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David Loveless wrote:
> I've been handed a list of words for a search engine ranking project.
> My task: select the best words to use in our websites to raise our
> rankings.
Dave, it's no secret. You need:
1. Markup with good semantics. Focused <title>s that mean
something. Real headings (<h?>). If you must use
layout tables, put the meat in A1.
2. Put the content at the top of the markup, regardless of
how it's presented in a browser. Crawlers parse source.
Don't make them dig through a bunch of navigation and
other crap to get to what's unique about page X.
3. No important content in Flash, images, or client-side
script. It won't be indexed. Again, crawlers parse
source. They don't interpret.
4. Find a way to have content that changes regularly.
Either have a news component on the homepage or company
blogs or something. SEs reward fresh and alive,
because that's what users want and they're in business
to serve their users. A static site that's maxed its
SEO will perform at 5% of a comparable site with
consistently new content. Open a user forum, if
that's feasible.
5. Get inbound links, and make outbound links. Nobody's
gonna camp on your site like it's their favorite TV
show. Impart value, even if it leads folks away from
your site. They'll remember.
6. What's been said here about researching keyword bids is
worthwhile -- but only if you're in a niche. It's
worth knowing that your competition isn't targeting the
magic keyword queries that you think customers will try.
Be careful, though. As Brother Markos is fond of
pointing out, use case blinders are a danger. Placing
well on a query that nobody actually makes gets you
nowhere.
You can't beat the system, but you can learn the system. Want to be
found? Be interesting and fresh.
SEO is so *not* about keywords or anything like that. It's about
*new*, link abundance, and link proximity.
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