Make your title enticing to eye:

Although this point does not make a lot of difference to search engines it can help to get people to click on your link in search results.

Which is easier on eye?

1. XYZ COMPUTER HARDWARE 2. XYZ CoMpUtEr HaRdWaRe 3. XYZ Computer Hardware

I imagine that most people would say that (3) is most pleasing. (1) and (2) are harder to read because of improper captilization. In (1) you see that using all capitals detracts importance of any words you actually want to draw attention to and also some search engines may penalise this practice. (2) is simply a nightmare to read.

Try to keep title tags as unique as possible:

As each page on your site should be unique so should your title tags. Not only do unique title tags make site more descriptive and navigable to a person they help search engines answer queries more accurately and allow more penetration of your site's pages in their databases.

Common title tags mistakes:

* Do not leave your title tag blank, ever!

* Do not use 'Untitled' or default text in your title tag. If you are using a web page editing application it may place some default text in title tag. Make sure you always check your title to make sure this doesn't happen.

* Do not write title tags that are not relevant to content on page. Search engines compare text in title tag against actual textual content on your page to rate relevancy. If two are not related this will decrease your ranking. Also it is annoying to a person who visits your page when title tag they saw going into your page does not relate to content on page. This will ensure that this person leaves your site and maybe never comes back.

* Do not stuff your title tag with repeating keyword phrases. This may be looked upon by search engines as spamming and they may penalise your ranking.

Summary:

Ignoring title tags is definitely a mistake if you aim to achieve high rankings. Although it takes a lot more than title tag to propel you to top of search engines it can be very effective in making a search engine more secure that your site's content is more relevant than a competitor's.

JoeAnt http://www.joeant.com JoeAnt is a directory that is growing in popularity.

Gimpsy http://www.gimpsy.com Operates differently to other directories. Web sites are organized according to question asked.

Information needed to submit to directories:

When submitting a link to a directory you will more than likely be asked to provide following information about your web site:

* URL * Title * Description * Keywords that describe it

One thing I recommend that you do before submitting is to prepare this information in advance and to use same information when submitting to all directories. As much as possible place keyphrases that describe your web site into Title text and Description text you submit, especially into Title text (this is known as anchor text optimization).

When a directory asks you to provide keywords that describe your web site it uses these keywords to locate your site when someone performs a search within directory. So for example if I submit keyword 'lawn' I have a better of chance of being listed in directory's search results when someone searches within it using keyword 'lawn'. However focus more on writing keyphrase-rich Title and Description entries than Keywords when submitting.

Tips when submitting to directories:

* Submit your link to most appropriate category Every directory will tell you this as it makes their job easier when it comes around to listing your link. This point should be stressed though as it not only makes directory editor's job a little easier therefore speeding up your listing, but also search engines will look at other links that surround you on page you are listed on and if they are of a similar theme to your own this can boost your rankings.

* Be patient One point to remember about directories that provide a free listing, be patient. If you are not paying to be in directory then your link listing has a lower priority than paid listings. It can take several months to get into some directories so it can be frustrating. The best thing to do when you submit is to put it out of your mind.

* Keep a log One of most useful things to do upon submitting to a directory is to write name of directory and date of submission into a log of some sort (try an Excel sheet). This prevents you from submitting to a directory more than once (keeping editors happy) and gives you satisfaction that you are getting something done. When your link gets listed in directory mark it off in your log. Job well done!

Summary:

Submitting your link to directories is an excellent way to build your web site's link popularity and improve search engine rankings. There are many directories out there, ranging from general to specific, each with their own link submission processes. Prepare keyphrase-rich text that accurately describes your web site to submit to directories. Choose most appropriate category for your web site before submitting.

Submitting to directories requires a little effort and a lot of patience. Your search engine rankings will thank you for extra effort.