Easy steps to optimize a page for search engines


Here is a short step-by-step guide on how to optimize a page for Google. Check to see that your chosen keyword or phrase actually converts visitors into clickers or buyers. You need to make a profit. If testing phrases for conversion is totally new for you, it's crucial that you embrace it. Success online isn't measured in traffic, it is measured in conversions. You want to invest your time optimizing the terms that provide you with the most money and not waste time on the terms that don't.

You should also know if the traffic converts with Your OFFER. Don't make the error of relying on surveys or data that suggests a certain keyword phrase has a "96% positive commercial intent." You have to test search traffic against your specific offer to make sure it converts. How do you do this? Pay per Click (PPC).

"I'm going to use PPC to try my SEO?" Exactly. It will save you time and frustration. Think about it. Do you have keyword phrases at this time that bring in good, solid traffic with little to no conversions regardless of any changes you make to the landing page? Often, the problem isn't your offer. The issue is that the traffic seriously isn't "convertible".

To start, setup an offer in AdWords using 50 or less keyword phrases, set the tracking code, and start driving the traffic. Inside a few hours or days, you will have results which will determine whether the keyword phrase may be worth optimizing for.

The example phrase "meta expires" is not a "converting" phrase which is why it is used in this case study. How can you measure whether or not a keyword phrase is nice to use in your test? One of the greatest indicators isn't the cost per click in PPC, but instead the number of advertisers. The more advertisers for that keyword phrase the more likely a profit is being made. Consider it. If there are 30 advertisers for any keyword phrase, do you think someone is making money? Yeah, so do I. So that particular keyword phrase will be a good phrase to test.

Check the cache of the page in Google. You want to make sure the page reaches least "15 days freshly indexed" by Googlebot. There is a 3-7 day period from the time Google indexes a page to when the cache date is actually updated. Since Google last indexed the page five days ago, in the next day or two, the cache date should be updated.

Google is Much better today with updating cache dates than these were last year. You usually won't see a delay. Why is having a fresh cache date important? A brand new cache date means the page was recently indexed. If the page isn't indexed on a regular basis, it means Google isn't locating the page on its own. This usually means the link campaign is stale and never doing its job. Bottom line: Your page needs a "caffeine injection".

Don't panic. Getting a fresh cache date just means that you need Google to reindex your page. Here is my three-pronged approach to just do that:

1. Re-read the content. Should it be updated? The Title Tag? The Description Tag? Make changes to improve the page's marketability.

2. Go out and get 5-10 good links to the page. A good link is one where your page isn't buried between links to Viagra and Free Casino Chips. Be sure to verify that the pages that you're linking to you also have fresh cache dates; otherwise, the hyperlinks may be worthless.

3. Write a blog post and reference your page. Blogging is a good way to get Google to reindex content. Utilize it to your advantage.

Lesson Learned: SEO is not only about using good and original content, it is about MARKETING your content. Most SEOs fail to do this which is why a campaign often fail to meet their expectations.

Legal Disclaimer

Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.

Note: This article was sent to us by: Keith B. Reed at 02242011

Related Articles

1. Total words to use in a title and meta description
SEO: Total words in title Keeping the title at eight words or less, 65 characters, is what I recommend. Why only eight? Because of two words: Click-thrus. You nee...

2. Link popularity and reputation are of paramount importance in SEO
Off-page SEO: Backlinks The importance of link popularity and link reputation, backlinks, keeps rising. A solid link campaign is essential to your online success....

3. Off page SEO techniques and easy to follow tips
Site hosting Google indexes sites regardless of where they are hosted. There are exceptions. It is recommended to have your own dedicated server and many clean IP...

4. Use good headlines when you write content for your site
Headlines When you write and produce content, spend some time on the headlines you are going to use. It is stated that the best writers spend the same amount of t...

5. How Google Webmaster Tools can help with your SEO
Google Webmaster Tools happen to be discussed heavily since Google first announced the discharge back in the summer of 2005. The issue most Webmasters have with Google Site...

6. How to get links for new and existing sites
What can we do to get links for new and existing sites? First of all, go to ODP or Yahoo! There you can find your competition, and perform a backlinks check on th...

7. Link popularity and link reputation can determine your PageRank in Google
Google PageRank Google puts a significant amount of emphasis on link popularity and link reputation when determining your ranking. This really is determined throu...

8. How to use the Google Search Filters to obtain good SEO results
Take advantage of the search query filters supported by Google and pinpoint some particular areas that need to step up from the rest of your site. Google Search Fi...