 3.1 Search Engine Optimization
The process of updating HTML code and carefully using targeted keyword phrases related to a site, and ensuring that the site places well when those keywords are queried on search engines.
Careful placement, wording, and analysis of keywords can result in optimum search engine ranking. This is an essential part of an internet marketing strategy. It all starts with identifying the keywords that best connect your services with your ideal guest!
Why SEO is important
Read an article on the tremendous impact good placement on search engines can have on business success at Wired News.
Over 85% of the 391 million people online use search engines on a daily basis when they’re surfing the Internet. Very few people utilize bookmarks to remember and visit their favourite sites, so it stands to reason that the easiest way for people to find your web site is to use a search engine.
With Search Engine Optimization, you can not only ensure you are found when someone searches for you directly, but also when they are searching for travel related services when searching for: your region, regional tourism magnets, as well as specific tourism experiences you offer.
Since most search engine users confine their use of search engine results to the first page of returns, it is in your interest to take steps to ensure your web site is listed among the top ten for at least a few of your keyword winners.
What do search engines want?
Link Popularity:
Increase the number and quality of Inbound links pointing from other sites to your web site. Inbound links are online testimonials to search engine spiders telling them that your site is important. A four step process to improving your link popularity:
- Step 1: Identify high ranking sites by running a search for keywords that are important to you and/or identify regional businesses that you can link with- Consider a web ring.
- Step 2: Request an inbound (reciprocal) link of the top 30 sites by emailing the webmaster and requesting a link. Title something like, "I'm interested in marketing opportunities on <site name>". Be up front and include reasons why you would like to have a reciprocal link. Is there something you can offer to encourage the link? You can also set up a dedicated page requesting people to link to you. Provide an image and linking code ready to cut and paste.
- Step 3: If you can include a description of your site include keywords.
- Step 4: Use relevant landing pages. Have linking info (including graphic & html code if available)
 Try out: www.linkpopularity.com to see how many links you have to your site.
Meta Tags:
There are three main meta tags on each web page. These are not visible to the person visiting the page, except that the <title> meta tag (the title of your page) is what produces the name that appears at the top of your browser and as the title in your favorites listing if you bookmark the page. Keywords need to be included in page title with your business name:
ie: <title> Eagle Lake Bed and Breakfast - a unique B&B</title>
vs: <title>Home</title>
Three <meta> tags that are important are the description and keywords and robots.
- On your menu bar click on [Edit or View - Page Source] to see the meta tags for this page.
- Add meta tags to your pages. Be sure the tags are accurate for the content of each page on your site. Put keywords near the front of description and robots meta tags.
- Use the meta tag <meta name="robots" content="all"> to ensure all your pages get indexed.
Free meta tag analyzer: http://www.submitexpress.com/analyzer/
Headings:
When coding your pages the use of keywords in headings as well as body copy is important. <H1> through <H6> are hierarchical tags (often associated with different font sizes or styles) and search engines look at these tags for ranking your site.
- Be sure to adjust your web pages to include your keywords in title tags on your page.
Page Copy:
Rankings by search engine are based on relevancy. If your site displays the keywords that people are using to search for travel on the internet you will be found. Keyword density is also important. This is quite a bit different from publishing a brochure on your tourism business. On the web, repeating keywords throughout a page enhances a sites relevance. The relationship of keyword phrases to the total number of words on a page is called keyword density.
- Use a Keyword Density Analyzer to compare top ranking sites for your keywords.
- Keep it fresh. Use tools like www.blogger.com or update content regularly.
- Create specific Web pages that highlight different keyword combinations that are important to your business.
- Use your keywords within the first five words of the page.
- In the first few hundred characters repeat your keyword combination about 5 times. Avoid stuffing.
- Occasionally bold keywords.
Try out www.keywordcount.com to see how dense your keyword listing is.
Other fine Free SEO tools: http://tools.marketlink.com/publinkpop
Hypertext Links:
- Provide hyperlinks within your site that include your keywords. Some points are also awarded by search engines for links to external web sites that are relevant for your keywords.
Alternative Text:
Images are important components on web sites. They can convey a lot about your site. To search engines the <alt> text that appears before an image loads is an important place to include your keywords.
Search Engine Submission:
There are free search engine submission services and paid submission services. Some sites use computers to spider or crawl your site to determine appropriate indexing of your site. Although some spiders will find your site by chance, if you are serious about getting your site found:
- spend time and/or money registering your site and important subdirectories with search engines.
-
�Register your site with Google
On the web �
�Register your site with Yahoo! Add url �
Free search engine position checker: http://www.webmaster-toolkit.com/search-engine-position-checker.shtml
Avoid Keyword Stuffing and Sneaky Tactics
Search Engines are on the lookout for organizations trying to trick their way to higher placement. If you think it's sneaky, the web search engines probably won't like it and you may get banned.
Take your time enhancing the keyword content of your site. Do it once, well, then forget all about it.
|
