subject: Seo Tips -search Engine Optimization Raise Your Search Rankings [print this page] Search engine optimization (SEO)is the complex task of improving the way your site is viewed compared to other sites on similar topics. The way a search engine ranks your site, and the methods it uses to compare one site to another is a closely held secret in the industry. Experts have been trying to decipher this mysterious algorithm for years and even though certain aspects of it are constantly updated and adjusted, some basic criteria are core to the way a site is ranked. Knowing what the basic ranking criteria are is essential to improving your ranking, and ultimately your traffic.
One of the main considerations most search engines have for a particular site is the concept of keywords. How many times a keyword is used on a site, and where on the site it appears is important to the search engine in it's ranking of the site. Very little you can do to improve the ranking on the site will have as big an impact as this simple fact. So when you are setting up the site initially, think carefully about the name you choose and be sure to include the keyword in the site address (domain name). Even if you have to set up several "sister sites" with keyword specific web addresses that highlight a keyword you care about, you can always redirect these to your main sites landing page.
You must be sure to have your site indexed or "crawled" by search engines you care about on a regular basis. This can happen naturally, or you can make it happen by submitting your site to the search engines directly. This will cause them to index your site faster and initially improve your rating. Because the search engines care about sites that update their content regularly, and will rank them higher, be sure not to force this indexing too often. If you do update your content, it is a good idea to re-submit after the update and your should see an improvement in your ranking. Also, if you update regularly, the search engine will notice this and will normally index your site more frequently as well. This index frequency is another key factor in your search ranking, so is a great idea to keep your site fresh.
Another major factor in search engine rankings is the number and quality of links that exist for your site. Having a lot of these links, especially from other sites that are ranked high is very important. The more links you can establish the better. There are a few easy ways to get these links created and most of them are free, but it takes a little effort on your part. Next to having the perfect website name, getting a lot of links for your site is the single most important factor in improving your search rankings.
There are a lot of techniques for getting these links established for your site and some work better than others. One easy way is to submit your site to website directories. These website directories are a sure way to get some links established, but it can be tricky. Over the years the search engines have caught onto this technique and if you submit to too many of these directories too quickly, you could be penalized, so spread out your submissions. There are a few of these directories that have been flagged by the search engines and will actually hurt your ranking, so be sure to research them all and pick the right ones. Another great place to get these links started is by visiting and posting comments on a group of blogs covering the keyword you are trying to target. Usually if you post on these blogs, you can add a link back to your site and have it counted in your favour. You could easily post on several blogs a day and establish an impressive collection of links as a result.
You could start a blog yourself on the keyword of interest and pepper this with links back to your site as well. This would help with your ranking, but could be a little less effective since all of the links originate from a single site. It is better to have these links back to your site start from a lot of different sites. The other advantage to having a blog is that you can publish articles on it about your keyword and have your link in these as well. You could also submit these articles to other blogs or article directories to expand on the impact of these links.
All of these techniques are fairly easy to implement and will have a very positive impact on your search rankings quickly. Some of these are more effective than others and take a little time to work. The trick with improving your search engine rankings and traffic is to use a variety of techniques to help your site rise in the ranking.