AIAP Newsletter 04/24/09

Four Steps to Easy Search Engine Optimization

At a time when being found on the web has never been more important, let me offer four simple steps to get your website noticed and visited:

1. Keywords and Keyphrases

Part of optimizing your website is knowing what keywords and keyphrases are significant for your website. Simply choosing the keywords "architectural" and "photographer" just won't do. You need to target your audience by the keyword and keyphrase content that you include on your pages. It's far more profitable to target a small number of visitors than a broad spectrum.

For instance, rather than using a general keyphrase in your content like "architectural photographer" why not try something targeted like "timbuktu hotel photography" or "tri-cities interior photography"--see the difference? A large volume of non-targeted visits is worthless compared to a small number of targeted search visits from people wanting exactly what you offer. The first step in optimization is deciding what keywords and keyphrases are the valuable to you.

Google's keyword tool is a great asset in evaluating the value of certain keywords and phrases: https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
This tool allows you to play "what if" with keywords and discover their respective popularity and search volume. Google offers this tool for those who use their AdWords advertising. I don't necessarily recommend jumping into AdWords advertising--just enjoy the free tool.

2. Page Titles

For starters, you should use a different title on each of the pages in your website. From there, you should make use of your keywords and keyphrases in your page titles. Make sure your page content matches your titles. Search engines place more weight on the first letters and words of both titles and page content, so plan accordingly. Page titles are often displayed in search engine results after your website has been indexed. Consequently you may draw visitors further into your site with well thought out page titles and content.

3. Meta Description Tag

Meta tags seem to be less important in optimization than they once were, however your meta description tag still plays a vital role. Most experts recommend creating unique description tags for each page just like page titles. This is yet another place to make use of your targeted keywords and phrases. The meta description tag should be under 160 characters for most applications. Search engines simply won't go beyond the 160 character limit. With a little effort you can fit your targeted keywords into a description of this length.

4. Content on the Page

Page content is hands-down the best method of winning visitors and links for your website. Search engines love page content! Take the time to make your page content both informative and rich in your targeted keywords. This takes some effort, but the reward is targeted visitors looking for what you have to offer. SEO experts recommend having your keywords appear at least every 100 words in your page content. One word of caution: don't get caught in the trap of keyword stuffing. The search engines will punish you for keyword stuffing and you may be banished from search returns.

Search engine optimization is usually something the average user can do on their own. In some instances it may be worthwhile to employ a service for this, but these companies are often predatory, offering little value for the fees they charge. Take a look at websites that enjoy a high ranking and you'll discover the careful use of keyword and keyphrase optimization. It's something you can do for your website with a little time and patience.

Best regards,
Alan

Alan Blakely, Director
The Association of Independent Architectural Photographers
www.aiap.net