Search Engine Optimisation :: Frequently Asked Questions

SEO FAQ Page 1

5.    How do I build links pointing to my site?

6.    How do I optimise the <title> tag contents?

7.    What are meta-tags? Are they really important for SEO purposes?

8.    What is search engine spam? Why is it a bad idea? Is there a SE spam classification?

9.    What is Google Page Rank (PR)? What is all the fuss about? I see a lot of sites in the TOP 10 that show 0/10 Google PR - how is it possible?

10.    How do I optimise the site's navigation for SEs? What is anchor text?

11.    How soon will the search engines find my site?

12.    My site used to rank well for my targeted key phrases but today I found out it lost the rankings. Am I banned? What have I done?

13.    Such and such a site ranks #1 for my targeted keywords, but it's no better than mine - why?

14.    I've read a lot about SEO. I've applied all the SEO advice I've read about to my site but it still doesn't show in the TOP 10. Why? I'm desperate. Is Google evil? Help!

15.    Are reciprocal links considered spam? Are they counted towards my link popularity? Aren't they ruining the business image of my site?

16.    Why is it believed that all the directory submissions should be done manually? There are so many auto-submission programs around - and manual submission will take a lot of time, won't it?

17.    How do I create a spider-friendly site map?

18.    Do spiders follow image links?

19.    Do spiders crawl dynamic sites?

20.    Do I hurt my rankings by linking to other sites?

21.    What is the "Google sandbox effect"? Can it be avoided?

What does SEO stand for?

SEO is an abbreviation for search engine optimisation. SEO appeared on the scene quite recently, about the time the World Wide Web (and HTTP protocol) was born. With a huge number of web sites and the opportunities they brought as effective marketing tools, the idea of influencing search engine rankings using certain methods and skills quickly found its way into people's minds.

Now, organic search engine rankings and the advantages they can bring are becoming a consideration for more and more business owners, and thus SEO is becoming more important.

There are, generally, two main factors that affect search engine rankings: the content of the site's pages and the number and quality of links pointing to it from the rest of the web. By improving your content and making it more relevant to your preferred theme and keywords, you can achieve great results in the organic search engine listings, but links are also very important, as they add authority to your site.

So, when doing search engine optimisation, pay attention to your on-page factors (body copy, <title> tags, link text) and off-page factors (incoming links from other authoritative and relevant sites).

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Why doesn't my site rank well for the keywords I target?

There can be a lot of different reasons for that.

• The site is under-optimised; the body copy doesn't contain your target keywords or their density is insufficient; the <title> tags do not contain keywords; link anchor text is not optimised for keywords. Perhaps, you've only optimised your description and keyword meta-tags, which has nothing at all to do with SEO.
• There are too few inbound links; the sites that link to you have low authority or are irrelevant to your theme.
• The site is very young, and the search engines apply some sort of a trial period to it (the so-called sandbox effect, which can last six to fourteen months).
• The site is over-optimised. You include your keywords in your body copy too often, and the density is approaching the level where keyword stuffing begins. If you also include them in image alt attributes, link title attributes, etc., the search engines will start filtering and penalising your site.
• The site is full of spam. Before your current ranking penalty has developed into a complete ban, remove all spam from your pages and play fair.
• Your niche is very competitive. In this case try and choose less competitive key phrases. No use fighting in vain.

And patience, patience, patience!

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How do I start?

Start from defining your overall goals. Analyse your current positions and ROI, and your current traffic sources (if any). Check your server logs to see what keywords already bring you traffic. Brainstorm more key phrases, then check them using Wordtracker or other keyword research tools.

Now think how you can re-write your existing pages (or write new ones) to emphasise the search terms you've chosen without breaking the overall concept or destroying the marketing quality of your site. If it seems to be complicated, reconsider your keywords; most likely, you've selected the wrong ones.

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How do I optimise the site copy? Where do I place my keywords?

The site copy is the core of your site's concept and image, so its optimisation is the most important part of your SEO process.

When writing for SEO purposes, place your keywords within the copy, closer to the top. Include them in headers and sub-headers (<h1>-<h6>), but do not try to fool search engines by placing these tags within your paragraphs. Use <strong> or <em> tags instead.

When your keywords are included in the link anchor text, it increases their weight.

Make sure your copy remains readable and pleasing. Do not stuff it with keywords. When finished, read it out loud to check if you are overusing your search terms - or ask somebody else to read it for you.

Use the Google Toolbar highlighter feature to check your keyword density.

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Last Modified: 23.08.2007