Webmaster Resources - Webimprovement.com

Marketing Your Site

Make sure you get your point across, design each page with your visitors in mind. If there is a purpose for your page, make sure it comes across in the title. Search engines will find you by your page titles. Variation is important, keep reviewing each page's title to find more descriptive titles.

Use Meta keywords and Meta description statements in each page. These Meta tags are used by many of the search engines as a way to allow you to control what is said about your site, and the categories they place you under. Meta Tags are found between the <head> </head> tags. The frequency that you use words is important as well, the more ways you can think of using a word - the more chance you have of the search engine bots picking you up. Don't however place the same word over and over that's considered spamming.

Do not put words into your keywords list that have nothing to do with the purpose and content of your site. Applying words you feel will rank highly, but that are irrelevant to your site, will only get you dropped from the search engines. Not to mention your visitors will probably brand you for false advertising.

Be aware that most search engines will index the contents of the ALT= part of an IMG tag (image or graphics statement). An example of the image tag would be: <img SRC=>

This is important if you build home pages that are primarily graphics with links deeper into your site. It doesn't allow for a variety of text that the spiders can use to index your site. Spiders can't figure out what the images are. But if you have used the ALT=" " to put in some descriptive comments about the purpose of your site and some good keywords, you will get much better placement in the index. This should in no way replace your efforts to put in your Meta statements.

Build your site and its contents based on the real audience you are trying to attract. Enhance your reputation with quality, not flash and hype. This will build your traffic and you will make a lot of long lasting relationships.

Get to know the search engines. Visit them consistently. Conduct searches for anything relating to your site's content. Find out how each search engine works. Read their FAQ pages and instructions on how to submit a site. They exist based on your content. You control the quality of their information.

Study what other sites similar to yours have to offer, look at their site structure. Find out how high they are in the search engines, what keywords got them there. Most importantly - take the time, it's what makes or breaks you.

Avoid SPAM (or keyword loading) at all costs, especially search engine spamming.. Loading lists of keywords into your title tag, putting in long lists of invisible key word repeats at the bottom of your page, and the other desperate measures some webmasters go to to attract more traffic, will now get you dropped from several of the search engines, or at least put you at the end of the results pages.

Summary:

Titles - search engines find you by these important words.
Meta Tags - search engines use these to control what is said about you. Very important to spend time on these words to rank highly in their directories.
Alt - Image Tags - use this tag if you have several images on your site, they serve as a form of meta tag.
Traffic - build relationships, they are your bread and butter.
Search Engines - really get to know how they work and what they are looking for.
Competition - study what others are doing, if they are successful at one thing try and figure out why.
SPAM - avoid it at all costs, it's just not worth it.