Construction dairy

* Do create keyword-rich content for the existing pages of your site.
* Do submit to directories such as Yahoo! and DMOZ.
* Do seek out relevant high-quality links.
* Do pay for inclusion in the spidering search engines if you're looking for fast results, and/or have ever-changing content.

Keyword Prominence
The best place to place keywords in the text is at the top of each page, preferably the main page. The closer your keywords are to the start of the page or the start of a sentence, the better. This concept is known as "keyword prominence." You'll frequently see it used to describe search engines' algorithms.
Some engines also say the bottom of the page should contain keywords as well.
Beware! Search engines view pages differently than people do. Here's an example:
You may think you did pretty well by placing the keyword "widgets" at the top of your page. A search engine, however, sees your page this way:
Home About Us Products At Widgets International, our business is selling widgets
Now your keyword placement doesn't look as good as it did before. Try to place keyword-rich text at the very top of your page. If you are using images at the top of your page, make sure to include ALT tags.
Keyword Proximity
Some engines, such as Google, use the concept of "keyword proximity" as part of their ranking formulas. As suggested by the name, "keyword proximity" means the how close keywords are to each other. Put your keywords as close together as possible and make sure your sentences are clear.
Here's an example:
Smith Brothers Inc has been selling puppy food for over 50 years.
Smith Brothers Inc has been selling food for your puppies for over 50 years.
The two keywords used are "puppy" and "food." If a user searches for "puppy food," the first sentence will rank higher because its keywords are closer to each other.
Keyword Density
This concept, also known as keyword weight, measures the relationship of keywords to other text. The higher the percentage of keywords in relationship to other text, the better.
Here's an example of how it's measured. Let's assume the keyword phrase is "puppy food."
Puppy food is our primary business.
Since "is", "our," and other stop words are usually not counted, there are three "words" in the sentence: "puppy food," "primary," and "business." "Puppy food" makes 1/3 of the sentence, or 33%.
Keyword density is almost never this high. The recommended density is 3-7%. This means that your keyword should repeat 3-7 times for every 100 words.

Sound easy? Imagine having 10 keywords and trying to repeat each one 3-7 times per 100 words of text -- it's practically impossible. Instead, pick two or three of your most important keywords and try to use them 3-7 times for every 100 words.
Keyword Frequency
Keyword frequency is a measure of the number of times keywords occur within a page's text. It's tied to the concept of keyword density. Search engines want to see more than one repetition of a keyword in your text to make sure it's not an isolated case. The recommended repetition is 3-7 times.
Avoid spam
Don't be tempted to use tiny or invisible text to put keywords at the beginning of your pages. Search engines define this behavior as spam and can reject your site for it.
Always add ALT tags to your images to make sure search engines recognize all the content on your site. ALT tags filled with keywords can also be used to boost your keyword frequency and help you achieve better rankings. not repeating keywords more than 3-7 times.
What are "themes"?
A theme is defined by search engines as a common topic throughout the site. In an effort to provide their users with more relevant information, search engines developed sophisticated technology that "extracts" site's themes. This technology allows results to be more focused on the topic searched for. Hint: Think of themes as your most important keywords used consistently throughout the site..
Importance of "themes"
Themes technology is quite complex. It's used by some of the major search engines when indexing and ranking sites. Currently, Altavista, Lycos and Google use themes as part of their formulas. Inktomi powered search engines, such as AOL, Hotbot, and MSN , also use themes.
Avoid the use of spam
When trying to convince search engines of a theme on your site, avoid repeating keywords more than 3-7 times in the title or meta tags. In the text, 3-7% of all words should be keywords.
Link From Outside
When you send another webmaster a link request or reciprocal linking offer, let him know what you would like your link to say. We suggest including a piece of HTML code in your e-mail such as the following:

<a href="http://www.yoursite.com">Your Keywords</a>
Search engine partnerships

The following techniques are usually considered spam:

• Meta refresh tags
• Invisible text and overuse of tiny text
• Irrelevant keywords in the title and meta tags
• Excessive repetition of keywords
• Overuse of mirror sites (same sites that point to different URLs)
• Submitting too many pages in one day
• Identical or nearly identical pages
• Submitting to an inappropriate category (for directories)
• Link farms

Here's a list of files that search engines don't index:

• Text in graphics (use ALT tags)
• Pages that require registration, cookies or passwords
• XML
• Java applets
• Acrobat files (PDF), except Google
• Dynamic content (URLs with "?" in them), except Google, Altavista, FAST and Inktomi
• Multimedia files (Flash, Shockwave, streaming video)

Analyze link popularity
Find out how many links your competition has by running a link popularity check at linkpopularity.com. Identify your weak areas and refocus your search engine placement efforts.

 

Final Checklist

My pages are ready!
You've been hard at work optimizing your pages. Use this checklist to see if you've forgotten anything:

• HTML Title  
  Your title contains properly placed keywords
• Meta tags
  You use the meta description and keyword tags on every page
• Keyword prominence, density, proximity, frequency
  You use your keywords correctly within your pages
• Keywords in the URL or file names
  You name your files with keywords
• ALT tags
  You've got a way for search engines to recognize what's in your images
• Link popularity
  You've addressed this increasingly important ranking factor
• Themes
  You've given your pages a consistent theme
• Design
  You've made your site fast, pleasant, clean and easy to navigate
• No spam or frames
  You've avoided tactics that search engines frown upon

Site submission information:

Search Engine	Maximum pages allowed per day (for deep submission)	Time required for indexing (search engines' estimates)	Time required for indexing (our estimates)	Additional information
AltaVista	5	28 days	1 month	Pages that weren't submitted will take longer to get indexed.
Google	5	Not mentioned	3-4 weeks
Hotbot	50	3-7 weeks	3-8 weeks	Consider Inktomi's paid inclusion program, found at http://www.positiontech.com
Lycos	no limit*	Not mentioned	3-6 weeks	Submit to Fast at http://www.alltheweb.com, search provider or use the paid program

Joi's Marketing Tips

1. Learn how search engines and directories work and get listed. Of course we think this is the most important marketing tip of all. That's why we created Searchengines.com. Stay up to date on search engine information and do what you can for a better ranking. This is how people find your site, so it's critical.
2. Write a targeted Press Release. Send press releases to editors/writers and publications that are likely to be interested in your pitch. Write a newsworthy article, not an advertisement. Tailor your material for different audiences and increase your chances of publication. Above all, be short and to the point, and avoid factual, spelling or grammatical errors.
3. Use your website as a 24 hour image machine. Make sure that your site's content puts forth the image you want to present. A nicely designed website with useful, informative content is a great promotional ambassador.
4. Keep your domain name simple. Try to use a short domain name that relates to the site's purpose. Make it memorable and unique… after all… there are a lot of sites out there.
5. Stay fresh. You don't have to update by the second but you should refresh your site's content as often as possible. Updating shows customers you are on top of things and helps your business appear current.
6. Network to boost your site traffic. Ask other webmasters to link to you. This will help your search engine rankings and create a strong company image as well as some traffic. Send emails only to webmasters with related content and personalize the message. If it appears that you are sending mass emails to random sites, this will be considered spam. You may need to offer a reciprocal link. Make sure the websites linking to you represent your company's ethics. You don't want to be associated with a site containing objectionable material. Don't forget to find out who's linking to your competition.
7. Put your URL everywhere. Use your usual (and maybe some unusual) methods of communication including stationary, business cards, invoices, faxes, etc.
8. Register variations of your domain name. Try to register common misspellllings of your domain as well as other top level domain extensions such as: .net. You may also want to register your domain for using national top level domains such as .co.uk.
9. Show your good side. Find out if your company donates money to a charity or participates in volunteer services. Involvement with education or the environment is an example. If so, describe this on your site. Don't make anything up.
10. Always respect your customers. It pays off, whether you're doing marketing research or responding to a complaint. Honest and clear communication builds a strong reputation and good customer retention.
11. Nominate your website for web awards today! It doesn't have to be a big name website. If you win, (or even if you win 'runner-up,') post the news on your website. Aside from the promotion, chances are you'll gain an external link from the site that awarded you. Kill two birds with one stone; increase web traffic and gain recognition for your outstanding website!
12. Talk to people in their native language. When you are deciding whether or not to make your site multilingual, first consider who your audience is.
13. Logos and Slogans. They aren't set it stone but make some good ones the first time. Spend a lot of time on both, and if you can afford professional advice, it's not a bad idea. In general, your logo and slogan should be on every page of your site. Consistency is everything.
14. Email market but don't lose your good name. Send emails only to those that opt-in.
15. E-newsletters benefit you and the customer if they are done right. Keep it short and sweet. Send the newsletters at consistent increments and make your material easy to understand. Try to make it viral by asking recipients to invite others to sign up.
16. Have a little fun with a contest or game. Simple is best. Whether you choose company trivia or host a writing contest, make sure you set guidelines and post them on your site. Contests give customers another reason to return to your site.
17. Make your error messages less scary. If possible (depending on your web host,) change 'file not found' messages to a friendly response that re-directs visitors to your home page.
18. Email services are free advertising among other things. Not only can you attach your extension to customer email addresses (such as Matt @searchengines.com) but you also give customers another reason to come back to your site to check their email.
19. Everyone needs their privacy. At a time when online security is the main concern, show customers you care. Privacy statements let customers know what happens to the personal information they give to you. Make your privacy statement clear and concise, and then offer contact information should any confusion or disagreements arise. Employees should be made aware of the information in your company's privacy statement.
20. Frequently Asked Questions don't have to be a nuisance. Creating an FAQ section will save you time and energy and give your web users a quick response.
21. Register freebies at a "Free stuff" site. Look around on the Net for sites that promote free stuff. Contact these sites and offer some of your own promotional goodies.
22. Use a signature in emails and newsgroups: Include your name and contact information. This will reinforce your company identity. It should be between four to six lines and provide basic information and your company's primary focus.
23. Write right. Clear and concise writing is paramount to effective communication in your web content, press releases and newsletters. If needed…get help.

To stay or not to stay?
Your site's design plays a major in role in the user's decision to either stick around or continue surfing. Graphics, layout, load time, fonts and ease of navigation can all influence the user. To craft a site that retains visitors, make it fast, clean and pleasant.
Aside from attracting and retaining visitors, your site's design is critical for search engine positioning. Directories, such as Yahoo!, will review your site before accepting it. Directory editors look for sites with good design to add to their indices.
Design is also important to DirectHit, currently owned and incorporated into Ask Jeeves and Teoma. DirectHit measures how many people click on your site and how long they stay. If your site is clean, easy to navigate, fast and pleasant, visitors will stay longer and your site will score higher. DirectHit technology is used by search engines such as Lycos, Hotbot and MSN.
The Golden Rule of site design - let your visitors do it!
Your visitors should dictate your site's design! Cater to their needs with every part of your site.
You can find out more about your users with a web traffic monitoring service. Web hosting companies often offer these as part of their packages, and they're a must. Sign up for an outsourced service or purchase the software if it's not a part of your web hosting plan. It will be useful in marketing, advertising, search engine placement and design.
Here are some factors to consider when modifying your site to better meet users' needs. You can gather all the following information using web traffic monitoring.

1. Connection speed
   Don't use a fancy Flash intro and heavy graphics if most of your visitors have 28.8 modems. Opt for simpler pages that your visitors will be able to read sooner.
2. Browser compatibility
   Although browser technology is improving, some problems still exist. Netscape, for example, does not completely support cascading style sheets (CSS). If most of your visitors use this browser, don't use CSS for your site unless you're prepared to create different versions of your site for each browser and the code to detect them. Always check how your pages look in different browsers. Check out AnyBrowser.com for necessary tools.

Avoid common mistakes

1. Spell well
   Although search engines don't penalize for spelling or syntax errors, someone who finds a spelling mistake on your site may view it as unprofessional. Many people believe such mistakes indicate a lack of cultural authority and credibility. Run a spell check on every page before publishing.
2. Don't use "construction" areas
   Any editor from a directory such as Yahoo! or ODP will tell you that a site using "This page is under construction" messages won't be listed. Visitors don't enjoy "construction" areas either. Don't submit to directories until you have your whole site up.