The ABCs of SEO: A Search Engine Optimization Primer

(October 2007)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website to attract qualified traffic from search engines. Optimizing a website for search engines includes discovering the key phrases people search for, increasing links into the site through various strategies, creating valuable content, and offering website visitors (and search engine spiders) a usable and well-structured site. The process also includes analyzing unique website elements in order to create a content-rich website and a positive experience for users.

Why Does My Organization Need SEO?

According to ComScore Media Matrix, about 99% of traffic is driven by major search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN and, to a lesser extent, AskJeeves. If search engines can’t find your site or “read” the content and place it into their databases, you’ll miss out on people who want to buy what you offer.

When people search the web, they are looking for a solution to a particular problem. Perhaps they are looking for a bookshelf to organize the stack of books in their office, or they want to donate money to get a tax break. Perhaps they want to know how to get a divorce, what kind of television to buy, or where they can find a great web designer.

When your keywords are well researched and your website is in the top of the rankings, you are more likely to attract customers who are ready to buy your solutions.

What Can I Do to Improve My Website’s SEO?

Recently, I helped a client improve their search engine ranking and get more clients.

Before I started work, this professional speaker’s website showed up in the rankings for keyword 1 and keyword 2 at positions 17 and 18. Keyword 3 was at position 23. Speaking bureaus, which take a percentage of speaking fees, contained positions 1 and 2 for keyword 1. Competitors held the top two positions for keywords 2 and 3. As a result, potential clients often called the speaking bureaus instead of calling my client directly, resulting in less revenue. For keywords 2 and 3, potential clients were visiting competitor websites.

Part of my SEO plan for this client included implementing the steps outlined below. After I optimized the website, it rose into the top five rankings in Google. Clients started to call and hire the client directly and less revenue was spent on speaking bureaus.

5 Steps You Can Take to Attract More Customers

1. Place headlines in header tags. Use the H1 tag if you can and use your keywords in those tags.

2. Write for people and not for search engines. If you offer a genuinely good product and quality content, you’ll increase your chances of getting a high ranking and attracting customers.

3. Write articles. One of the best ways to increase your rankings is to get links from quality sites. An established site with good content is an example of a quality site; Google prefers established sites over new ones. Post your articles (filled with valuable content) to goarticles.com or to ezinearticles.com and place your link in your bio. Your articles will be published if they are of good quality and then you’ll have a link back to your own website.

4. When you write articles, create a bio with a link to your website. Use keywords in your anchor text. For instance, hyperlink “pretty purple widgets” instead of “My Company Name” to expand the anchor text that links to your site. When you have keywords in anchor text linking back to your site, it increases your ranking for that topic.

5. Use your main keyword phrase in the first paragraph of the content on your website. You don’t need to use the phrase over and over. Minimal usage of the phrase will still work. If you have a site on vintage engagement rings, you might start a paragraph with: “Not sure about that vintage engagement ring your fiance’s Great Aunt Minnie passed down to you?” The keyword phrase is a natural part of the first sentence and does not stand out or sound awkward.