14 May 2010
Learning Base
Ever wondered how you can drive relevant traffic to your website and boost its viewing performance without spending a penny? If so, search engine optimisation (SEO) is the answer.
Here is a short list of simple SEO steps you can take to propel your website to search engine stardom.
1. Choose the right keywords
The first step in a search engine optimisation campaign is to choose your keywords or key phrases for each of your web pages. Keywords are the terms that search engine users type in the search box to conduct a query. Begin by scanning the copy on your page and make a list of the most important terms you see on the page. Then read through the list. Pick 5-10 keywords or key phrases that most accurately describe the content of the page. Your chosen keywords can be applied to an online keyword tool, such as the Google Keyword Tool. Access the Google Keyword Tool from the External Links section at the bottom of this page.
2. Optimise your webpage titles
Webpage titles are one of the most important webpage elements for SEO, primarily because they are featured on search engines as the link to the relevant page. As such, keywords should always be included within the webpage title. The keywords should be concise - between 55 and 64 characters in length - and should be placed together towards the front of the title.
3. Optimise your meta descriptions
The meta description is used to provide a short description of the contents of the page. Some search engines will display this description within the results - below the webpage title. Including keywords in the meta description tag can improve the standout and click-through rate of your website for those keywords. And, once again, ensure your meta description is short and concise - around 150 characters in length.
You can download a free search engine optimisation starter guide from Google from the External Links section at the bottom of this page.