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Search Engine Optimization Made Simple

by James on May 1, 2010

Fact: SEO is not as difficult as your phony local search engine optimization consultant might tell you!

Really Simple Search Engine Optimization:

If you’ve outsourced your SEO, you’ve no doubt come across “Anemic Agency Man.” He’s the creepy guy who comes to visit you in the nasty grey business suit and spouts php and html jargon at you until you are blue in the face. The type of guy who bamboozles you with the complexities of SEO strategy, making it sound as difficult as nuclear physics just so he can up his prices and rinse every last possible penny out of your pocket.

Whilst not ever wanting to devalue my own work, search engine optimizing really is not as difficult as it’s made out to be.

Search Engine Optimization for Dummies!

Now there are a multitude of different factors that affect your search engine ranking, and yes some will make a difference in very competitive markets. However, for most small local businesses there are in fact only a small number of things you generally need to focus on. These 4 very simple steps are the 20% that makes 80% of the difference.

Say you are optimizing for “your-keyword” as part of an overall “theme”…or probably more accurately a long-tail keyword phrase (a keyword phrase with several words in it)  as part of an attack on a short-tail keyword phrase (a keyword phrase with only a few words in it)

Easy as 1,2,3…..4

As an example, lets say you are optimizing your site for the keyword phrase “how to hypnotize a person” with the aim to eventually rank for “hypnosis.”

search engine optimization consultant Search Engine Optimization Made Simple
These are the places you should use your keywords for maximum SEO effect:

1. Domain name:
www.howtohypnotizeaperson.com or www.hypnosis.com or even  www.hypnosisexpert.com

Now of course your preferred domain name will not always be available. In that instance you can use a hyphen to break up the domain name, such as www.hypnosis-expert.com. Please don’t choose a domain though that has 2 or more hyphens as this is considered spammy. Also avoid numbers in your domain name if you can.

2. Page Names:

The second way you should optimize your site is by using your keywords in the URL or page names of your site;

For example:

www.hypnosisexpert.com/how-to-hypnotize-a-person.html or www.howtohypnotizeaperson.com/how-to-hypnotize-a-person.html

3. File Names:

Just by simply including your keywords in your file names as well, you will have an excellent chance of moving further up the search engine rankings.

An example of this might be including your keyword in your image file names;

www.hypnosisexpert.com/how-to-hypnotize-a-person.jpg

4. Anchor Text

Your anchor text is the text on other peoples sites that links back to your site. Each link to your website is seen as a vote of confidence by Google.  When the link to your site is directed from a keyword you are trying to rank for i.e “how to hypnotize a person” Google sees your site as being more relevant to that keyword phrase and in return rewards you with a higher ranking.

For example your anchor text might read:

You can read more about <a href=”http://www.howtohypnotizeaperson.com/how-to-hypnotize-a-person.html”>how to house train a puppy</a> here.

Ok, so that wasn’t that hard was it? See, Google search engine optimization is really all about relevancy. The more times you can have your keyword placed in places G0ogle can find easily;

  • Domain name
  • Page names
  • File names
  • Anchor text

…the more relevant the search engines will consider your site and the higher they will rank you.

So the next time “Anemic Ad Agency” man tries to brainwash you with complex SEO jargon, you can just tell him SEO’s as easy as 1,2,3…4!

Click here for my recommended SEO resources:

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Tambi Fernando May 4, 2010 at 12:25 pm

Ha Ha love it! Let the cyber war begin.

CyberSonic Man May 4, 2010 at 1:16 pm

Thought you might enjoy that one Tambi

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