What the Search Engines Want.. and How to Give it to Them

What the Search Engines Want.. and How to Give it to Them

by Elizabeth Kirwin, Sidhe Communications

& Mike Pires, 4YourWebsite.com

One question which should concern all internet marketers is --- What are the search engines looking for? Search engines are based on computer logic, which sees information in text or numerical form, and has a hierarchical approach to font sizes, typefaces, and repetition of words or phrases. This article will give details about search engine preferences and explain how website content can be constructed to cater to these preferences to increase ranking on Google and other search engines.

Is Your Site a Template? Google Ranks these Sites Low

If your site is a template (mortgage, real estate, etc) and Google reads many sites repeated in the same format on the web, this picky search engine may kick your site from the top to the bottom of the list.

Repetition of Industry Keywords

Industry specific keywords can be harvested from website statistics programs or constructed from a strategic plan to draw the right traffic to a site. For example, a realtor would want to repeat the words retirement, relocation, and purchase a second home along with a geographic location to draw long distance homebuyers to their site. By repeating industry specific keywords, a company or organization may increase site ranking in Google. Article writing on a given topic is a very effective tool for placing repetitive keyword text on a home page.

Page Title, Headline, Subhead, Bolded Text

Choose your page titles very carefully and be sure that they include your most important keywords. Not only does this increase the relevance of your page to the search engines, but it also looks better in the search results. When your page title looks better in the search results more searchers will choose your page from the list of possibilities, the more searchers choose your page, the higher it will rank. Be sure to use your keywords liberally in a headline, in subheadings, in the first sentence of the page and in bolded text. This will help your page rank well, while at the same time reassuring the internet searcher that they have landed on a page that is pertinent to what they are looking for.

Graphic Name Tags and Keywords

If you were designing your web pages just for the search engine spiders you would not use graphics at all, but it is necessary to strike a balance between making a page that is pleasing to look at vs. one that will satisfy the search engines. Choose images for your page that also relate to your keywords and make sure that your keywords are in your image alt tag. Make your image alt text describes what the image actually is. Look at your page with the images turned off to be sure that all of your images have accurate, useful and keyword-rich descriptions.

Link Text

Link text is one of the most important ranking criteria. If you want to see how powerful link text is, try a Google search for "miserable failure". You will find George Bush's official bio and Michael Moore's home page at the top of the list even though neither page contains the phrase or even one of these words!

Keywords in Menu Items and other Internal Links

Internal links within a website direct users to your other pages. Keywords in menu items and other internal links are critical because search engines read them as another link. Don't waste links on text like "Click Here" or "This Page", use your keywords instead. Think of the link text as a vote to the search engines for what your website is about. When you vote make sure to use your keywords, if you won't vote for your own pages then who will?

Inbound Links

How many times is your website mentioned on the web? This is another way search engines rank sites. Each time your site is mentioned on the web, insert keywords to introduce the site instead of "for more information" or "click here". Also, be aware that when inbound links are embedded on other sites, your site rises in ranking - any link will help, but a link with your keyword(s) is best. Article writing and syndication on the web ensures that inbound links to your site (contained in bios) are resident on many sites. Writing and disseminating national press releases on the web is another way to increase the number of inbound links. Links to the website are repeated in the press release.

Outbound Links

Placement of links with websites of prominence is most important. This creates traffic. However, a savvy internet marketer will choose placement of links on web pages selectively, to increase company profits or an organization's visibility. Use outbound links that help an internet surfer find even more information about your target keywords and you will increase your website's level of authority for your keywords.

Reciprocal Links

The general consensus seems to be that reciprocal links don't really help your search engine ranking and, in fact, can actually hurt your page rank if you are not careful. Swap links with websites that are already ranked well for your keywords and/or sites that will use your keywords in their link text. This will generate quality traffic to your site even if it does not have an effect on your page rank. Don't link to sites that have nothing to do with the subject of your keywords and especially do not link to sites that are nothing but a bunch of uncategorized links, links to these free-for-all link farms can do more harm than good.

Planting Invisible or Tiny Text Behind Home Page

Uploading massive amounts of invisible keyword writing on the home page was once a favored tool of web designers. It is no longer a good idea to mask keywords on the page in any way. Search engines may be fooled at first and your site may land on top of the list for a while, but once filters are run to detect this, search engines may semi-blacklist your site or remove it from results completely. Avoid trying to trick the search engines and stick to techniques that enhance your website's usefulness and relevance to its target audience. The rankings, the traffic and the loyalty of your visitors will follow automatically.

Patch Your Windows System Now to Avoid Sober Worm Attack

The next Sober Worm hits today, patch your system now! Since there is no official patch available from Microsoft we are strongly urging all of our clients to patch their system manually and immediately. Be aware that this patch will prevent you from being able to double-click a picture and viewing it with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (there is a work-around for this if you have Firefox installed). Here are the instructions:

Click Start -> Run then enter CMD into the dialog box and click OK
At the command prompt type the following exactly and then press ENTER:
regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\shimgvw.dll
You should then see a dialog box that says "DllUnregisterServer in C:\...\shimgvw.dll succeeded."
Click OK and your system is patched.

Next Click Start -> Control Panel and then Double-Click Folder Options. Then Click the File Types tab and find GIF, JPE, JPEG and JPG - change the "Opens with:" program for all of these to Firefox.
Now you are done and safe from the impending Sober attack.

Of course you should also make sure that your Antivirus program is installed properly and up-to-date. We strongly recommend a manual virus signature download to be sure that you have the very latest signatures.

Spider Food (2) :: Don't put all of your eggs in one web basket

Spider Food (2) :: Don't put all of your eggs in one web basket: "

Spider Food (2) :: Don’t put all of your eggs in one web basket.

This article is the second in a series of Spider Food / Search Engine Optimization / SEO articles. Your website should promote your business and your business should promote your website.

Have you heard the story of what Wal-Mart did to Rubbermaid? It is a very good illustration of why you should not put all of your eggs in one web basket. A few years ago, when Rubbermaid needed to raise prices because the cost of a a key raw material had gone up, Wal-Mart refused. Wal-Mart had the attitude that “You might be Rubbermaid, and you might have a great name, but you’re not going to tell us what to do, we’re not going to take your price increase, and we really don’t care what it does to you. Since then, Rubbermaid has shut down many of its US facilities, and laid off more than 10,000 workers, there could be more than twice as many more laid off over the next few years as Rubbermaid is forced to move much of its production overseas in order to remain viable while satisfying Wal-Mart’s hunger for low prices.

I know that you want to jump right to all of the magic tricks that will put your website on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN; we will g"

Railroad Enthusiasts Make Tracks to The Blue Ridge Mountains

Railroad Enthusiasts Make Tracks to The Blue Ridge Mountains: "Whether you are passionate about historic railroading or looking for a unique romantic getaway, The Cozy Rose Southern Express Caboose Lodge is a whistle stop worth considering. Combining the year-round luxury of a Bed and Breakfast with a historically correct and beautifully remodeled, Southern Railway Caboose X-153, this Southern Caboose Lodge, makes it easy for just about anyone to experience their own private railway adventure. Their website, www.southerncabooselodge.com now offers the convenience and ease of on-line reservations. [PRWEB Jun 15, 2005]"

Top Ten Tips when Buying Real Estate!

Top Ten Tips when Buying Real Estate!: "Would you get behind the wheel of a car without learning how to drive? Of course not, and this same principle applies to buying real estate! Why should you buy a property before you knowing the important facts? Be an informed buyer and always make the most out of each real estate transaction."

Do Meta Tag Keywords Matter Anymore?

Do Meta Tag Keywords Matter Anymore?: "Are meta tag keywords still important to help your site perform well in the search engines? This article briefly introduces you to the concept of meta tag keywords, discusses why they used to be so important and whether today's modern webmaster should bother with them."

Website Optimization: Searching on the Internet Isn't What It Used To Be

Website Optimization: Searching on the Internet Isn't What It Used To Be: "This does not mean 10 years ago, or even 10 months ago – sometimes it can mean 10 minutes ago! A Website owner that knows everything there is to know about today's Internet technology, who doesn't keep up with the constant changes for even a few months, will be working with an ever increasing proportion of obsolete expertise and knowledge. [PRWEB Sep 9, 2005]"

The Sharpshooters - New Civil War Books, This One Tells the Story of The Elite Soldiers of The South

The Sharpshooters - New Civil War Books, This One Tells the Story of The Elite Soldiers of The South: "In 'Shock Troops of the Confederacy' author Fred Ray narrates the development of the Army of Northern Virginia's sharpshooter battalions and their tactical use on the battlefield. The book also tells the human story of the sharpshooters themselves, who describe in their own words what it was like to be in the thick of battle, on the skirmish line, and at their lonely picket posts. [PRWEB Nov 13, 2005]"

Inspirational Author Offers Hope And Healing For Spiritual Separation Anxiety

Inspirational Author Offers Hope And Healing For Spiritual Separation Anxiety: "Millions of people each day seek to increase their spiritual awareness, while others simply avoid the inner voices that could potentially bring them to an ultimate sense of spiritual understanding and freedom. [PRWEB Oct 5, 2005]"

Huntington Beach, California (PRWEB) October 6, 2005 -- Millions of people each day seek to increase their spiritual awareness, while others simply avoid the inner voices that could potentially bring them to an ultimate sense of spiritual understanding and freedom. Author and Spiritual Life Coach Russell Wingood has answers for both groups on their journey to spiritual enlightenment with an alternative approach to healing the separations between the soul and the mind.

Wingood believes that many of the issues that have failed to be resolved by traditional therapy and psychiatry can be worked out through alternative methods such as an exclusively designed, individual spiritual healing process that will allow the participant to unfold and discover their true self.

Help Center Live added to 4yourwebsite support services.

Help Center Live added to 4yourwebsite support services.: "

Help Center Live added to 4yourwebsite support services. Help Center Live is being implemented on 4yourwebsite.com to facilitate better customer service. Clients can enter service tickets and/or initiate online chat directly with sales and support specialists.

To see our Live Help system in action use the 'Click Here for Online Support Status' button, Service Ticket entry is also available from the Support Status page and on the Client Tools page."

Spider Food (1) :: Thinking outside of the web box.

Spider Food (1) :: Thinking outside of the web box.: "

Spider Food (1) :: Thinking outside of the web box.

This article is the first in a series of Spider Food / Search Engine Optimization / SEO articles. Your website should promote your business and your business should promote your website.

Before we get started with Search Engine Optimization, and learning to feed the Spiders, let's take a much broader look at your business and website promotion. Any truly effective website promotion campaign will also include several offline website promotion strategies. Getting your website online is not enough; having a page one ranking in Google, Yahoo and MSN is really fantastic but it is not enough either; you need to promote your website, both online and offline. Think of your website as a new and valuable dimension to your existing business, think of your website as part of your business and not as a separate cost or, hopefully, profit center. Create your marketing campaigns with your website as an integral part of them.

Your website should be an integral part, not only of your marketing, but also of your business. In fact, instead of being a drain on your precious resources, did you know that your website can actually help you to manage your day-to-day business operations more effectively? Strategic database design can and will help you to manage your day"

Is Google trying to be Yahoo and MSN?

Is Google trying to be Yahoo and MSN?: "

Is Google trying to be Yahoo and MSN?

Google has introduced a new portal service that makes it much more like Yahoo and MSN. Go to http://www.google.com/ig to try it out.

Is it worth it? They still have some work to do to make it as useful as Yahoo and MSN and there are a few glitches, but overall it is great. In true Google fashion, the page looks and feels a lot cleaner and loads a lot faster than its rivals.

What's missing? First of all the most important thing that is missing is actually a good thing - there are no dancing bananas or other distracting, flashing graphics and no popup annoyances. On the negative side, I've grown to really like Yahoo's RSS feature that lets me add my own RSS feeds, I'd like to see this feature added to the Google portal. The Stock market ticker will show you delayed quotes of a custom list of stocks but does not allow you to actually track a portfolio like Yahoo and MSN do. If you actually want any level of detail you end up in a frame that lets you look on Yahoo Finance, Fool.com, MSN MoneyCentral or ClearStation to get it.

What are the glitches? When I look at stock detail and then click the Google logo I'm back at the old, uncustomized Google home page instead of mine. When I click on Go to Google News I end up on an generic G"

4yourwebsite Moves Downtown

4yourwebsite Moves Downtown: "

4yourwebsite Moves Downtown

As of August 1st, 2005 4yourwebsite´s Asheville Web Design Office is now at 263 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Still plenty of convenient parking and hours by appointment. A full-time receptionist is available for pick-up and drop-off of your Web Design materials.

Please be sure to note this change of address in your records. Website, eMail Address and Phone Numbers remain the same."