META tags are incorporated into the HTML code of many webpages. The most common META tags are TITLE, DESCRIPTION, and KEYWORDS. They affect not only how a site appears in search listings, but how high or low a position it receives in results. Read on to learn how to write META tags properly and effectively…

TITLE TAG

Perhaps the most important META tag, the TITLE tag determines the clickable title of a search result, as well as the text which appears on the title bar of a web browser. Here are some tips on how to properly write this tag:

• Use fewer than sixty five characters; otherwise, part of the title will be cut off by browsers and search engines.
• Every page on the website needs to have a unique title.
• Your primary keyword target should be at the beginning of the TITLE tag.
• Place your company name at the end of the TITLE tag.

DESCRIPTION TAG

The 2nd most important META tag, DESCRIPTION determines what text appears below the title in search results (with some exceptions). People who visit a webpage will not see this tag, unless they look at the source code. Tips on how to use it properly:

• Keep the description approximately 125-175 characters.
• Don’t put specific data searchers are looking for in the description tag; they might only read it and not visit the site.
• Use the description to market to the user and increase the click through to the website.
• The description is not a ranking factor, but be sure to use your target keyword(s) and keyword phrases so that they will be bold in the search results.

META KEYWORD TAG

A less important META tag is KEYWORDS as many search engines do not use them as a ranking factor.  The META KEYWORD TAG contains one or more search keywords that relate to the web page in question.  Here are a few tips:

• Avoid using more than fifteen keywords, and don’t write any word more than once.
• Use words which aren’t in the TITLE or DESCRIPTION tags but that are in the copy of the page.
• Avoid words that aren’t relevant to the page’s subject.  In fact, using keywords not relevant or included in your page can lead to ranking penalties.
• To properly separate multiple keywords, use commas.

OTHER META TAGS

Some lesser-known META tags are not used by most search engines and browsers, making them minimally useful. However, one other fairly important META tag is ROBOTS. It gives specific instructions to search engine “robots” or “spiders”; automated computer programs which visit and index websites, recording information that will appear in search results.

You may not need to know HTML to write META tags properly. Programs like Frontpage and Dreamweaver allow users to set the META tags for a webpage design automatically. For example, the function for setting META tags in Frontpage is located in “Page properties”, under the “Custom” tab. The TITLE is set under the “General” tab.

Since SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is fairly complex and has many different facets, it’s not surprising to find that misconceptions about SEO are somewhat common. Controversy over certain aspects of SEO has helped to spread them.

One of the relatively common misconceptions is that search engine optimization is all about manipulating search engines, or that the engines are opposed to SEO. Although it is true that a few SEO firms use manipulative “black hat” techniques, most SEO actually benefits both the engines and individual web sites. Many engines, including Google and Yahoo, have instructions on how sites can better optimize themselves. The Yahoo! page includes common SEO suggestions like focusing on search keywords and using ALT text with images. It is in each engine’s interest to index as many useful sites as possible; if a web site hasn’t been search engine optimized, search “spiders” (a.k.a. “robots”, “crawlers”) might not be able to access or index it. Basically, it is only manipulative techniques like “cloaking” and “Google bombing” that degrade search result quality and are rejected by the engines. However, some people generalize or lack in-depth understanding of the issue and fail to see the distinction.

Another of the fairly common misconceptions about SEO is that optimization can be achieved through some sort of “quick fix” or by “just writing good content”. Search engines are typically designed to resist any simple, quick technique that would drastically improve an individual site’s ranking in the results. Some of these techniques can even harm rankings. As for quality content, it makes optimization easier and should always be considered important, but it cannot replace SEO as some misconceptions suggest. An online article might have excellent information about a specific topic, but not include any of the keywords or phrases people use to search for that subject. It may also lack optimized META tags, be located on a page that is inaccessible to “spiders”, have no keywords in its URL, or be presented in a way that ruins its keyword density. Thus its lack of optimization could cause it to receive few or no visitors, despite offering good content material.

Other less common SEO misconceptions exist; some are the result of changing search engine policies and outdated information, while others are spread by individuals and companies trying to sell services which benefit from misconceptions of this type.

Many web sites use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to promote themselves to a national or worldwide audience. However, some sites really only need to target a local audience; examples include the web sites of a single hardware store, a local internet service provider, or a small book shop. In these situations, localizing SEO is a better option; this way, the site only needs to focus upon improving its rankings for locally-oriented searches.

Part of localizing SEO is to determine the different keywords and phrases people use to search for local businesses or content. For example, people looking up information about computer repair services in Portland, Oregon might search for “Computer repair Portland Oregon”, “computer repair portland OR”, or “PC repair Portland, Oregon”. Because there is another major city called Portland, searchers often put “Oregon” in their queries, whereas people in cities like Atlanta or Seattle are less likely to include the state name.

People also sometimes use zip codes when localizing their searches, particularly when looking for weather information and businesses in a specific area. The actual popularity of different search queries can be researched using online SEO tools like Wordtracker and Keyword Discovery, although such statistics are subject to change and do not cover all search engines. The web site should then use one or more of these phrases (or single SEO based keywords) in its text, META tags, URLs, and page titles.

Localizing SEO also includes the acquisition of links on other local web sites, preferably about related subjects. For example, a local TV antenna and satellite store would benefit from gaining a link on a site which offers TV listings for the same area. Obtaining links in local web directories is beneficial as well, particularly the business directories found on some city/town government sites. Many national and international web directories feature regional categories, including the major directory DMOZ.org.

It is also best if the inbound link titles (or “anchor text”) include words aimed at localizing the site’s promotion. For example, it would be better for SEO purposes if a movie rental business in Lincoln, Nebraska gained a link titled “Video Rental in Lincoln NE” than “Local Movie Rental Business”. It isn’t always possible to decide the titles of inbound links, and poorly-titled links still have value. However, localizing the site’s homepage title is esp. important to SEO, as these titles are often used by other sites when creating links.

SEO copywriting is the practice of writing promotional material (or “copy”) in a way that optimizes it for search engines. Ideally, effective SEO copywriting should help the web page achieve a high search result ranking, while convincing potential customers to buy a product or service. Here are some more details on what SEO copywriting is and how to best apply it.

Some characteristics of SEO copywriting include appropriate keyword density, the use of keywords (or phrases) that people search for, and search engine (SE) optimized formatting. Attractive and SE-friendly META tags should be used. The copywriting must be in text format; it will not be indexed in results if it is inside an image or animation.

Good SEO copywriting doesn’t compromise clarity for the sake of optimization; it is best to avoid redundant or awkward phrases. Even if it is well optimized, poorly-worded copy has some drawbacks with regard to sales. Customers may question the quality of a company’s services or suspect that the words were translated from a foreign language.

Using bold text and/or H1 (large font) tags for important keywords in SEO copy will help search engines identify the web page’s topic, potentially producing higher rankings. These tags shouldn’t be used excessively and only ought to be applied to words directly related to what the page is about. They also must be words or phrases that people actually search for.

What about using links in SEO copywriting? This is acceptable, but they should open in a new window so that readers are less likely to leave the current page. When the link points to a competitor’s web site (perhaps to compare prices or features), consider utilizing the “nofollow” tag/attribute to prevent the link from giving SEO benefits to the other site.

Any images accompanying the copy/text should include relevant ALT tags. Some SE “spiders” take these into account; people with images turned off or text-only web browsers can also see these tags. It is best if the page containing the SEO copywriting is still fully usable and provides all of the necessary information without images.

To sum it up, SEO copywriting emphasizes relevant search keywords and uses search engine optimized formatting to enhance its ranking in non-paid SE results. At the same time, the copy must be persuasive and hold the reader’s interest, which can often be achieved using the same techniques as effective email or print copywriting.

SEO and SEM are both strategies for promoting websites through search engine results. However, the difference between them is significant. SEM comprises a wider range of techniques than SEO, while SEO solely focuses upon improving a site’s ranking among normal non-paid search results.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) involves gaining links at other websites, optimizing META tags, improving keyword density, getting listed in directories, and creating websites that search engine “spiders” can easily navigate. It generally does not involve making payments directly to the search engines.

On the other hand, SEM (Search Engine Marketing) features such promotional methods as pay per click (PPC) advertising on search engines or paying an individual engine for “guaranteed” or “expedited” inclusion in regular results. Although the greater variety of techniques in SEM is part of the difference between it and SEO, it should be kept in mind that SEO is also considered part of SEM.

Another difference between SEO and SEM is the focus upon major and minor search engines. While the vast majority of SEO work is aimed at improving rankings on a few major search engines (Yahoo, Google, Live/MSN), there are a substantial number of minor PPC engines which can be utilized in SEM campaigns.

For example, there is no reason to conduct search engine optimization to improve a site’s ranking on Mamma.com (it draws regular results from other engines), but it is popular enough to use for pay per click ads. The search engine Entireweb.com offers a paid “express inclusion” service which adds a website listing to it and a number of other minor engines within two days.

There is also a difference between the amounts of time these two strategies take to become effective. A strictly SEO-based marketing strategy involves fewer direct costs, but will take months before achieving full effectiveness. On the other hand, pay per click or guaranteed inclusion services used in SEM often take effect within a few days, in some cases delivering new visitors on the same day a campaign is initiated.

One potential strategy is to use paid SEM services to gain traffic for the first months after starting a new website, while working on SEO in the meantime. This approach produces a more easily sustainable method of promotion in the long-term, without sacrificing traffic during the first few months. It may also add to the SEO campaign’s success as people discover the website and voluntarily add links to it.

Launching a new web site with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in mind is less time consuming than waiting until it has been completed to begin SEO efforts. Putting an emphasis on this from the beginning will prevent the web site owner or designer from wasting time on the creation of pages which aren’t search engine friendly. Here are some tips on launching a new site with SEO in mind.

1. Web site owners who create their own sites should learn about META tags and how to achieve the best keyword density. It is also helpful to understand how search engine “spiders” (or “robots”) work, including the types of content they can and cannot read.

2. If you have someone else design your new web site, find a web designer with SEO experience who is willing to optimize the site in the process of designing it. Some designers have little understanding of SEO and create sites which are very unfavorable in this manner.

3. When initially launching and promoting the web site, be careful not to use advertising methods which are frowned upon by search engines. Such methods include posting to FFA link pages or buying links without the “nofollow” attribute/tag.

4. If the new website needs to have text-based content produced for it before launching, it is best if a writer who is skilled in SEO creates this material. This type of content may include informational articles, blog entries, press releases, or product descriptions.

5. Although it may seem more visually appealing or easier to create, designers should avoid putting paragraphs of text inside images. This is detrimental to SEO in most situations, because search engine spiders can’t read this type of text. Navigation systems should also be search engine friendly, and it is a good idea to create a site map before launching the new website.

6. Some types of SEO oriented promotional techniques can draw attention to a new web site as it is launched, while also improving its search engine ranking. These techniques include submitting the site to article directories, posting it on social bookmarking systems, or using it in a forum signature.

Keeping SEO in mind while launching a new website provides some incidental benefits as well. Sites which are search engine friendly are often less difficult to access for people who have less common web browsers or are visually impaired. Sites designed with SEO in mind also tend to have easier navigation and are better-organized.

There are a number of words and acronyms involved in search engine optimization (SEO) which are not considered self-explanatory. It is helpful to know what they mean before reading articles or forum messages about SEO. Read on to learn about some of their definitions…

Keyword Density: Webpages are more likely to receive a high ranking in search results for a particular keyword if they use that word frequently (but not excessively). The keyword density is the percentage of the total number of words in which one keyword is used.

META Tags: This refers to part of a website’s HTML code, near the beginning, and includes the Title, Description, and Keywords tags. The Title tag is visible to both users and search engines, while the Description and Keywords tags are only used by search engine spiders. Many SEO experts feel that the “Keywords” tag is of minimal importance.

PageRank: The PageRank, or “PR”, of a website is a numeric ranking applied to it by Google, and largely based upon how many other sites link to it. The higher the ranking, the closer to the top of relevant search results a website is likely to appear. If you own a website, it is helpful to know its PageRank and check it periodically to determine if progress is being made.

Link Bombing: This practice (sometimes called “Google Bombing”) remains effective to some extent, but generally doesn’t allow for the kind of manipulation it once did. The concept is that if enough websites link to a particular webpage and use a specific phrase in the link text, the targeted site will appear in the top search results for that phrase or keyword.

White/Black Hat: Different types of SEO practices are frequently referred to in this manner. “Black hat” techniques usually are efforts to manipulate search results which are opposed by search engines; on the other hand, “white hat” SEO methods can improve a site’s ranking but generally don’t have the potential to harm it.

CTR: This acronym, meaning Click Through Rate, refers to the percentage of website users who click on a link or advertisement. This term can be applied to search results,  e-mail advertisements, banners, and other forms of promotion.

Natural/Organic: When website traffic is called “organic” or “natural”, it means that it comes without the recipient providing payment or anything in exchange. Examples of this are unpaid search listing clicks and voluntary links from other websites or blogs. SEO is a major way to generate such traffic.

Reciprocal Linking: This is a method in which two website owners add links to each other’s sites. It can provide both SEO and direct traffic benefits, especially if the websites are about similar subjects. However, Google has imposed a policy aimed at limiting the SEO benefits of reciprocal linking.

Analytics: When it involves SEO, this is the practice of collecting and analyzing data on a website’s traffic, then using it to more effectively promote the site. It can also be useful when making decisions with regard to web design.

Directories: Online directories are often used as a part of SEO promotional efforts. This usually refers to either “web directories”, which are categorized lists of approved sites (like dmoz.org), or “article directories”, which contain articles on one or more subjects (such as searchwarp.com).

It can take a long time to learn about all the important facets of SEO (Search Engine Optimization); keyword density, different types of links, META tags, directories, social bookmarking, etc. One way to learn about SEO is to read one of the many books about this subject, but can a book truly teach you how to do SEO work?

To some extent, yes. However, the methods which work (and no longer work) in SEO change relatively quickly. Major search engines can change their policies at any time, and it is not uncommon for new techniques to be discovered. If you are going to invest the time and money to read a book on search engine optimization, verify that it provides recent information. You will also want to review blog posts, news, and forums related to SEO occasionally, rather than only relying on what the book may teach you. On the other hand, this is not to say that some SEO techniques – like posting links to web site directories or creating Site Maps – have not remained beneficial for many years. It also helps to have sufficient computer/internet skills and a good understanding of marketing, which a book on SEO is unlikely to teach.

Some books on search engine optimization also cover pay-per-click (PPC) advertising or provide information on using particular web programming languages, like PHP or ASP.NET. If you need book(s) which will teach a basic or moderate amount of information about two or more of these subjects, selecting such titles may be a good choice. Be sure to consult reviews of the book you’re interested in (on web sites such as Amazon.com) to see if other readers feel they were able to learn enough from it. It is certainly possible to learn everything you need to know about SEO from the internet; however, it may take you longer to discover some concepts, and many people don’t consider it as convenient as being able to read the information in a book.

Basically, a book might be able to teach you how to conduct SEO work, but will not keep you up-to-date on it and probably won’t teach how to be an effective marketer or computer user; however, there are other books on these subjects which might be helpful. When purchasing a book on this subject, make sure it is appropriate for someone of your current skill level and that it covers the type of methods you’re interested in.

While there are many factors you should be concerned with when conducting SEO (Search Engine Optimization) work, there are also some things you shouldn’t worry about. Here are the top five things not to worry about with regard to SEO.

1.) Don’t worry about the “Keywords” META tag; it isn’t nearly as important to search engines as it once was, and it is quite possible to be successful in SEO efforts without using this tag at all. It can actually be detrimental to use the “Keywords” META tag excessively; pages with large numbers of keywords consume more bandwidth and load less quickly, without providing any benefit to the website’s visitors. If there is limited time, it is better to just leave this tag out than worry about whether or not you have properly implemented it.

2.) It often isn’t necessary to worry about doing better at SEO than your competitors. Don’t spend all of your time trying to get better major keyword search rankings than competing websites; you may be overlooking popular keywords or phrases competitors aren’t even using, which pages of your site could more easily be optimized for.

3.) Try not to worry about how soon your website’s new SEO oriented pages will appear in search results. It can sometimes take weeks for new pages to become listed on search engines; it isn’t worth spending a lot of time checking if they have appeared yet. Just review the website’s traffic statistics every day or two, when you start to see hits to the new pages you’ll know that they have been listed, and you can check to see how they rank for different keywords if you are interested in this.

4.) If you have a large SEO project to finish on your own website or a client’s site, try not to worry about how much work it will be overall. Determine how much work you need to do each day and complete it steadily, finishing one step at a time. Trying to get it all done in the shortest time possible is more stressful and overwhelming.

5.) Don’t worry excessively about your website’s PageRank (PR) on Google or the PR of its individual pages. Unless you are selling advertising based upon your PR, your goal in SEO is to receive more hits from search engine users, not to have a higher PageRank. It’s better to spend time on determining how much traffic individual webpages are receiving, and where it is coming from, than checking their PR levels.