Why Search Engine Optimization Is Necessary
In this edition of OK to Make Money Online, let us take a look at Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO seems to be the hotbed of conversation on the net these days. It is really simple and yet seems to have such a mystique about it. Why? It is really not an art.
The problem for Google is it has only started using natural language, so it has to resort to taking your article text apart and trying to figure out what your site’s main subject or topic is. When this is done, it can send you the most appropriate ads to be displayed on your site. However, it may not be the best words to drive traffic your direction, and isn’t this the point?
So let’s take a look at a cooking site. What is the main subject? Is it clearly spelled out? Does it have multiple food categories? Is there any related content other than food, say food from Paris or Italy? Do the pictures match the recipe?
We need to make your site single purpose. So let’s say you have a site that covers many categories or subjects. We need to break it up into niches, with each niche having a single subject or keyword. Then Google will be able to correctly categorize your site by keyword. So: one subject per niche.
With a list of topics or categories in hand, we need to create a website of each. The hard part is going to be the URL name. This is the one area where the name is important. So how do we determine the best name? By using our keywords. But wait you don’t know what a good keyword for your subject or category would be? OK, let’s ask the expert: Google. You can use the tool Google uses to sell ad space under Adwords, Keyword Tool. With this tool you can input your subject, category and Google will return a list of the searches that people have entered and the keywords they used.
After you have completed your research and have determined the best keyword, it is time to find a URL that will contain your new keyword. Go to Blogger and see what can find. When you find a URL with your keyword then start using your keyword on every page and in every article, including the Privacy Page and the About Page. When you have completed your first website, go on to the next and do the same till you have covered all your categories or keywords.
If you are working from a site that is too general, break the articles up, rewrite them using your new-found keywords, and copy them over to your new sites, according to category/keyword. Make sure to use your keyword in the title, first paragraph, once or twice in the body, and in the last paragraph.
If you have pictures or graphics on a page, make sure you work your keyword into the picture information area of the HTML code. This will assure the spider that the picture relates to the article or keyword topic. However, be true to your readers. Some of the black hats will put up any old picture so they can imbed the keyword text. Remember, at some point you want traffic, and you want your readers back. Don’t given them trash; give then something they want to come back for.
However don’t overdo it! Overuse was used by Black Hats to trick Google. Google now detects if you overuse a keyword, and will flag you for keyword stuffing.
Review of the rules: make sure your site sticks to one topic, make sure you research your keyword or long tail keyword, and use your keywords in every article and page on your site to make money online. Then as always, get as many backlinks to your site as you can (i.e. traffic).
Michael
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