Smart Web Page Optimization

Smart web page optimization is about optimizing each of your web pages individually for getting the best page ranking possible.

There are actually two basic web page optimization strategies for optimizing your web pages.

The first is on-page optimization which refers to the elements of your web page that you can optimize yourself. The other is off-page optimization which refers to inbound links and how others link to you.

Here’s how to make the best use of both of them…

Web Page Optimization Using On Page Linking Strategies

Each page of your web site should have its own descriptive title tag, description tag and keywords. The keywords tag is seldom used anymore; however each page should be optimized for a maximum of 3 keywords or key phrases, preferably sticking to only one or two keywords per page.

- Find your BEST keyword or Keyword Phrases

All good web page optimization starts with using your best keywords. To find your best keywords, use a quality keyword tool, I like Wordtracker but any quality tool will work.

Start with researching the keywords that best describes the page of your site you are optimizing. Don’t really worry too much about the KEI (keyword index), simply look for the keywords that accurately describe what your page is about and have at least have a daily search count of 100 or more.

For example, using a key phrase like ‘running shoes’ has a daily count of 652 which is quite good, however the key phrase ‘running shoes for big women’ has a smaller daily count but it is much more descriptive and niche focused. You may get fewer visitors using that key phrase but the information on that page is more likely to give the viewer what they are looking for and therefore more apt to produce a sale. Do you see the difference?

- Your Title Tag

The Title tag of your web page is how the search engines know what your page is about, so the title tag should clearly and accurately describe your page. If it does not describe what your page is truly about, the search engines won’t like it.

I also find it very helpful to include a ‘benefit’ in your title tag. Is there a benefit that your page is demonstrating? If there is, include it in your title. And of course be sure your title tag contains your best keyword or keyword phrase.

- Use header tags (h1, h2…)

Search engines look for structure and organization so within the body of your web page use header tags to structure your content. Header tags look like this: <h1> header information </h1> , <h2> header information </h2>

Using header tags indicates good outline form which the search engines like.

- Make your keyword or keyword phrase stand out.

At least once within your web page, italicize, bold and underline your keyword or key phrase.

- Use keyword alt tags

The search engines can’t read or index images so in order to describe an image used on your page you must use ‘alt’ tags so the search engines will recognize them.

Be sure not to stuff your alt tags with useless information or more than one keyword. Use your best keyword or keyword phrase only once.

Here’s an example of how to use an alt tag for your graphic.

- Include “Quality” content

Use informative, unique, quality content on each page and keep your content fresh and updated. This is why blogs work so well. They allow you to easily add content on a daily basis, but what’s even better is they allow your viewers to add their content as well, keeping your site content rich and unique.

- Use your best keywords within your content

Use your main keyword or keyword phrase in the first paragraph of your page, then use it again in the last paragraph and sprinkle it only once or possibly twice within the page. The use of your keywords has to make sense. Don’t compromise the quality of your content for squeezing in keywords that sound ridiculous.

To help avoid over-using your keywords, use keyword forms, for instance, if your best key phrase is “women’s running shoes” use phrases within your text like run, runners, shoe, athletic footwear, ladies, woman.

- Cross link each of your site pages

The best way to cross link pages is by placing a navigation bar on each and every page. Be sure the title of each page contains what the page is about. For example, if a page is about “jewelry beads,” the page name should be:

“jewery-beads.html”

“jewelry_beads.html”

and all the text links to that page should be named ‘jewelry beads’.

Here’s an example of how to set up text links:

<a href=”http://www.yoursite.com/jewelry-beads.html”>jewelry beads</a>

<a href=”http://www.yoursite.com/jewelrybeads.html”>jewelry beads</a>

- Create a site map

Site maps act like a table of contents. They help search engines (and people too) find, crawl and index all the pages in a website ensuring that no page is left behind. Your site map should be accessible on each page of your website.

Web Page Optimization Using Off Page Linking Strategies

Linking plays a huge part in the optimization of your site, so don’t just link to any site. You should adopt a methodology in obtaining useful, quality links. Here are a few tips:

- Keep your links relevant

Some expert argue that linking to relevant sites isn’t necessary.

Here’s my thinking — A link to my site from a high ranking site no matter what the topic, brings me link juice as far as the search engines go, which is good. However, obtaining links from highly relevant sites has the ability to bring me targeted visitors.

Getting a front page link from Walmart to my internet marketing site may help my search engine ranking but would anyone click on my link from the Walmart site? Probably not.

On the other hand, my link on a relevant, popular internet marketing site would bring visitors that are interested in internet marketing. That’s always a much better strategy.

- Keep Links Gradual

Links should be slow and gradual. A sudden burst of links appearing on lots of web pages all at once raises a red flag to the search engines. The slow approach is much more natural to the search engines and it’s what they prefer.

- Link to pages with higher page rank

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t link to pages with a low page rank, however the higher the page rank of a page your the better it is for you.

- Pay Attention to Page Title When Linking

The title of the page your link is on should be something other than ‘links.html’. Make sure the page title has relevance to your site.

You can do this by asking the individual you are exchanging links with to name their links pages accordingly. If that’s not possible, then find sites that do name their links pages.

- Use Good Anchor text

When exchanging links, or using article exchanges, be sure to submit your best keywords in the anchor text within your link exchange. Here’s an HTML example of what to submit when exchanging links:

<a href=”http://www.yoursite.com” target=”_new”>Your Best Keyword phrase</a> – Description of your website including your keyword phrase once again.

When using articles, include a compelling resource box that also includes the following:

<a href=”http://www.yoursite.com/”> Your Best keyword phrase </a> Your site description.

Create Smart Web Page Optimization with Quality Website builders

Use site builders that incorporate features that make use of the above suggestions.

Site builders like Xsitepro or Site Build It! effectively use on-site and off-site web page optimization as well as additional search engine optimization techniques that boost your site’s ranking.

If you’ll be creating a blog, the web 2.0 technology that WordPress uses covers all the web page optimization bases.

In fact most WordPress blogs get high marks for ranking well in the search engines because they make both on-page and off-page optimization so much easier.

Tagged as: web page optimization