Each year I spend the first three months looking for the
best and most innovative SEO tips of the previous year's
end. This year I have what I believe to be the best 3 SEO
tips in a decade!
SEO Tip #1: Make Google Alerts Your Personal Online Spy
Google Alerts is a great way to let the world's biggest
search engine be your personal online spy. This takes
search engine optimization insider info to whole new level.
Here's an excerpt straight from Google....
"Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant
Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of
query or topic.
Some handy uses of Google Alerts include:
* monitoring a developing news story
* keeping current on a competitor or industry
* getting the latest on a celebrity or event
* keeping tabs on your favorite sports teams"
As you probably guessed, it's the second one we care about
most, "keeping current on a competitor or industry."
Here's how it works... Each time Google finds a reference
to the query or topic you request you will be sent an email
with the details. This is like having an online spy to make
sure competitors are not using your protected keywords
(trademarked names, company names, etc.) It's also an
instant identifier to know when your site or product is
mentioned in a news story or even when a topic is hot so
you can take advantage of the situation. It's the easiest
way in the world to stop competitors' dirty tricks and
identify trends that you can take instant advantage of.
It's fast, free and works every minute of every day. Let
Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) do your most
time consuming legwork while you reap the rewards!
SEO Tip #2: Optimize Your 404 Page and Always Be Found
"Error 404: Page Not Found" is a blessing that most
Webmasters curse. Why? Getting a visitor on any page of
your site is fantastic! Don't blow the opportunity. Not
only can you make your "404" page a valuable sales tool,
you can use the following search engine optimization
techniques to attract customers in droves.
A.) Use your main keyword in your title, add a "pipe"
(usually above the Enter key) and then use your secondary
keyword. Here's as example for an SEO site "SEO | Search
Engine Optimization Tips"
B.) Add some keyword rich content using one to two keywords
for the page. If you have less than 250 words on the page,
just use one keyword and use it no more than three times
total. Bold the first use and italicize the second or third
use. Keep in mind this is an "inactive" page so simply tell
the visitor what your site is about and whet their appetite
with a good description. Something like this works well...
"Thank you for visiting SEO (bold) Group, Inc. We're sorry
you seem to have found a missing page but rest assured, if
you are looking for the world's best search engine
optimizations tips (bold or italic), you are at the right
place..." This will go on for a couple paragraphs or as
long as you'd like then end it with something to the effect
of "Please Click Here (link) to visit our site map or click
any link to the left."
C.) Add your site's standard navigation system (bar,
column, etc.) as mentioned above.
D.) Make the look and feel of the customized 404 page match
your main site as closely as possible with a template,
matched palette, cascading style sheets, etc.
E.) Create a link to the site map page if available, and
make the link easy to find. You want your visitor off the
404 page and into your main content as quickly as possible.
Setting up a custom 404 page link usually takes less than
five minutes on most major Web hosting companies like
Godaddy.com. But whatever it takes, it's worth the effort.
SEO Tip #3: Get (Even More) Serious About Linking
I saved the most important for last. If you want to do well
on any search engine, especially Google, linking is THE
single MOST important thing you can do. It's that simple.
Here are the five things you MUST do to make your site #1
on Google:
A.) Find the highest page rank sites linking to your site
AND your competitors' sites.
B.) Run monthly link campaigns and snatch up the best of
the above identified Web sites.
C.) Run regular checks on what pages are still linking back
to your site. Alsomake sure they did not move you from a
high page rank page to a lower one (don't get cheated!)
D.) Eliminate any penalized sites you link to; ASAP!
E.) Check your search engine ranking AND your competitor's
for each of your keywords every week. Do this for Google,
Yahoo, MSN and Alta Vista at the minimum.
Inside Tip: Keeping up can be a lot of work, and is
extremely important, so a lot of SEO Consultants (myself
included) use SEO Elite (http://www.SEOeliteWeb.com) to do
all the most difficult and time consuming work.
One last thing to know is that Google was originally a
college student's project created for the sole purpose of
defining a Web site's value by the sites that link to it.
Twelve years later this is still it's main job. Linking is
EVERYTHING to Google.
These three SEO tips are the best of the best so use them
wisely. Best of luck!
----------------------------------------------------
Scott Jason is a 10 year veteran search engine optimization
and copywriting specialist. He has been a guest "expert
advice" author for three SEO books including The SEO Answer
Book and is the co-founder of http://BestSEOCopywriting.com
.
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