Getting Started with Search Engine Optimization – Part 2
Is it really that simple to bring your site and internal pages to the first page of Google results within a few simple steps? Yes, but you’ll need to learn a few basics about SEO and how search engines work.
Google, Yahoo, and any other search engine available were all created equally, in some respects. Each was designed to bring their users to the pages that contained terms related to their search. Using algorithms to determine the relevancy of the result versus millions of other pages, no matter how similar to one another, results are returned within a matter of seconds.
It may seem like a complex process to “cheat” the system, but in reality, you are simply exercising proper site building techniques to increase your ranking. Doing it properly can lead to a huge boost in daily traffic, but doing it wrong could leave you de-indexed from the search engines for trying to manipulate their results.
The Basics
Search engine optimization begins with simplicity. Despite being forms of computers, search engines are built to think like their users. People want the most relevant result or the most popular one, and want it delivered based on what they have inputted. Everyday, the index of sites is updated, and any new information is collected and the content is re-calculated based on what has changed.
When web crawlers or “bots” scan over your raw site – the code view, in this case – they look for good practices of optimization and analyze where you have been linking to, what sites are linking back to you, what keywords you are using, and an overall value score is determined based on their review.
Site Structure
Pages of your site or blog should follow a structure based on what you would find within a book. Your main page is essentially the index page, guiding your readers in a direction that you want them to go. Readers that find a single page are essentially starting the book from the middle, so they need a way to “catch up” on what has been happening – what your blog offers.
Breadcrumbs are just the start of how you should implement a good structure. On the back-end you can use parent and child pages should your blog platform support them, and on the front-end, you can actually implement them this way. Drop-down page menus might not be the cleanest process to implement, but they will add the links to your blog for your readers to navigate through and search engines may pick them up as a good structure.
Being Original
Having your own content may appear obvious, but you also want to be able to truly make it your own. Don’t use numbers to represent your content, unless you have no other alternative. It makes it difficult for the spiders to find keywords from a title of 332050, for example.
Content that is found on multiple sites will be judged against one another. The original piece of content may not even rank that highly if the owner of the site did not implement the proper keywords and titles. Furthermore, the scraper sites might be the winners, as they could get the traffic, comments, and ranking that they don’t really deserve.
to be continued …
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Hi
Do you have an opinion in exactly how important the format of the url is? I know that named URLs are better than post numbers have read that it isn’t that important.
I think the format of the URL is very important. Particularly because your url includes some important keywords from the title which search engines use carefully. So its indeed necessary that you choose the title carefully and have the same words of title included in URL.
Very interesting details you have listed. I like your diagram of the site structure, it explains it in a very simple way.
Thanks for sharing this info.
Yup diagram shows that your site should be properly structured and thus easy to navigate.
nice article. it’s inspired me to optimize SEO on my sites. thanks for sharing this important information.
Nice SEO guide, well, I will be waiting for the continuation of article. I need this since I am hopping that my page will get a nice rank in search engine. Thanks for this nice info and keep it up!
Its good to read two important areas of SEO i.e. “Site Structure” and “Original Content” included in this post.
Site structure really makes it easy to browse for your site users and robots to explore your site details. Its essential that you have a proper site structure that can be navigated properly. This also helps to increase your traffic as site users may be interested in exploring more pages due to the ease.
And ya originality is the real thing that matters for any site. It not only adds up your page rank but also increases your readers. And for search engines its crucial. But ya as you say the important guideline “The original piece of content may not even rank that highly if the owner of the site did not implement the proper keywords and titles.” and the benefit can be taken by the scraper sites.
I absolutely agree on this one. SEO basics can really help once enhance the rankings of their website or blog in major search engines like Google and Yahoo.
SEO is the main weapon for us, webmasters, to gain traffic. I myself still learn and always learn about SEO and everything related on it. Thanks for the article.
I think the easier the URL is to optimise, the better. The content always seems to be really important… for SEO and also for your readers. I’m looking forward to number 3!
I would be waiting for the updates on SEO.The diagram on Site structure is very easy to understand. Also I believe that named URLs are lot better off than post numbers.
Good job with talking a bit about site structure. Looking forward to Part 3!
- SEP
Came here from your part 1 post.
I agree that proper structuring as well as categorization plays major role in SEOing certain sites. I am looking forward for more in depth explanation of your SEO tips at your next posts Sir.
Thanks for the heads up. Search Engine Optimization is not a simple process. It involves a lot of time and effort on your end to get it done. But if you get it done perfectly on the first try, then it is quite possible that you will be wallowing in success in any venture that you turn your site into.
I agree with Scott – it is important to done perfectly on the first try. As search engine optimization will give results after some period – sometimes even months, if you get wrong in the first try you will waste a lot of time. If you do it according to the guidelines then the next golden rule is “PATIENCE”, if you do not see the results soon do not get panic and start changing things, instead wait and do other helpful things such as link building, off site promotion.
Original and compelling content is key to long term success. If you’re a fly by night marketeer that creates flogs it figures that you’ll be a content thief and link pig. Eventually the flog gets penalized, but the job has been done by then though, whereas the person that is in for the long haul will be looking at building and strengthening their online brand.
Yes I agree.. Original content is what search engines and people like the most.. webmaster should never copy content as it may hurt rankings.
I think it is really amazing the difference between having optimized webpages and not having optimised webpages. My websites have improved search rankings following the huge 3 day restructuring of my webpage.
Initially my website disppeared off google, but it soon recovered. This article has helped me alot.
I am hopping that my page will get a nice rank in search engine. Thanks for this nice info and keep it up!
So its indeed necessary that you choose the title carefully and have the same words of title included in URL.
Yes it is indeed necessary to choose the title very carefully. Everything counts as a keyword and very important in SEO.
These are some more good seo tips. Being original is definitely important. You won’t get good rankings recycling other people’s content.
Working with ranges of pages and arrange them with good structure is very good for search engine optimization. I really agree with you.
Thanks for sharing
Hi,
I am dropping by via entrecard to check out what is new with you and at the same time to wish yah a great weekend ahead
xoxo
Your article on SEO is great info to start with for those that are new and a good refresher for those that are veterans in this industry
great job on this one 
Great post! I didn’t know that the site structure affect on website optimization. Im enjoying a lot your blog and have already subscribed the feed.
I think to include keywords in the URL, this is a great idea …
Good blog on basic of seo. I’ll follow your tips. Thanks!
Yeah.. seo is so important, we’ve to take so many things into consideration before building a site.