When you begin your SEO campaign, it can be difficult to separate myth from truth. It seems everyone has different ideas of what works and what doesn’t, and even someone who’s been in the business awhile can get confused as SEO trends, tactics, and techniques change over the years. However, if you follow these 10 basic rules, you’ll be off to a great start.
1. Perform keyword research - this is a very important step in your SEO campaign, before you even begin. Thoroughly research all keywords you may want to use – this can make a huge difference in your strategy!
6. Don’t compete for single keywords – Instead, compete for keyword phrases. This will make it more likely that your site will show up as a relevant search result.
7. Research your competition – It’s always good to know what the competition is up to, including what they are doing on their website, where they are getting links, etc.
8. Design your website to be SEO friendly – There is definitely an SEO strategy when it comes to website design. Avoid heavy Flash and lots of graphics, since search engine robots crawl the text, not images. Good Meta and Title Tags are a must, as well as fresh and engaging content. If you’re hiring someone to design your website, look for someone who is an expert in organic SEO.
9. Don’t ignore the power of content – Nothing drives a Web site like good content. Make sure your content is engaging, original, and well researched. Use keywords strategically (so they fit in with the natural flow of text).
10. Always proofread – This step should be a given, yet it’s not uncommon to see typos and content mistakes on web pages. Aside from providing incorrect information and mistakes as well as typos make a Web page and its company look unprofessional.
