SEO Is As Easy As 1-2-3

There are SEO Gurus that will disagree. It’s a lot more fun to tell everyone how smart we all are and how only we can get you ranking better in the search engines and improve your sales. And a little of that is true. If you don’t learn how to code well, write well and you don’t do all of this for a living, then SEO Professionals can help you achieve a higher success rate.

That being said, there are some basics that any website owner or online business owner should know whether they do it themselves or hire an SEO Company to do it for them. So let’s get to the 1-2-3 SEO plan. Remember, I’m not teaching you how to do each step here. I’m just letting you know what the steps are, so a lot of details won’t be included.

1. What Needs To Be Done To Improve My Website?

This is sometimes referred to as onsite optimization and is always the first step. This includes cleaning up the code and making sure the navigation not only works well, but that it is intuitive to your visitors, easy to use. It also includes creating a targeted keyword list.

The structure, (header tags and such) and the text on each page of your site needs to be optimized to target not only one of your key phrases, but also related phrases and words Google would expect to find on a page that is really about what you said it was in your title and header tags. New pages may need to be created to help you target a wider range of key phrases.

These pages should also be written to close sales or generate leads. Many SEO Experts will say that sales is not their job and that their only responsibility is search engine rankings and/or traffic. However, it does you no good to rank number 1 in Google if your site doesn’t close sales. So choose an SEO that knows how to close sales and knows how to use calls to action.

Last, but certainly not least is putting in analytics. Google analytics is free, but there are other worthwhile analytics programs you can use as well. It’s your job as the client to learn how to read your analytics. If the person you hire to do the work is also the person who tells you whether they are doing a good job or not, does that really make sense?

Learn how to read the analytics so you can judge whether or not your current SEO plan is working or not. However, don’t expect overnight miracles. Give your SEO person a chance to do their job even if you don’t see immediate drastic results.

2. Okay, I have my site optimized and it’s ready to close sales, what’s next?

Now you need to add fresh, original content to your website on a regular basis. Whether you choose to add one or more new pages each month, add articles or press releases and news, or choose to install a blog and write content there, you need to understand the value of adding content and updating your site with new information regularly.

The more often you update your website, the more often search engines will update your rankings. And if you are incorporating social media into your online marketing plan, then you will have new content to share. You can’t keep sharing the same content with your network of friends if you want to keep them interested.

3. Now the site is optimized and I’m adding fresh content, what now?

Adding high-quality, original content to high-traffic websites. You’ll read a lot on the web about how you should or should not build links. There is a difference between link building and content promotion.

Just adding hundreds or thousands of links that all use the same anchor text and point to your home page is completely worthless. I don’t care what the PR or page rank is of those sites. So when you see offers to build you 1000′s of links from high pr sites, just know you’re about to waste your money. Submitting articles to 1000′s of article directories is an equal waste of time. It worked years ago, but not anymore.

However, choosing websites like squidoo.com and building a lens with good, original content that is also helpful to readers with links to different pages of your site and using different anchor text that is related to the content on the page you are pointing to is well worth the effort.

There are other high-traffic websites that will allow you to post good, original content out there. These links back to your website are permanent and valuable.

The 3 principles to keep in mind are;

1. Participate on the web, don’t just try and take from it. That means being on twitter and facebook and google plus and not constantly saying “Look at me!” “Look what I have!” “Go to my website!” It means taking an interest in other people and sharing other things besides just what you have to sell. Join forums where your potential customers are or industry forums. Participate.

2. Add value to the web. When you put content on the web, make sure it has value to others. There is a ton of noise on the Internet. Rehashed blog posts and other content that doesn’t produce a new idea or original thought. If you want to stand out and be heard among all the noise, make sure what you have to add has value.

3. Be helpful. When you are in forums or social networks and see a question posted, stop and take the time to answer them. If you don’t know the answer, look it up and get it for them. Add links to where you found it and where they can learn more. Your links are in your signature line or in your profile. They’ll find them. That has a lot more value than going into a forum just to tell people the great deal you want to sell them.

So there is a 3 step system and 3 principles to learn here. I hope this has been helpful. It’s part of me doing number 2 of the first 3 step process and number 2 and 3 of the 3 principles above.