Here I have listed seven really useful tips which are excerpts of articles written by Ross Dunn.
1. Spot Check for Spam
Before optimization begins it is crucial that your page is devoid of any 'tricks' that a search engine may construe as spam. You may not even know they are there! Some web designers with out-of-date information add hidden text because they think it will help your rankings. This is entirely untrue and can cause extreme problems for your search engine visibility. To check for hidden text just press Ctrl + A or hold down the left button on your mouse at the very top of your page and drag it down to the bottom. If there is any hidden text (normally text that matches the color of your page background) it will appear as it is highlighted. Second, you will want to search for unnecessary repetition of keywords on your page. Do you see instances of 5 or 6 keywords being repeated in a row anywhere on the page? If so, remove this.
There are other forms of spam that you should be aware of that are not covered within this article. For more information, see our resource article: " Check your site for Spam".
2. Polish & Optimize Text
The text on your home page is crucial to maintaining the attention of fresh viewers. In fact, copy is so important that many companies prefer to have a professional copy writer create the content. Since this is not an option for many, you have to keep your text engaging as well as smartly optimized to present an obvious topic to the visiting search engine spiders or visitors. To do this, keep your mind focused on the keyword(s) that you have chosen to target on the search engines while you write the content for the page. Implement the keywords within the text without sacrificing the true intent of the information - to engage and retain your viewers.
Important Note: Often the first 25-30 words of your home page are what each search engine will use for the description of your web site. Try to utilize your target keyword(s) within this area but be certain the resulting sentence is legible and descriptive.
3. Optimize the Title
The title of the home page can be optimized quite simply by placing the keyword or keyword phrase that you have chosen to target first and then finish with the name of your company or web site. For example:
" BMW Car Sales - MyBMW.com"
The search engines place a great deal of weight in the title of your home page and the keywords within your title will likely be chosen as the title of your listing on the search engines. The title also plays a huge role in the relevance of your site. The topic denoted within your title will be compared to the content within the body of the page, if the topic and content match, you will have a much better chance of obtaining higher targeted placements.
4. META Tags
Save yourself the time of creating a Keyword META Tag; they are mainly ignored by search engines today. The fact is that the Keyword META Tag was abused too heavily by Spammers and have little or no effect due to their suspect nature. The Description Tag, however, is just as important as ever and should be carefully crafted for each webpage.
For some META command please see the article SEO: Meta Commands for SE spiders
5. Navigation. Provide Clear Paths
Is the navigation within your site entirely graphical or programming oriented? In this case I recommend that you create a textual link menu at the bottom of your page. For added punch (and this is a big hit) you should make each link count by using the keyword/phrase that best describes the target page. For example:
BMW Accessories | Used BMW for Sale | More About MyBMW.com
versus these less powerful links:
Accessories | Used Cars | About Us
6. Test and Spell-Check
Before you upload your site I recommend the following course of action;Establish a Baseline: Do you have traffic reporting for your website? (most do) If so, I highly recommend taking a snapshot of your latest traffic and visitor behavior statistics to provide yourself a baseline; after all, you won't know just how successful your promotions have been without something to compare them to. See for yourself whether your visitors have prolonged their visit or is it worsening.
Preview the page and spell check it then once you are certain everything is properly balanced, upload it to your server.
7. Hurry Up and Wait
Paid submission to search engines has largely gone the way of the Dodo Bird these past few years. In our experience, the best way to get your site listed is to publish an article or press release and have it syndicated by a press release dissemination service such as PRWeb.com. By submitting your website you will get some instant traffic and likely some free backlinks which will earn your website a visit from many of the more worthy search engine spiders.
well thought out and easily understood thanks for not mucking up the basics like some do
Nice tips, thanks!