How to optimise your website for search engines

More SEO resources can be found at: www.organicseo.org

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is often seen as a "black art" that only highly paid specialists with "inside knowledge" can perform. Although there is some truth in this, SEO is not brain surgery and the principles behind SEO are simple:

1. Define your keywords 
2. Find out your current ranking for your chosen keywords
3. Put the keywords in the right places on your pages
4. Avoid these common mistakes

Content is King!

Keeping your website up to date with lots of relevent content is the best way to get good search engine results. Websites that lie dormant for long periods will slip down the rankings. Search engines figure that websites that have not changed for a while are less likely to provide current information.

The 123Live content management system provides a quick an easy way to update the content of your website, so it need no longer be the chore that it once was.

Optimise pages as well as the website

Web pages are separate, independent documents and are seen as such by search engines. Although some keywords and phrases will run throughout your website, consider 'tuning' individual pages to particular keywords.

Consider your "human" visitors

Don't get so hung up on search engine optimisation that you forget your real human visitors. People need to find relevant, concise information about your product or service, don't let search engine optimisation get in the way of this.

The rules will change

Search engine technology changes frequently in order to provide the most relevant results to users. Your ranking may therefore fluctuate wildy. Don't worry about this too much, it is better to take a long term view.

The worst thing you can do is to try to trick (or 'spam') the search engines, as this can result in your site being de-listed permanently. Given time, if you follow these basic rules you should see your website ranking improve.

Be patient! It may take months or years for your efforts to turn into the results you wish for.

Don't be too optimistic - and be realistic! If you are planning to sell mortgages and expect to be found on a search for 'mortgage', bear in mind that you will be up against 100 million other web pages.