7 SEO Tips for Beginners

By Kovich On July 1, 2010 Under Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the continual process of optimizing your website to rank high in the search engine results on particular keywords. While it may sound like a confusing and difficult process, SEO is actually something you can do yourself; you just need to know a few key things that can help you perform effective SEO. If you are new to SEO, here are ten tips that can help improve your site’s keyword rankings.

1. Utilize the Title Tags – The title tags refer to the text found at the very top of the browser window; it’s also the first line of text of each search engine result. Be sure to place one or two of your most important keywords in the title tag.

2. Make URLs (permalinks) Search Engine Friendly – A URL that reads something like “www.mysite.com/?p=43” is useless when it comes to SEO since it doesn’t give the search engines any indication what the page is about. Instead, make the URL relevant to the page; for instance, if the page sells laptop bags, then make the domain www.mysite.com/laptopbags.

3. Monitor Inbound Links – It is important to keep an eye on your inbound links to ensure sites that link to you are not bad or questionable ones. The theory in SEO is it is more beneficial to your rankings to have one inbound link from a reputable, high-quality site than dozens from irrelevant, sketchy ones with low or no page rank.

4. Link Internally – An important and often overlooked element of SEO is internal linking, which means linking your site pages to other pages on the site. Not only can it help boost rankings, but it can also help distribute page rank evenly throughout your site.

5. Place Keywords in the First Paragraph – While you don’t want to keyword stuff, make sure you place a few of your most important keywords in the first paragraph of text on your homepage. The search engines will scan this text when the site is indexed and pick up on the keywords.

6. Write Unique Content – Never scrap content from other sites and post it on your own; the search engines will penalize you for posting duplicate content. Make sure all the content on your website is unique and relevant to what your site is all about.

7. Use SEO Software – One of the best ways to implement an effective SEO campaign that won’t break the bank and that can help you learn more about the process is using SEO software. Most DIY programs and services are designed for individuals with no prior SEO knowledge and experience and are affordable (many charge a low monthly fee). Look for a service that is web-based, which won’t require any external software to use.