Category: Search Engine Optimization

I have just finished search engine optimizing a website that had not received good search engine placement. You can click our blog post title and visit the site. It is called the Center For Permanent Cosmetics.

Not only did we totally optimize the site, but reworked the content, added images, upgraded services, and in general gave it the polish that it needed. I wish that I could show you the before and after to really illustrate that great focused content can really upgrade a website to a new level.

One thing that all webmasters, newbies, and just educated site owners can take away from this post is that it is very difficult to get search engine placement if your only form of navigation is encapsulated in JavaScript. If you love having a drop down menu, just make sure to include text based navigation that the search engines can read and follow to spider your full website. Search engines will not read the links that you have embedded in JavaScript and so you may end up with just your home page being indexed as this site did. When you have more to offer than one page of content, make sure that you are helping the search engines by using spider friendly code, links, and techniques for improved search placement.

If you want top organic search engine placement, then you absolutely must use the tool that we use. Click our blog post title to view this neat online tool that is instrumental in getting good search engine organic placement. It is a keyword density tool.

Now the real trick comes in to just how much density on your keywords do you need to have. Well if you need to move up in the SERPs you should be looking for 5 to 7% density on your chosen narrow keywords. Google and MSN like about 3% at this point, so I might hedge to be around 5% at this point. You know we don’t want to spam the engines do we? It used to be that 7% was my benchmark, but I am seeing more chatter on this topic in the professional forums and I think that I will personally be striving for about 5% or so at this point.

Easy? Well go ahead and try to write readable content that looks good, sounds good, and makes sense to a reader all the while catering to the search engines. It is tough, it is a craft, and it is an art. So take this nugget and see what you can do now for your site.

The art of search engine optimization has changed significantly in the last two to three years, and now it has changed again thanks to Google’s personalized results.

These used to be the tactics that worked for search engine placement:

1. Insert keywords into comment tags
2. Insert keywords into image alt tags
3. Build reciprocal links with other sites more=better
4. Bold keyword text on your page
5. Create a good title tag
6. Have a good meta description and loads of meta keywords
7. Use keywords in h1 and h2 tags

Out of that list the tactics that will really work now are:

1. Create a good title tag
2. Have a good meta description Use keywords in h1 and h2 tags
3. Strive for a good keyword density on your content pages
4. Work to have excellent content and offer information that will benefit your readers
5. Have a blog on your site to keep your content fresh and targeted

It is amazing to me that some people still think that keywords stuffed inside comment tags still work. In fact it does not and Google will penalize you for the use. (Been there done that.) Interesting that a very high-powered Flash designer told me he is using this tactic when we talked about the trouble with his Flash websites placing organically. I do not recommend doing this at all; this is old news.

With personalized search being a default now for Google on the Web, content and I mean good content, is more than important it is crucial. Many of the techniques previously used will not work now to get good site placement.

The face of optimization is changing and now is the time to do your research and change your style and tactics to move your site forward using strong time-tested strategies that really work.