Introduction to SEO

There are 3 steps to search engine optimisation. Each step must be done in order, starting with step one. The 3 steps are...

1. Research
2. Content optimisation
3. Backlink generation

NOTE: By far the fastest and easiest way to master the 3 steps in SEO is to do the DIY SEO Seminar.

In the meantime, let's take a look at each of these components now.

1. Research

The purpose of SEO research is to find out which keyword is best for your site. And yes, I really do mean a keyword (or keyword phrase), rather than keywords. In SEO, focus pays dividends.

One of the most common SEO mistakes that beginners make, is to try and cram in as many keywords as possible. This won't work, especially on a new site. You're more likely to get to page one for a specific keyword, than you are several different keywords. You're better off with a single listing on page one than you are with several listings on page 2.

The key to keyword research is Google's Keyword Analysis Tool. This free tool provides a lot of useful information, including the following...

• Number of searches per month on a specific keyword
• Advertiser competition for a specific keyword
• Lists of related keyword terms

Not only will it save you a lot of time, it will help you zoom in on the best keyword for your particular site. You'll find more information about keyword research in this article on Web Marketing Talk.

2. Content Optimisation

Content optimisation is what most people think of as SEO. It's about adjusting a site's content to ensure search engines index it for your chosen keyword phrase. For example, a person who settles on the keyword phrase "car buyers guide" will optimise his/her site's content to ensure search engines index it for that particular phrase.

Content optimisation involves the following HTML elements...

• The title tag
• The meta description tag
• The meta keyword tag
• The main headline on the page
• Alternate text in images
• Page text
• Keyword density
• Internal contextual links

You'll find detailed information about what to do with each of these items in The DIY Guide to SEO from the guys at SEO Marketing London. Here's a couple of useful tips...

The title tag and meta description are used by the major search engines (including Google) to describe your site in their results pages. You can get more visitors by creating powerful title and descriptive text. This Internet Marketing article explains how.

The internal contextual link gives you the power to shape the way Google sees your site. The internal contextual link is a powerful SEO tool, and it's completely under your control. Click the link to find out how to use it.

A Keyword Density Report may sound highly technical, but it's not. It's a simple way to make sure a search engine sees your website the way you want it to. Content optimisation isn't possible without a keyword density report. I use the Keyword Density Report in SEO Quake.

3. Backlink Generation

Generating backlinks is the biggest challenge in SEO. It requires patience, and a willingness to keep on doing the simple tasks involved for an extended period of time (i.e. patience). There is a delay between doing the work, and seeing your site reach page one. So you also need a degree of faith that it's worth doing the work.

Search engines like to see backlinks appear naturally, rather than all at once. They tend to get suspicious of sites that show up overnight with thousands of inbound links.

Apart from patience, the key to successful backlink generation is securing one-way links from sites with a higher PageRank score. Ideally, the links you get will also be contextual.

A one-way link ensures link juice flows to your site. If you swap links with somebody, the SEO benefit is essentially cancelled (there are a few exceptions).

If the site linking to you has a higher PageRank score than you, it provides additional SEO benefit (via link juice). As a general rule of thumb, you get the most SEO benefit with a one way external contextual link from a site with high PageRank.

What now?

This page provides you with an overview of search engine optimization, and links to further information and useful resources. I strongly recommend you follow the links, and take on board everything you find here.

Remember - the easiest way to master the 3 steps in SEO is to do the DIY SEO Seminar. It's designed specifically to help business owners get their site to the top of Google.

Once your site's content has been optimized, it's a good idea to get yourself a Google sitemap. This article on Web Marketing Talk explains how.

You'll also find a list of other useful online marketing and SEO sites and resources below.