Ten Top Tips To Get the Most Out of Search Engines

Make your site accessible and use compliant code
Ensure your site adheres to W3C and WAI guidelines. Not only is this best practice, if you don’t do this you‘ll be hindering your website’s performance from the outset.

Use page-specific titles and meta data
Each page of your site typically differs in content so don’t use generic page titles or share meta data across the site as it doesn’t clearly state what the page is about. Be sure to add relevant titles, keywords and descriptions based upon the context of the page.

Ensure relevant and efficient keyword selection
Search engines strive to deliver relevant information to their users; if they fail in this task the user will switch allegiance to an alternative search engines that does deliver quality results. Ensure that you carefully consider which keyword or phrases are relevant to your content. Keywords can be measured by KEI (Keyword Efficiency Index) so do your research and choose keywords with high KEIs.

Decrease code redundancy
Ensure you code is compact and clean. Remove non-value adding tags and employ style sheets. Above all, keep your mark-up simple and readable.

Be sparing with Flash
Although it can look great, use of Flash hinders search engine optimisation (SEO) as the content is unreadable to most search engines, especially if it is locked away with a SWF file. For best results use Flash sparingly within a HTML or XHTML-based website.

Create a sitemap
A sitemap enables a search engine to crawl a single page which, typically via a structured listing of hyperlinks, exposes all the other content within your site. This page can then be submitted to a search engine without having to submit other pages on the site.

Build good quality external and internal inks
External links from well-respected websites are seen by search engines as a positive vote for your site and boost the credibility or “page rank” of your site. Adopt a deep-linking strategy internally within your site and avoid buying links from farms or other companies offering to deliver you traffic; this won’t be relevant and you’ll simply be wasting your money.

Avoid SEO firms guaranteeing results
No individual or company can make any guarantees about SEO. It’s impossible because results are also based on factors outside their control. SEO techniques are applied on a best endeavours basis. Select an SEO company carefully and ask them to show you real results with generic keywords and phrases that are a lot harder to optimise for.

Avoid dirty tricks
Page cloaking, hidden or off-screen layers, keyword-stuffing and other such dirty tricks should be avoided like the plague. In the long-term your site will be penalised if you employ such tactics. What you may get away with today may be picked up and frowned upon tomorrow.

Keep it real
Trying to be number one on Google for one or two word phrases is simply not realistic. For best result target three keyword phrases which are relevant to your site. SEO should be viewed with a longer-term benefit. For instant results consider a managed pay-per-click campaign.