As you create content, you should optimize that content for search engines so that your pages are indexed, rank well, and are easy to find.
There are two major concepts around Search Engine Optimization which are referred to as On-page SEO and Off-page SEO.
On-Page Search Engine Optimization
On-Page SEO helps Google know what each page of your website or blog is about. This way, they’ll know what keywords to index your pages for. Here are the steps you should follow for each page on to help each page get found.
Step 1: Choose a primary keyword for this page. Start by selecting a few keywords that are relevant to the content of this page. Choose one of these keywords to be your primary keyword for this page.
Step 2: Optimize the top SEO elements. Your SEO efforts will be most effective if you consistently place the primary keyword you’ve chosen for this page in each of the following SEO elements:
Page Title - Include the primary keyword at the beginning of the page title, and separate each keyword phrase with pipes (|).
Page URL - Include the primary keyword in the page URL, and separate each word in the keyword phrase using dashes. e.g. www.cjpltd.co.uk/intelligent-marketing-solutions
Header (H1) Tag – Create one H1 tag at the top of the page that incorporates the primary target keyword. You can add other words to the H1 tag to make it sound more natural.
Image ALT Text - Optimize the most prominent image on this page using ALT text so that search engines can “read” the image. The ALT text should be the primary keyword.
Step 3: Optimize the meta data. Meta data are the elements invisible to your site visitors, but visible on the search engines.
Meta description – Include the primary keyword in the meta description and provide a compelling reason for why someone should visit the page. *Note: the meta description character limit is 150 characters.
Meta keywords - Add 3-5 meta keywords to the page that are variations of your target keyword.
Step 4: Incorporate keyword into page content. Use your primary keyword a few times throughout the page’s content. Don’t overthink keyword density or placement; mention them naturally. Try to bold the keyword at least once.
Step 5: Create internal links. If you mention the primary keyword of this page on a second page within your site, link that keyword on the second page to this page. For example, you should link to a page about marketing solutons using the anchor text “marketing solutions” on another website page.
Off-Page Search Engine Optimization
The number of inbound links to your site is the single most important factor search engines use to determine the importance and rank of your site. "Linkbuilding" is the process of building links back to your website. This helps your site build the authority it needs to rise in the search engine rankings; the more links you have from other sites, the higher you’ll be able to climb on Google.
Creating high-quality content is the best thing you can do to convince other website to link to you. But there are also steps you can take to proactively build external links leading back to your website.
Step 1: Target sites linking to your competitors. If a website has linked to your competitors, they’re likely to find your site relevant to link to as well.
Step 2: Submit your site to relevant directories. Do a search on Google for [industry phrase or keyword] + "submit site". This often yields results that lead right to the submission page for directories in your industry segment. Be careful not to submit your site to any directories that appear spammy.Use something like http://www.mywot.com/ (web of trust) to check if sites are trusted.
Step 3: Add your site to local search. If you have a product/service targeting specific geographic regions, list yourself on Google Places and Google Maps.
Step 4: Ask your contacts for a link. Create a list of partners, vendors, customers, professional organizations, employees, friends, or other people in your network who might be able to link to your site. Then ask them for the link, and try to get your target keywords in the link text.
Step 5: Use advanced link building strategies. There are many more creative ideas you can try to generate inbound links, including guests blogging and running a contest.
