On Page Optimization That Gets Results!
Improving your search engine rankings always begins with thorough keyword research. By identifying the right keywords to support your optimization efforts you stay ahead of the competition and make the vision of number one rankings a reality. After you’ve selected the right keywords the next step is to focus your efforts towards on page optimization. This is where you apply some techniques to your web pages to guarantee top search engine placement.
There are a number of areas to focus on when thinking about on page optimization. The most important factors include meta tags, load speed, and URLs. Although some of these may seem obvious to those of you who have spent just a little time learning about search engine optimization, individuals often address these important areas incorrectly.
The concept of meta tags has been around for a very long time. At first, this was the primary vehicle by which search engines evaluated web sites. Over time their importance declined in relation to the number of factors being considered on an entire web page. However, as algorithms go more complex, the purpose of meta tags have changed. Once the sole criterion, meta tags are now a way of validating site content. If your meta tags are consistent with on page content, the credibility of your page increases.
The most important meta tags are your title and descriptions tags. The title tag should be limited to sixty characters and include your keyword phrase at the beginning. Sixty characters is the max displayed by Google and although the search engine may recognize more characters, they will not be shown. Make sure that your description tag is compelling, less than one hundred fifty characters and include a keyword phrase two times.
Another meta tag is your keyword tag. This tag should include your most important keywords. I choose to keep my list concise, usually around twelve keywords. This shows Google and other search engines that your web page is both focused and relevant. Sites that engage in keyword stuffing are only hurting themselves. As mentioned earlier, start with keyword research to determine which keywords get the most search engine traffic and use them.
Once you have your meta tags within your web page code it’s time to focus on the next on page optimization factor. The load time of your web pages matter a great deal to Google and other search engines. Not only does your web page need to be formatted correctly but it needs to load quickly. Fast loading web sites mean a better user experience. Search engines like Google reward you for providing the right information quickly to web site browsers. Keep load times to a minimum and continually work to improve the speed at which your site loads.
The final factor related to on page optimization we are discussing today is the web site URL. The best format is to have your keyword in root of the domain. For example, it may look something like www.keyword.com. Truthfully the days of picking up a domain like this are pretty much over but you can find some options on expired domain listings. You can also add your keyword next to the root URL by creating a separate page or folder on your main directory. The final strategy is a subdomain strategy where you would place your keyword before your domain. Most hosts offer this option.
When thinking about SEO and embarking on your first optimization campaign, start with on page optimization. Focus your efforts on developing a web site that is easily searched and ranked with the help of the on page optimization factors we discussed. The topics we discussed including Meta tags, website load times and URL are among the most important on page optimization factors you can apply to improve your rankings.
