How to Use Meta Tags for Search Engine Optimization

Written by Herman Drost


Continued from page 1

Content-type Tag The Content-Type entity-header field indicatesrepparttar media type ofrepparttar 134545 entity-body sent torepparttar 134546 recipient. This is an optional tag.

Expires META Tag An optional tag that definesrepparttar 134547 date whenrepparttar 134548 file will be considered expired in cache and a new page will be generated. Only use when your website is running a limited time event or there is a preset date when your document will no longer be valid.

Refresh META Tag An optional tag used as a way to redirect or refresh users to another web page after X number of seconds. This META tag is often used as a "bridge" page which is accessed first by users and are then redirected to another web page.

NAME Attribute tags with a NAME attribute are used for information types that do not correspond to HTTP headers.

Common Examples ofrepparttar 134549 HTTP-NAME Attribute Keyword Tag Search Engines that support META tags will often userepparttar 134550 keywords found on your pages as a means to categorize your website based onrepparttar 134551 search engines indexing algorithms (proprietary algorithms which index your website in search engine databases).

Ensure you choose keywords that are relevant to your site. Avoid excessive repetition as many search engines will penalize your rankings for attempting to abuse their system. Search engines give priority torepparttar 134552 first few words in your description, so focus on your main keywords and then elaborate further by using synonyms or other related words.

Keyword values are usually separated by commas. The maximum keyword allowance is 1000 characters, however, it is believed that anything over 255 characters is ignored.

Description Tag Search engines that support META tags will often displayrepparttar 134553 Description META tag along with your title in their results. When creating your META tags, makerepparttar 134554 first sentence of your description field capturerepparttar 134555 attention of a user and userepparttar 134556 rest ofrepparttar 134557 description tag to elaborate further.

Keep this description to no more than 25 words (maximum allowance is 150 characters). Not all search engines recognize this tag.

Conclusion Don’t let your site be one ofrepparttar 134558 four web sites onrepparttar 134559 Web that do not have Meta Tags. Optimize it now, so you have a greater chance to be listed inrepparttar 134560 search engines. Getting listed, will bring more traffic which may mean more sales.

Herman Drost is a Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) owner and author of iSiteBuild.com Site Design and Low Cost Hosting (http://www.isitebuild.com)

Subscribe to the “Marketing Tips” newsletter for more original articles. mailto:subscribe@isitebuild.com


Choosing An Internet Merchant Account

Written by Andy Quick


Continued from page 1

On Going Fixed Fee

Most all internet merchant providers require a monthly fixed fee or "statement fee" as it is commonly named, which is simply another way to cover their costs and make money. You will be hard pressed to find a provider that does not require this type of fee on a monthly basis. However, do not choose an internet merchant account that requires more than $10 per month. Additionally, most internet merchant providers require a monthly minimum (usually $25). The bottom line is that you will be paying at least $25 per month (on top ofrepparttar monthly statement fee) for your account.

Discount Rate

Usually,repparttar 134544 discount rate will be between 2 and 4 percent. The discount rate isrepparttar 134545 sales commissionrepparttar 134546 provider earns on each sale. For example, ifrepparttar 134547 discount rate offered is 3%, and you receive a sale over your web site for $20, you will owe 60 cents to your internet merchant provider.

Fixed Transaction Fee

Usually between $0.20 and $0.30,repparttar 134548 fixed transaction fee isrepparttar 134549 fixed fee portion of each sale. Unlikerepparttar 134550 discount rate,repparttar 134551 fixed transaction fee isrepparttar 134552 same for every transaction. Whether you get a $1 sale or a $100 sale,repparttar 134553 transaction fee will berepparttar 134554 same.

Termination Fee

A bit more hidden inrepparttar 134555 small print, a termination fee can apply if you cancel your merchant account within a specified period of time (usually within one year). But beware, some merchant providers require a three year commitment!

Miscellaneous Fees

If a customer requests a refund and they want their credit card credited, an internet merchant provider will charge you a separate fee (usually between $10 - $20). Readrepparttar 134556 contract carefully, as other special fees may apply.

Putting It All Together

Now thatrepparttar 134557 different fees have been explained, let us look at an example set of transactions to help understand what an internet merchant account may cost your business on a monthly basis.

I have created a simple formula to help you calculate your monthly charges:

Total Charges = Statement Fee + Number of Transactions x (Average Sale x Discount Rate + Fixed Transaction Fee) + (Number of Chargebacks x Chargeback Fee)

For example, let us see you sell widgets overrepparttar 134558 internet. The sales price for each widget is $10. You typically have 100 sales per month and about 5 people request refunds (chargebacks). For this example, let us assume you have signed up with Jones&Jones internet merchant account services and haverepparttar 134559 following terms:

Discount Rate - %2.5 Statement Fee - $10 Fixed Transaction Fee - $0.30 Chargeback Fee - $15

Using my formula above, your monthly Jones&Jones charges will be:

Total Charges = 10 + 100 x (10 x .025 + 0.3) + (5 x 15) = $140

You can calculate your monthly sales revenue by multiplying your sales volume by your price:

Monthly Sales Revenue = 100 x $10 = $1000

Your internet merchant provider is costing you %14 or your total sales.

Making Your Decision

Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all ofrepparttar 134560 cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.

Andy Quick is co-founder of Findmyhosting.com (http://www.findmyhosting.com), a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to contact Andy at andy@findmyhosting.com in case you have any questions or comments regarding this article.


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