Continued from page 1
Now that you’re seeing all their dirty laundry, you’re going to look for their Meta Tags, which will be at
top of
code.
Meta Tags are
code in
HTML that visitors don’t see but search engines do. They used to be
main way to get listed, but search engines have gotten smarter since abusers were loading up their tags with irrelevant keywords. They aren’t nearly as important as they used to be, but
Title and Description tags are still vital. Many search engines use
title for
listing and
description for, well,
description. If your tags are relevant to your content, they don’t hurt and do help with some.
Find
tags for Title, Description, and Keywords. Simply look for “title”, “description” and “keyword” at
top of
source code.
1. The title uses
main keywords potential customers use to find sites. For example, TheLocalTourist’s home page title is “Downtown Chicago Restaurants, Bars and Nightclubs, Shopping, Events, Things To Do”. This title highlights
areas of
site where I want to receive search engine rankings based on
number of searches on those terms.
2. The description is where sites give their metaphorical “sound-byte”. The trick is to pick keywords and write a compelling, succinct description without sounding like you’re trying to use all your keywords. Gee, it sounds so easy.
3. The keyword meta tag is simply a listing, separated by commas, of all
keywords people would use to find a site. They should be different for each page because
content is different. ONLY use keywords that represent your content. Don’t go crazy and don’t use
same ones too many times.
Copy their tags and place them in
appropriate rows in your spreadsheet.
Now go back to
page itself and read through it. Take note of how they use their keywords in their content. It’s a good idea to print each one.
Finally, gather your spreadsheets and your competitor’s site print-outs and pull
keywords and descriptions that reflect your site’s content. Analyze how they present their information.
This process is time consuming, but it forces you to take a look at your competition. It also, of course, makes sure your site is search engine friendly and therefore potential-visitor friendly.
Step By Step Optimization
Now it’s time to really get down to business.
Change your file names to include
most relevant keywords for each page. You can’t do that with
home page since it has to be something like “index”, but you can name
other pages on
site with
relevant keyword for each page. Believe it or not, it does make a difference. Pick one or two so
file name isn’t too long.
Write a title (not a meta tag, a real title) for each page as close to
top of
page as possible using
best keywords to describe
content. Format it as Header 1. (Most HTML editors have an easy way to format text without going into
code if you’re unfamiliar with HTML.) You’re putting it at
top of
page because search engines read like we do: left to right, top to bottom. This placement and
header formatting is a flag stating that “This is what
page is about”.
Within
content of each page, include a blurb that uses as many keywords as possible without being annoying or redundant. Make your keywords bold, but only once. A good, brief example is
Things to Do page http://www.thelocaltourist.com/ThingsToDo.htm. This is one of
most frequently visited pages on The Local Tourist from search engines.
Make sure every picture has an “alt tag” (alternate). That’s
text that shows up while
picture is loading. Search engines can’t “read” pictures, so
alt tags show them what
picture is about. On most HTML editors you add
alt tag in picture properties.
Use your hard-earned knowledge from spying to create your own meta tags. Tailor your competitors’ usage for your own site. (Learning how to implement meta tags is beyond
scope of this article, but you can do a web search for “meta tag tutorial” to find plenty of help.)
Ta da! You now have a website that’s ready to be submitted to
search engines. It's a good idea to check your rankings on a regular basis and track them with your spreadsheets. Remember, this is not an instant process. The absolute best way to get impressive rankings is to have a content-rich quality site that addresses your target market’s needs.

Theresa Carter is the creator, publisher, and search engine optimizer of The Local Tourist, a free online guide to downtown Chicago. Find restaurants, bars, spas, salons, events, attractions, shopping, media, transportation, articles about Chicago and more. ttp://www.thelocaltourist.com