This is the first of a three part series on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), it’s by no means a comprehensive guide but if you follow the guide you’ll be getting your website off to a good start.

Keywords

Before you start designing or tweaking your site for search engines it is essential to determine what the keywords are that you wish to target. They must be relevant; it’s pointless coming top for “motor car” if you sell fine china. Equally it is highly unlikely that you’ll achieve a high ranking for very popular general keywords such as “computer” or “Internet”.

Don’t be Vague

Pick keywords that are specific, there is no point trying to get the highest possible ranking for a vague word such as ‘first’. It’s unlikely you will succeed and, even if you do, will your target audience really use it when looking for you?

Be You

Avoid the use of competitors’ names, their products or trademarks where possible as there are legal implications. If you do wish to use their name do so only in the body of the page where it is visible, and be careful to make it clear you are not them. I would strongly advise taking professional legal advice before using a competitors name or trademark.

Ask The Customer

If you have an established customer base it might be worth asking your current customers what they would look for. Consider the category you picked for your listing in directories such as the Yellow Pages, but remember the Internet, and search engines are global, so if you only wish to target a local or regional audience you might wish to include keywords relating to your region. Different cultures may also use different phrases or words, for example the Americans refer to football as soccer and use football to refer to a different sport.

Short Phrases Work Better Than Single Words

Unless your business focuses on a very niche market it is unlikely that one word will stand out and allow you to seek a high ranking in the search engines. It’s best, instead, to focus on a short, two – to four-word phrase. It will help if this phrase is something you can use as the title of any links into your site, as how other sites link to you is very important. The days of ‘click here’ are over and search engines look to inward links to reinforce your keywords. So if you can pick a phrase that allows others to naturally link to you, you help them and yourself.

Research Related Keywords And Traffic Levels

Before settling on a set of keywords to target it’s worth making sure that people are actually searching for those keywords. You can get an idea for the level of traffic for each keyword using tools such as Good Keywords.

Keyword Checklist

Remember your keywords should:

• Be relevant to your site.
• Be unique. Don’t target unrealistic, popular or vague words such as ‘Internet’ or ‘first’.
• Use competitors’ names, or names of their products with care – make sure you stay within the law.
• If necessary, target a keyword relating to your region. You have more chance of getting the number one spot for ‘bone china in Bath’, than ‘bone china’ and if you only aim to sell locally you’re not restricting your audience. This would work equally well on a regional or national basis.
• Focus on two- to four-word phrases, known as the “long tail”.
• Research your keywords.

The other articles in this series are:

• Part Two – On Page Factors
• Part Three – Off Page Factors

This post is part of my Internet business opportunities series.

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