Search Engine Optimization for the Small Business Owner

You've worked hard to design and develop a website that will promote your products and services to the world. You've spent hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars to get your site online. But where are the visitors? I mean, you've always heard, "If you build it, they will come."

Why Aren't Customers Lining Up To buy?

That's the largest problem faced by small businesses attempting to do business on the internet. Larger companies have the resources to pay for traffic. They can advertise on the busiest sites on the net to attract potential customers. They can promote their sites through multiple channels including radio, television, and event sponsorships.

How Can a Small Business with Limited Resources Compete in This Arena?

The best way to drive traffic to your new website is through the use of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. Traffic from search engines will usually yield higher conversion rates due to its targeted nature. Individuals performing a search for a particular product or service have already demonstrated their motivation to obtain what you have to sell. You just want to be sure you're optimizing for the correct search terms and that you're following all the rules.

Liberal Use of Keywords

You may have heard that on the internet "content is king." This is because search engines can only determine the value of a site based on the textual content within the pages of that site. Search engines can't see pictures or video. (There are methods to assist them to do so, but that's beyond the scope of this article.) To rank highly in the search engines for a particular word or phrase, your selected target phrase should be used throughout the content on your site.

How Often Should You Repeat Your Keywords?

The various search engines operate slightly different in this regard, so it's a little tricky. Here are a few general recommendations to get you started on the right path:

1. Use your selected keyword or phrase near the top of the page. Search engines assume that a site that includes content that begins with a specific keyword should probably rank highly for that term.

2. Repeat your keyword or phrase within the content of your site. Again, you want to demonstrate that your site is a good resource for the selected topic. You don't want to go overboard. Search engines may think your site content is keyword spam and ban you from their listings. A general rule is to maintain a keyword density of around five percent. Keyword density is the term used to refer to the ratio of keywords to total words on a page. For example, if your content was 100 words in length, you would want to have your keyword repeated five times throughout the page. Keep in mind that many search engines can now determine word or phrase variations. To keep your site content interesting, you should probably try to use variations of your keyword. This may actually help to boost your results since your content is less likely to be considered spam.

What Are Some Other Search Engine Optimization Strategies?

Beyond the use of keywords within the content of your site, there are a few other things that must be done to rank highly in search engine results. The most important is to increase the number of sites linking into yours. Why is this important? Search engines assume that a site with a higher number of links into it will likely include content of interest to their users.

There several methods for increasing the number of links into your site:

1. You can locate and join forums that are relevant to the content of your site. These forums will usually allow you to sign your entries with your name and website address. This will be counted as a link into your site. Be careful to read the rules of each forum before posting because they are often different. Also be sure to make your postings relevant to the discussion of the forum. Don't sacrifice your online reputation by becoming known for spamming forums. Using this method correctly can actually position you to be viewed as an expert in your chosen field.

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