Search Engine Optimization:


Search Engines and Directories:
A search engine is a automated Directory (like Lycos, Hotbot etc.,) or a human directory (like Google, Yahoo ,dmoz etc.,).

Keep in Mind:

• There is no way anyone can guarantee top#1 result unless they actually control the search engine results.
• SEO depends 80% on changes to a site's code (referred to as "on page factors")
• SEO depends 20% on getting links from other sites (referred to as "off page factors)
• While optimizing a particular website, SEO experts have to try to get into the subconscious mind of surfer. And that’s not impossible.

Effective SEO Technique:

• Use Title / META tags (Keywords, Description) / robots.txt
• Making your web site content relevant and visible to search engines and searchers. Keep adding / updating new content.
• Always be 100% sure about your landing pages, they shall add value to the proposition and maintain continuity. People generally spent just a few seconds on the page (around 10 to 12 seems to be the average) in which they scan (not read) 4 to 5 listings. There was almost no deliberation. People click quickly, and if they don’t like what they see, they click back.
• They shall never force the user to think laterally but just the product he had searched for, don’t give him too many options to get confused and start looking for more and more.
• Use the h1 - h6 elements for headings.
• Use Different spellings / frequent misspellings from all types of English.

Don’t Do:

• automatically generated doorway pages
• cloaking and false redirects
• keyword stuffing
• hidden text or hidden links
• pages loaded with irrelevant words
• duplicated content on multiple pages
• misspelling of well-known web sites
• unrelated and centralized link farms
• Other methods that try to trick search engines

If you use one of the above techniques, you might get short term results, but it's most likely that your site will be banned from search engines, and therefore you will put your business at severe risk.

Avoid:

• JavaScript, Image Maps, Flash Menus and session IDs
• Using frames
• Dynamically generated URLs

Check:
• Google cache to see if your navigation is easily crawlable.
• One thing to remember here is to break pages out as much as possible subject wise or any other wise.
• The search engines rarely associate many keyword combinations to one page. Use natural language queries, what comes to your mind ….because that’s the future of Search Engine Algorithm.
• Unique Meta tags, Keywords, Descriptions for each page.
• Copyright all articles, documents and watermark your images wherever possible.
• Check for validity and errors in you pages, it will help you in putting a check on PR of your web pages.
• Browser detection logic, it shall not breakdown when an unknown user agent is trying to access it.
• A bad contact us page may cause someone to think twice about dealing with you altogether. Provide multiple options for contacting you including phone, fax, email and web form. You shall also mention map, working hours and dept wise contact.


Conclusion

Page optimization should include meeting accessibility guidelines, standards compliance and usability conventions. I find that one of the hardest parts of SEO is getting the client to produce quality content that is relative to the audience they are trying to attract.

If you do decide to take your SEO efforts upon yourself after studying SEO on Internet, don’t think it’s too easy. SEO involves a great deal of learning – relearning - unlearning – learning again. Make sure you prepare a clear action plan and stick to it.

You need any help, always write on amit@r2ainformatics.com or buzz me on +91 9821376830

All the best!!!!


Amit P Gupta
Web Strategist
If you like this article, subscribe to our RSS Feed. You can also subscribe via email to our Interview Questions, Codes and Forums section.