Notes From the Desk

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the tweaking of your web site that takes it from being listed as #350 on a google search to the top 20. What is the point of having a web site if no one can find it? Search engines like google.com and yahoo.com are always changing how they rank web sites, so you must constantly be working on your web site to bring it closer to the top of the list. Follow these 5 tips to help improve your ranking.

1. Create a standard Site Map and XML sitemap: For those that don’t know, a site map¹ is a page in your web site that lists every page of your web site in a single location. You may ask yourself “Doesn’t my navigation² already do that for me?” Well, not really. For the most part navigation only shows the top landing pages. There could be many other pages inside each of the landing pages. While a spider³ will find those pages eventually, a sitemap is faster and you can guarantee a spider finds every page by using a sitemap, while it may not with just a navigation. Also, if your navigation utilizes flash or java script it is highly likely a search engine spider cannot follow the links in the navigation. I recommend everyone have both a standard HTML sitemap⁴ and a XML sitemap⁵. This covers all your bases. While a search engine like google prefers the XML sitemap, you still leave the possibility of another using the HTML sitemap if need be.
2. Add your web site to relevant directories: For good search engine rankings you have to have inbound links⁶ to your web site, and a good way to start getting those is by submitting your site to relevant directories on the web. Submitting your site to dmoz.org or paying to submit your site to http://dir.yahoo.com creates that inbound link to your site. Don’t go crazy with this and paste your site in any directory or forum out there. If a search engine spider thinks your site isn’t posted in a relevant spot of a directory or forum you could get black listed, which just sets your site back months or years in SEO rankings.
3. Create a unique title for each page: Often each page in a web site has the same title or no title at all. When a search engine lists a page of your site in the search results, it lists the page title with each entry. You don’t want your pages to come up Untitled or with a generic title that doesn’t answer the searchers’ questions. Give each page a unique descriptive title so the searcher knows instantly what they are getting.
4. Add your business to google maps: People frequently use search engines like their local yellow pages. They often do searches like “Cincinnati Hair Salon” or “Sporting Goods Ohio”. When a search is entered in this fashion google will show local results at the top of the page.  To get your business to pop up here create a google account and then add your location to google maps.
5. Let your web site marinate: While you should always be updating and working on your site, there is a limit. Remember it takes at least a month if not longer (up to 3 months) for your site to get indexed by search engines. Tweaking your text every day can be a waste of time. What you need to do is work smarter, not harder. Review your changes before they are made and implement them in bunches. Don’t chicken peck text changes or you won’t see the full results of your work.

¹ Sitemap: Apage within your web site that has a complete list of links to all pages in your web site

² Navigation: The main group of links at the top or to the left of a web site.

³ Spider: A program used by search engines to read the contents of your web site. And they follow the links on web pages to get to the next web page in your site.

⁴ HTML Sitemap: Is the same as an XML sitemap except it is created in the standard web code and is visually friendly for visitors to view on web sites

⁵ XML Sitemap (Extensible Markup Language): Code that allows web site developers to create custom code that displays the sitemap in clean and simple code for Search Engines to understand.

⁶ Inbound Links: Links from other web sites to your web site.

Employer’s Choice Plus (ECP) of Westchester, OH launched their new web site using a design created by Cow Dog Design LLC. The new design was developed for ECP’s marketing company Justice & Young.

ECP is a strategic business partner that allows you to focus on what’s most important to you and your business. ECP consultants can help you achieve substantial cost savings while improving benefits and reducing employer risk.