When creating your title and description tag, pretend that you're creating a classified ad. That's basically what you're doing. You title tag is your headline. You want to gain your viewer's attention as he's scanning page and interest him to read further. Your description should make him feel that he has something to gain from visiting your site.

Your description tag looks like this:

In your keyword tag, you want to list your main keywords people will use to find your page. Since some search engines are case sensitive, you might also want add your keywords in caps and maybe even some spelling mistakes some people might make when searching for your site.

Here is what your keyword tag will look like:

It is disputable whether it's better to separate your keywords with commas or to just leave a space between words.

Although meta tags help position your page, they won't determine success or failure of a top 20 ranking. Some search engines don't even support meta tags. That's why it's important to use your keywords in certain areas of your page.

It usually helps to have a keyword place in a heading tag at top of page. You also want to use your keywords in first few lines of first paragraph. A good amount of weight is usually placed here in determining your ranking. These first few lines are usually what are displayed as your description, so you also want to compel reader to stay at your site.

The determinations of search engine rankings are constantly changing. Since algorithms are hard figure out, software is usually helpful. The three biggest I know of are "Web Position," "Position Agent" and "GRKda GRSoftware Keyword Density Analyzer."

Since this article only focused on meta tags, here are some sites that will give you more detailed information on search engine placement:

http://www.bruceclay.com/web_rank.htm http://searchenginewatch.internet.com/webmasters/rank.html

You may also want to seek help from some experts. Here are a couple of cool search engine forums:

http://www.seektronic.com/forum/board.cgi? http://www.marketposition.com/

Make sure you write down *every* keyword and/or phrase your spouse uses. Also pay close attention to web sites she/he clicks on from search results. This will give you an outside look at how majority of your customers are going to find you.

After your spouse clicks on one of search results that she/he is interested in, ask them "Why?" What was it about that particular site that interested her/him? Take notes; this is good stuff!

Note: Of course not everyone is selling information on how to make money online. Some of you may be selling crafts that you made yourself, vitamins or weight loss products, long distance service, etc. No matter what your site wants from its visitors, you can still do this exercise. Just be sure that your spouse only has a vague idea of what she/he is searching for.

The next step in this exercise is to have your spouse conduct their searches again, only this time they should have a really good idea of exactly what it is they are looking for. Tell them to be specific in their searches.

Again, write down keywords and/or phrases they use, what sites they visit from results and why.

Be sure to also write down URL of web sites they visit. (This is your competition!) Next week, we are going to do a little undercover work. You will become ultimate internet spy!

Note: The reason I say to use your spouse or friends for this exercise, is that we, as marketers, tend to get so close to what we're doing, that it's hard to get back, outside box, as newbies. We know what it is our product does, and how it does it, but our customers don't! We need to get inside their heads and discover *their* idea of our product. This is easiest way to do that.

***Attention, MRI subscribers!***

If your spouse isn't available for this exercise, try using Keyword Finding Tools listed in "Search Engine Tools" category at Click here Spend some time with last resource listed and you'll have your keyword list in no time!

***Attention, Non-MRI subscribers!***

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