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17 SEO Tips for Your Marketing Campaign
By Wendy Suto (c) 2010

When you begin your SEO campaign, it can be difficult to
separate myth from truth. It seems everyone has different ideas
of what works and what doesn't, and even someone who's been in
the business awhile can get confused as SEO trends, tactics, and
techniques change over the years.

While there may be much discrepancy, these 17 tips for SEO are
something most experts seem to agree on. Following these rules,
you can avoid some common mistakes and launch a successful
campaign.

1. Perform keyword research. This is a very important step in
your SEO campaign, before you even begin. Thoroughly research
all keywords you may want to use - this can make a huge
difference in your strategy.

2. Don't use the same Metas for every page. All your Meta and
Title Tags should be unique for each page. Also, make sure to
use keywords and write an engaging title.

3. Don't try to deceive the search engines. Don't overuse
keywords, hide text, or create doorway pages. These are
unethical forms of SEO. With the current trend of search engines
favoring ethical SEO, your best practice is to create a
well-thought out web page, that has unique content, and is easy
to navigate.

4. Avoid low quality links. Not all links are created equal.
Instead of getting links from link farms, research the popularity
of websites before getting links from them. Alexa ranks are a
good way to check popularity, as well as page rank. However, if
your own page rank is rather low, fret not, for this will be
explained below.

5. Avoid using links with the same anchor text. Search engines
do not like links that use the same anchor text and description
that are repeated in short bursts.

6. Don't overdo reciprocal links. Reciprocal linking can be
valuable, but only when done in small doses, and if the links
are relevant to your business. Also, make sure to have a diverse
set of links, including links to blogs, forums, articles, social
media bookmarking, and more.

7. Don't become obsessed with page rank. Page rank is only a
small part of your entire SEO campaign. The way pages are ranked
is actually rather complicated, and is based on many factors. It
is possible for a lower ranked page to actually be quite
successful and get lots of visitors. So if your page rank is
low, don't freak out.

8. Do network with other Website owners. This is a great way to
learn, get advice, and exchange links. These relationships can
be mutually beneficial.

9. Make site updates regularly. Sometimes, an out-of-date
website can be worse than no website at all. Make sure you
update regularly with current information, news and events, and
fresh content. If you want to catch the eye of the search engine
robots, regular updates are a great way.

10. Don't compete for single keywords. Instead, compete for
keyword phrases. This will make it more likely that your site
will show up as a relevant search result. For instance, if your
company sells jewelry boxes, and you attempt to compete for the
term "boxes," many people who find your site will be looking for
cardboard boxes, hat boxes, and other types of boxes, and will
likely not stay on your page once they realize you don't sell
what they're looking for. If you compete for the phrase "jewelry
boxes," it's more likely that potential customers who are looking
strictly for jewelry boxes will find you.

11. Research your competition. It's always good to know what the
competition is up to, including what they are doing on their
website, where they are getting links, etc.

12. Design your Website to be SEO friendly. There is definitely
an SEO strategy when it comes to website design. Avoid heavy
Flash and lots of graphics, since search engine robots crawl the
text, not images. Good Meta and Title Tags are a must, as well
as fresh and engaging content. If you're hiring someone to
design your website, look for someone who is an expert in
organic SEO.

13. Use text links instead of images. If using JavaScript, text
links are important since spiders won't follow JavaScript.

14. Keep localization in mind. There are several benefits to
reaching out to the local audience. Aside from gaining local
customers, including location-based keyword phrases, like
"detriot auto body shop," will help you because you will have
less competition for that keyword.

15. Don't ignore the power of content. Nothing drives a
Website like good content. Make sure your content is engaging,
original, and well researched. Use keywords strategically (so
they fit in with the natural flow of text).

16. Always proofread. This step should be a given, yet it's not
uncommon to see typos and content mistakes on web pages. Aside
from providing incorrect information, mistakes, as well as
typos, make a web page and its company look unprofessional.

And most importantly...

17. Don't Give Up! SEO is not accomplished overnight. It can be
a long process and takes lots of work and sometimes trial and
error. Keep up your effort and don't give up!
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Wendy Suto, President and CEO of Search Circus, has specialized
in search engine optimization and search engine marketing,
including SEO campaigns
for over 10 years. Certified in SEO, Wendy Suto only follows
natural and organic search engine optimization guidelines with
proven results.
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