Quick and Dirty Overview of SEO for Beginners

 Here is a surface review of how search engines work and what they mean to your website traffic; website traffic and SEO will be defined.

Then, we will cover a few basic SEO techniques.

Let’s jump right in.

How Does a Search Engine Work?

Search engines like Google or Bing do two things—crawl the web and build indexes.

Their purpose is to provide users with answers by calculating relevancy, then serving their results.

A search engine does this by employing automated robots called “crawlers” or “spiders” that find documents and web pages through links.

These search engines are comprised of huge servers, so big they need their own buildings called data centers. These hard drives must be massive so they can store billions upon billions of web pages to be recalled later.

Speed is also a huge factor in the competitive world of search engines. Another reason why there are many of these data centers globally.

The relevancy of each web page is ranked along with its importance.

How is “Importance” Determined?

These days, importance is primarily measured by the major search engines based on a site, web page, or document’s popularity. Those getting the most visitors must be providing something useful—that’s the thinking here.

Search ranking results are not calculated by humans. Instead, mathematical equations called algorithms do the work. The algorithms use not only popularity and relevance, but hundreds of other traits called “ranking factors.”

One ranking factor that you hear website owners talking about is “traffic,” or “website traffic.”

Website traffic is defined as the number of visitors and visits your website receives. Higher numbers of traffic to your website helps it rank higher, because the search engines factor higher traffic levels as a sign of relevance and popularity.

Search engines can play a big role in how much traffic your website experiences over time. That’s because where your website ends up in SERPs, or Search Engine Results Pages, greatly influences how many people click to your site. If you site ranks on the first page of search results, in the top ten, people are 42% more likely to click the link to your site. On the other hand, if your website ranks on the tenth page of search results, there is only a 3% likelihood that a searcher will end up clicking to your site.

A Ranking Factor You Can Control

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a strategy to help your URL rank higher in search engines like Google. There is a lot we could cover about SEO, but for right now, we will give a beginner’s lesson in SEO basics.

Defining SEO

According to webopedia dot com, Search Engine Optimization “is a methodology of strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the amount of visitors to a website by obtaining a high-ranking placement in the search results page of a search engine (SERP) — including Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines.”

SEO is important, because it helps the robots from search engines to “see” and understand your website more clearly, which enables them to understand the purpose and usefulness of your website.

Before you go about hiring an expensive SEO firm to help your business website rank better in searches, there are a few simple and no cost SEO techniques you can do right away.

Let’s look at a few of these…

1. Use Google’s Keyword tool – This free tool analyzes your website’s content, then suggests keywords for you to implement into your website content. Plus, it points out negative keywords that can turn off your target audience. You should include a lookover of your competition’s keywords and monthly keywords searches both locally and globally to help you find the right keywords.

2. Place those keywords into your content – What’s called “keyword density” is highly important in relation to your search engine rankings. But don’t get tempted to “stuff” your web pages with keywords. This is now an SEO faux pas that will only hurt your search rankings, as Google Penguin now punishes websites that practice “keyword stuffing” with lower search rankings. Much lower.

3. Build a Foundation of Backlinks – The most challenging of the three steps is also the most important. Search engine algorithms place a high level of importance on the number of backlinks pointing to your website.

Backlinks are considered social proof that people are sharing and talking about your website content. This causes the search robots to consider your site as high quality. Plus, another beautiful aspect to backlinks is that they bring in more leads back to your website, thus leading to more conversions.

Another basic way to optimize your website is to play tag.

No, not literally. We are talking about writing search engine optimized…

Title Tags and Meta Tags

Title tags and meta tags look like this: <meta> tags and <title> tags. You place your descriptions in between the < and > where the HTML coding is found.

These are used by the search engines to get a description of what you have on each page for indexing. Writing effective title and meta tags will help improve your SEO.

The <title> tag is the line of text that appears at the top of your browser window. They need to always reflect the correct content on that page—whether a product page, blog or photo.

Keep the title predictable and make sure it describes your website so it would meet your users expectations. If it doesn’t, your search ranking will get dinged by Google.

The <meta> tag is utilized by Google and other search engines to provide a brief description to the viewer of what information is waiting on that page to be read.

Meta tags, also called meta descriptions, are still important and can help your SEO.

Here is an example of a search result with a meta description:

Here is an example of a search result without a meta description:

You can see how the meta description gives you a better idea of what you will find if you take the time to click that link.

A search link without a meta description, like this one above, will instead display the first 160 or so characters of the article or web page. Normally, that will not provide a strong meta description, thus making the link less likely to be clicked.

Remember to shoot for a 160 character length. That is the limit for Google. Yahoo does show a bit longer meta descriptions, but more people use Google, so shoot for the 160 character limit.

Now that you know how the meta tags show up on search engine results pages, you will want to write clear, concise and compelling descriptions. Please note that if you have similar pages of content, don’t copy and paste the <meta> tags as you will likely get dinged for duplicate content or for unoriginality. So, just as you want your content to be original and unique, treat your meta tags the same way.

Closing Out with a Bang

Start getting more traffic to your website by using these awesomesauce tips on writing stellar meta descriptions, and then study how they affect your website traffic. Here’s what you can do:

1. Write relevant descriptions that present the core message and purpose of each web page
2. Emphasize a reason for reading. Special offers, urgent deadlines, or secret discoveries are examples
3. Use words that are solid and specific. Avoid clichés like “innovative” or “world class”
4. Don’t write to the length limit. Keep it concise, yet compelling

You can always tweak or change meta descriptions at any time.

Experiment to find what works for your website.

If you need help making sure your title tags or meta tags are the right length, a great place to check each one is at a straightforward web page called Check Your Title Tag and Meta Description Length.

Chapter from This Book; Build a Website 101

How to Optimize for Social SEO

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Optimizing your website for search engines is no longer a question of filling it full of keywords and exact-match anchor text while madly blog-commenting in other people’s blogs to create relevant back-links.  In fact, following this formula will almost certainly leave you down in the rankings under Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithmic changes – and more are coming.

But you shouldn’t just pay attention to Google:  SEO nowadays involves maintaining an active social media presence and profiles.  Hence the term “Social SEO”.  Social media actions can actually improve your Google rank, if done right.  And you need to pay attention to what people see… and what’s behind the scenes.

Here are ten highly relevant Social SEO practices for today…

1.  Remove or Revamp Your Traditional Meta-tags

Google’s Penguin algorithm filter tends to take meta-keywords and other traditional tags as keyword-stuffing.  It won’t help your site ranking – and it could hurt.

If you use the Thesis theme, check out instructions at Binary Turf on removing the meta description tagcorrectly.

According to SearchEngineWatch, Penguin isn’t actually an algorithm, but a “link quality filter” that “is designed to take out sites that use manipulative techniques to improve search visibility”.

Bottom line: If you have too many repetitions in meta data, your site may be penalized.

2.  Adjust and Correct Your Anchor Text

If your anchor text is an exact match to your keywords and doesn’t make descriptive, readable sense, scrap it and give your anchor text more clickably-appealing, descriptive words.  (That goes for theAlt Tag text for your graphics, too.)

You need to do this because Google’s Penguin filter now targets and de-ranks exact-match domains (e.g. “highproteinfoodsfatlowcarb.com”), after Google clued on to the fact that names like these were evidence of attempts to manipulate.  Anchor text has been affected too.

The less spammy you can make your anchor text and Alt tags, the better.

For example if you were displaying the above photo on your blog, you might want to change:

<a href=”page.html”><img src=”graphics/twinmatchinggirlgreen.jpg” alt=”twin matching girl green“/></a>

…to something more descriptive and real, such as:

<a href=”page.html”><img src=”graphics/twins.jpg” alt=”twins in green”/></a>

Again, if you’re trying to manipulate rather than describe when using keywords in anchor text, domain names or Alt tags, Google will penalize you.

3. Familiarize Yourself with Graph Search

The old way of searching involved keywords.  Facebook’s new Graph Search combines keywords plus your Friends’ Facebook content.

This way, you can find out what connections you share with them, causes you both support, Pages you “Like”, places you’ve both been connected with, common interests and just about every type of connection you can think of.

 (Graph search results did dip recently, but Facebook assures the “dip” has been corrected.)

4.  Optimize Your Facebook Page “About” Section

This is the one part of your Facebook Page where you can put your best keywords, descriptions and anchor text.  Make the most of it, as artist Steph Dix has done here.

She has included in her description:

• Specific keywords (pencil portraits, free shipping worldwide, guarantee, website)
• A link to her website
• Email contact details

In addition, her text is not too long – it doesn’t run off the page, with vital sentences hidden. It’s clear and well-optimized.

5.  Use Facebook Social Plugins

Once you click on artist, Steph Dix’s link, you are taken to her website http://www.stephdix.co.uk/… where those who have “Liked” her page immediately see a widget from the Facebook social plugins, containing their own Profile photo plus a selection of other fan photos.

Anyone who clicks on hypertext within the widget will be taken to her Facebook Page – and that is a high-quality backlink, as far as Google is concerned.  She is leveraging the power of Facebook very efficiently.

6.  Make the Most of Google+

SEO author Simon Penson predicted recently  that Google+ will play a much more prominent role invalidating social links over the coming months, so if you haven’t created a profile there yet, do so.

And if you have signed up, but visit Google+ only sporadically or not at all, start exploring Google+ and spending time interacting and exploring its SEO-powerful platforms, apps and features daily.

One of its most powerful features to explore:  Google+ Hangouts.  If you live-stream them, they will be automatically recorded and posted to your YouTube channel, which is now also automatically linked with Google+.

If you haven’t yet bothered with Google Hangouts, learn more about them right now.

7.  Make Sure Your Titles Match Your Content

Again, it’s all about not being carried away, trying to include keywords.  Titles that don’t feel natural and don’t match the post they headline not only will displease Google, but will not get shared via social sites (as well as losing trust).

Here’s an example of a simple but effective title followed by relevant content from Copyblogger.

Your best bet is always to make sure your blog post or web page title are:

• Attention-grabbing
• Easy to read
• Descriptive
• Clean

A truly interesting and intriguing title is your best route to making sure your posts and pages are found and shared.

8.  Make it Easy for Visitors and Readers to Share

Make sure you’ve included social media plugins, widgets, share and follow badges, buttons and icons to help people share your content with one click.

Place them above the fold on all your web pages in the upper right-hand side of your page.

For extra effectiveness, include calls to action in or with your social media buttons, such as Daylan Pearcedoes in the right hand side of his blog, above.

9.  Clean Up Your Guest Blogging Practices

Last year saw Google over-zealously penalize exact-match domains and anchor text, akin to thousands of healthy trees in a forest being chopped down to make sure a dead one in their midst is culled.

Now, just as their Search Evaluation team is reassuring us that they’ve learned from this and will be toning down the axe use, it looks as if Google has a new target:  Guest blogging.

A recent YouTube video from Google’s Matt Cutts warns of what to expect – and what you can do to comply with new guest blogging rules.

To sum up what seems to be in the wind…

• Make sure guest post writing – to and fro –  is of the highest quality
• Use guest bloggers who either are terrific, professional-level writers or who have a well-established and validated reputation in your niche
• Write or accept longer posts – Google now frowns on short guest posts under 400 words, seeing them as excuses to link
• Don’t accept guest posts that are published elsewhere.  When someone wants to write for you, make sure you ask that the content be original and exclusive to your blog
• Posts from and to other blogs should be relevant to the blog’s overall mission.  Posts should be eloquent and well-thought-out
• Make sure your guest posts are from writers who run high-quality blogs.  You may be penalized for spammy back-links in your guest poster’s blog, so check that blog out first, if you’re not familiar with your guest.  (Hint:  See how well she or he ranks in a Google search.)

And from Jeff Foster of WebBizIdeas (in an actual guest post in Problogger, February 2013):

• Stop using terms like “guest posts” and “guest bloggers” (if you have to spell it out for readers, he suggests calling the writer a “guest author”)
• Don’t let your guest author put “unnatural links” in their post or author bios
• A simple link to their website is okay

One last thing to do:  Create a rel=author tag for yourself, allowing Google to validate your own blog (and use guest posters who are also validated this way).

10. Optimize Your Social Media Profiles (and Claim your Pages)

It’s not enough simply to use social media in 2013:  You also need to make sure you optimize your social profiles to the max.  Fill out all Profile sections across all social networks as fully as possible.

Think of doing this as an investment.

For example, if your local business appears in a Google Plus Local search for your city, make sure you claim it and add your photos, your logo, your description and your contact information, the way you want it.

Make sure no sections are left blank.

Social profiles with missing elements are not ranked as highly as those with complete profiles and validating elements such as business logos and clear descriptions.

It is as important to optimize what people see as much as it is to optimize HTML and meta-tags, just as it is as important to optimize for your social networks as it is to optimize for Google searches.

Creating a well-balanced, SEO optimized web presence for both the search engines and social sites – but most of all for the benefit of your ideal viewer – will have a visibility effect worth more than the sum of its parts.

Top 30 Ideas for Content Publishing

Here they are.Most people get stuck when it comes to content publishing ideas. More than likely, the only content they can think of is “blog posts. But did you know there are at least 30 types of content you can publish online?

1.  Blog Posts

We had to say it.  But take note that short blog posts are going out of fashion again.  Google has let it be known it will penalize blog posts that are so short, Google feels they are nothing more than excuses for ads and affiliate links.  Their emphasis on “quality, original content” has all the top bloggers writing posts over 500 words long and very often, twice that number of words.

2.  Infographics

Still at the height of popularity, the latest trend is to impart information in visual format people can absorb with a single glance.

   

This works so well not so much because many people are visual learners, but because all of us internet-and-mobile age denizens have trained our brains to scan-and-glance digital content, to see if it’s worth spending time exploring further.

3.  Slide Presentations

Social platforms such as SlideShare make it easy for people to share slide presentations.  You can create these as stand-alone information modules… or as accessories for webinars you are holding.

Plus you can have people follow you from SlideShare – and share your work across other social networks.

4.  Media Page

Every online entrepreneur should have a Media Page (section) on his or her blog or website.  Within this tab, radio hosts, news reporters and readers should be able to find:

• Photos they can use (including your headshot)
• Archived newsletters
• Archived Press Releases
• Bio information
• The latest news about you/your business

And anything else you’d like them to share.

5.  Skype Chat Text Interviews

This is a brand new, dynamic and interactive way to present Skype interviews – a live link for people to join in and a blog transcript for those viewing the post after the call has completed.

Again, you can generate shares and follows for this type of content – as well as sharing your interviewer/interviewee’s website link, as Vera Raposo of Creative Biz has done with Kristen Eckstein’s Ultimate Book Coach site.

6.  Landing Pages

Short pages you send people to so they will sign up – either for your newsletter, a “freebie”, your website or blog – or a paid product.

7.  Sales Pages

Not-always-longer versions of Landing pages, promoting your paid offer.  Sales pages can come in many formats:

• Traditional long letter format
• Short landing page format
• Horizontal
• Vertical
• Video
• Audio

Pick the format that best suits your audience’s engagement style.

8.  Podcasts

You can make your website more interactive by providing Podcasts — .MP3 audio files your visitors can listen to (or download, if you let them).

They can listen in real-time, if you provide a teleseminar phone link – and then enjoy the recording in podcast format on your blog.

9.  Newsletter Archives

Everyone who owns a blog or website should have a newsletter – and archive old newsletter editions either on a Media page or in an Archives page.

Newsletters provide an instant history of your business.  People can go through each newsletter, from your very first one, and see where you started out – and where you are now.

If your newsletters are high enough in value you can even choose to keep them in a hidden section for paid members of your membership site.

10.  Templates

People will return again and again to your site if they know you have great resources such as templates at your site.  These can be blog post templates, review templates – even HTML templates.

11.  Tip Sheets

This is another desirable type of content to offer as a sign-up incentive on your blog or website.  The key is to make it highly specific to their most pressing interest at this time – or to new technology that is affecting their niche: (E.g.  “30 Tips For Making the Most of Facebook Changes”).

12.  Images

We don’t just mean “stick a picture in your blog post”.  Image use should be an integrated strategy you use to brand your business and tell your story.

They should consistently support your online identity and “voice”.

13.  Animated Gifs

There’s been such a prejudice against “distracting” animations; this is not a method most people think of, when it comes to content creation.  Yet under the right circumstances, they can be used effectively.

There are two keys to creating a positive rather than a negative effect:

a)    Choose a “loop” that looks natural repeating (e.g. a candle flame flickering, water gently tossing in a bay), rather than a moment in time endlessly replaying.

b)     If you just want to catch attention, simply set the animation to repeat only once, as laid out in this Yahoo answer.

There are many free sites that allow you to create animated .gifs.  Two that are easier than most areLunapic and  Makeagif, with tutorials and wizards respectively.

(Click on this link for an example of the sort of thing you can do.)

14.  Video

Every online entrepreneur should make videos and share them across platforms like YouTube, Pinterest and Vimeo.  The real issue is what type of video best supports your business?

• “How to” demonstration
• “Talking head” update from you to your followers
• Animation
• Recorded webinar with slides
• Video blog entry

15.  Downloadable .PDF files

You can offer eBooks and reports in .PDF format as sign-up incentives for subscribing to your blog or website.

16.  Checklists

Another great sign-up incentive – or bonus.  People love checklists – it helps make them feel organized in a world of chronic digital overwhelm!

17.  Google Hangouts

You can host a meeting, interview or seminar by creating a “Hangout” within your Google+ account.  Ask fellow Circle members to join you.

Better yet, choose the live streaming option to help it go viral, if it’s something you want everyone to see, and it will automatically be recorded and uploaded to your YouTube channel.

18.  Logo

A Logo that captures in a blink the essence of your business (and helps people instantly think of it) is essential, if you’re branding your business rather than you, yourself.

19.  White Papers

A “white paper” is much like a report, but is usually a formal presentation of statistics or a document analyzing something of great importance to your website visitors.

If your target market is corporate-minded, white papers are usually deemed of more value than “reports”.

20.  About Page

This is one of your best pieces of online real estate.  While you are talking about yourself, you are doing so to build identification and rapport with your ideal visitor, so even when talking about yourself, it should really be all about her.

Use your top keywords in your About page contest.  And it’s a great spot to put a headshot, if you haven’t done so anywhere else on your site.

21.  Bonuses

Bonus downloads and perks add value to your offers, blogs and websites.  These can take any format – video, .MP3, tip sheets, reports…

And they can be created by you… or by a JV partner. (Pick the format your target customer or client would love best!)

22.  Coupons

A coupon can also add value to your offer or website.  You can make them printable, if you have a local business… or give a coupon code at checkout to sweeten an offer.

Just be sure to set a start end date (and limit the number), to keep your ROI in the black!

23.  QR Codes

Are your best paying customers avid Smartphone users?  Then put QR codes on your website, blog, business cards, flyers, merchandise – and more.

You can also set this digital bar code to take people straight to:

• A telephone call (your number)
• A text message
• Your website
• A coupon or special offer

24.  Cartoons

You don’t often see cartoons  in digital marketing – but that’s all the more reason to consider using them, if your niche members are highly visual-oriented.

25.  Statistics

Sharing statistics can be a huge draw for many business niches.  You can share them in:

• Chart format
• Graph format
• Tables
• Lists

26.  FAQ Pages

Having a list of Frequently Asked Questions on your site is a great way to please visitors – and cut down on repetitive emails.

A FAQ page is also indispensable in your Affiliate section, if you have affiliates.

27.  The Legal Stuff

If you are an affiliate marketer, you’ll know you need to provide a Disclaimer or Disclaimer Page, stating that you may receive compensation for recommendations.

Other types of “necessaries”:

• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy (this one’s a “must” too)

28.  Maps

Indispensable, if you’re a local business and want people to either visit your premises or see your range of service.

29.  Reviews

If you are recommending products, use a review template to provide consistent reviews.

Your aim should be to become a trusted resource for people in your niche, so that yours is the site they turn to first, when looking for product information.

30.  “How to” Tutorials

These can be in video, diagram, audio, graphic or written format… or a combination of any of these.  (An added bonus: “How-tos” turn your site into a resource.)

There are many more content types you can use on your website and/or social media properties – but whichever you choose, be original, unique – and tuned in to your visitors.

Tips on Tumblr and others platforms adult Blogs

I don’t know that I have any answers, but I want to share some of my experience with Tumblr and adult blogs.

We started in July 2012 and Have now more than 50 000 followers, a weekly traffic of more than 40 000 unique visits on tumblr, 20 000 visits on Blogger

So, some basics:

- I try to keep the content for a blog consistent with its title. People should be able to return to the blog and see similar content to their prior visit. So, I try to name the blog something obvious like mouthcream, and then deliver on the premise.

- I get far more likes and the reposts. This means that I have more visitors than followers. A lot of folks simply like to find sites they like and visit them. This means that you need to have new content daily. I use the queue feature and set it to post from 2 to 5 posts per day. this means that the content on your first page will change every day. So, frequent visitors will find new content, and hopefully a reward for visiting.

- I think GIFs have a great visual impact on your home page. So, I try to keep a good mix.

- I like some info on the content of a video, so I can evaluate whether or not I should spend the time looking at it. e.g., I have started posted notes on when a cumshot happens. (I think MF videos without cumshots should not be posted…. :-)

- I don’t worry too much about reblogging pics that I have already posted. Quantity is more important that quality. And when you have thousands of pics in your blog, it is almost impossible to not have duplicates. (I do really respect blogs that focus on quality, however.)

- I have used tags to index the sites. You can create new pages for your site. The format for a new page that lists only photos tagged with a specific tag is http://blogname.tumber.com/tagged/tagname. I have created collections within the blogs, and this keeps things interesting. I also think that the indexes appeal to folks that are looking for a particular type of content.

- I created new blogs, in part, because I found pictures that I liked that did not fit into the definitions of other blogs I had created.

- Some photos I post first in the newer blogs, and then repost to my more popular blogs. I try to keep this consistent with the blogs branding (or naming).

- I think it important to maintain the original poster of content, however I don’t like links embedded in posts that go to other sites. At one point, I was overwriting the original poster, deleting it and even overwriting it. This was a mistake, and I apologize, for whatever it is worth.

- I was very motivated to increase my followers in the beginning, Now, I think it is more about delivering content to the folks that are following. It is definitely time consuming, and sometimes too consuming. Sometimes I feel good when I can leave the blogs to themselves for a few days.

- One final thought. Recently, I have looked for blogs that started in 2009 and 2010, and then go to their archive to find and repost pics. These early blogs have pics that have not be reposted extensively, so I find fresh content, and I think I am rewarding the folks that started posting porn relatively early. To do this, you go to a blog’s archives, find an old photo you like that has been reposted extensively. For that photo, go to the site that originally posted the pic, then go to its archive to find older pics. If you keep doing this you can find some great pics that have not been reposted extensively (you may want to use "Gettumblrpic.exe" or "DeepVacuum" with Mac

Good Luck and happy blogging!