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Optimizing Small Business Sites- What You Need To Know

July 21st, 2010

Search engine optimization becomes much simpler once you understand some basic rules and know what errors to stay away from. In this article we will be discussing such SEO mistakes that will make things easier for you.

A mistake frequently made by internet marketers is to choose unprofitable keywords, and doing SEO the right way requires that you target the best keywords. Your keywords are the most important variable in your SEO efforts, as this is what the search engines use to rank your site. It may seem to not make much sense, but you’d probably be surprised to know that kitchen aid stand mixer is NOT the same keyword as kitchenaid stand mixer.  Search engines will “guide” you in those choices, but at the end of the day, these are separate terms.  Before you can find the most profitable keywords, you have to determine what your target audience wants and do some keyword research. To figure out your target market, put yourself in their shoes and imagine which words they would be likely to search with. Don’t overlook Google Keyword Tool, Wordtracker and other online resources for doing your keyword research. Your real goal is to choose keywords that get a high volume of searches but aren’t too competitive. This type of keyword is called a long tail or buying keyword, and the reason for this is that customers usually use them when they are seeking an item they want to purchase. Long tail keywords are less competitive than broader terms, so when you target them you have a better chance of reaching the top of the rankings. You also have to be sure that the keywords you pick are ones that your customers will respond to. If you want to succeed, you have to take the time to do very specific keyword research. So in order to make your SEO campaign successful, you will have to spend a good amount of time doing keyword research, so that you don’t have to start all over again.

Many webmasters make another mistake with their SEO, in that they use the wrong title tag for their website. Even though some people think that the title tag isn’t significant, when you consider that this is what the search engines use when your site is listed in the results, it obviously does make a difference. You should have your primary keyword in the title tag because it will help you achieve a higher ranking, which is the exact reason why some sites are able to do well in the search engines in spite of the other factors not in place. It also does not give your site the appearance you want if it doesn’t have a title. Inserting your keyword in the title tag is a fairly simple thing to accomplish. It’s best to use a short and simple title tag, so avoid having a long or complicated one. Your title can have up to two primary keywords, so if you use two the search engines will rank you for both.

Many new webmasters make the mistake of focusing on the meta tags and the description of their site when trying to achieve a good rank. The obsoletion of meta tags is evident in the search engine ranking methods. The number of incoming links your site has and the optimization you do are important factors. Be sure to focus on your content. Search engines crawl all the content on your site and look for keywords to rank, which means the meta tags are literally of no use. Don’t let your content stagnate.

All in all, if you want to get the most out of your SEO campaign, then make sure you avoid the above mistakes at all costs.