them with any images you may want them to use (although text links are better)
• Make sure your website is complete before launching it

Immediately after launching your site you should do the following:

• Create Webmaster Accounts
  • Google Webmaster Tools
  • Yahoo! Site Explorer
• Submit your site to all major search engines
  • Google (Use a Google SiteMap)
  • Yahoo (Use the page list option)
  • MSN
  • Ask (Finds your site via incoming links)
• Create an XML sitemap
• Submit your site to all free directories
  • DMOZ (also powers Google Directory)
  • JoeAnt
• Submit your site to relevant directories
  • Find more at ISEDB
• Begin a link building campaign (attempting to get keywords in the link anchor text)
  • Put a link to your website in your forum signatures (hint hint)
  • Reply to relevant blog posts (Don’t spam please)

If you will pay to promote your website:

• Submit your site to pay directories
  • Yahoo
  • GoGuides

Finally, as part of an ongoing strategy:

• Continually update your website with quality, unique content
• Continually seek free links preferably from sites in your genre

Do NOT do the following:

• Make an all Flash website (without an HTML alternative)
• Use JavaScript or Flash for navigation
• Spam other websites for incoming links
• Launch your site before it is done
• Use duplicate content
  • Do not point several domains to one site without using a 301 redirect
  • Do not make a site of duplicated content from other websites
• Use markup inappropriately
  • Style <H>eader tags to look like regular text
  • Hide content using ‘display: hidden’ (for the sake of hiding text)
• Use other “black hat” techniques (unless you accept the risk - Banning)
  • Doorway/Landing pages
  • Cloaking
  • Hidden text

Additional Tips:

• Usable and accessible sites tend to be search engine friendly by their very nature
• Be patient! High rankings don’t happen overnight
• Don’t obsess with any one search engine. They are all worth your attention.