Promote Your Business Website for FREE!
10 Things most anyone can do themselves
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be costly and shortlived as search engine (SE) rules by which sites are ranked change frequently.
If you would like to know a range of cost for SEO, you can comparison shop HERE, but be sure to evaluate exactly what each company's offer includes as these may be apples and oranges, not always apples and apples.
Good news is website optimization and submission services aren't necessary for most websites, yet most who offer such services don't mention this, because then they couldn't sell their services.
If you want more people to visit your website, you need to know how to make your website search engine friendly, and then submit your URL to all the major search engines.
Here's an alternative simple, common sense approach to SEO and website promotion in 10 easy steps, much of which anyone can do themselves for FREE!
1) First, make sure your website is designed to be as search engine friendly as possible.
- Check with your webdesigner for help if you don't produce your own site.
- Read these TIPS or have your webdesigner follow them.
- Also see Google Webmaster Guidelines
- Develop meta keywords, and especially meta descriptions, unique to EACH webpage for inclusion in <head> section of page code. Your webdesigner can add this if you don't do your own design.
- Use Google Keyword Tool for assistance, but don't necessarily signup for a Google Adword campaign. You could end up paying for every click on your Google Adwords, including ones that don't yield sales.
EXAMPLE:
Entering various combinations of synonyms and related terms for ‘special education facility’ brought up the following suggestions:
special education, private school, elementary school, middle school
2) Search Google with different keywords, observe results, and refine your keyword list accordingly.
- Many users may not know how to use quotation marks to search for exact terms.
- Search with and without quotation marks around keywords and note differences in results.
- See Google Web Search Help Center for search tips.
EXAMPLE: Google search for phrasing such as "special ed""private school""texas" did not bring up anything decisive except in Sponsored Links (paid ads) in right column. This may suggest advertising is the only direct way to get high ranking return in this category for some reason.
- Competitors that were found in Sponsored Links, however, are useful for analysis purposes (see item 3, next):
Competitors found in Sponsored Links:
HorizonAcademy.com
HeartSpring.org
CrismanSchool.org
3) Analyze competitors’ sites for meta description and meta keywords, or ask your webmaster to email you meta info for pages you submit to them for analysis.
- Meta tag coding is at top of page source code in <head> section.
- Source code for webpages can be viewed from browser "View Source" menu item, or with Firefox Web Developer Toolbar Addon.
4) Add free business yellow pages listing at YellowBook.com in category of choice, if not already listed.
- Be sure to list your website address.
- You may also want to investigate cost of any additional services and decide if they meet your needs.
5) Check if your business phone listing is included in Superpages.com ; if not, add free listing.
- Enter same info at SuperPages.com that you enter at YellowBook.com
- If listing is found, click on Edit to add website address and other pertinent additional info.
- Be sure to add URL in both link and destination link boxes.
- For a fee, you can sign up to be included in search for broader region, such as state instead of local.
- You will need to evaluate if paying for such advertising will meet your marketing purposes and cover the cost with increased revenue.
- Many major online phone directories take their info from only a couple of sources; SuperPages.com being one.
- Monitor other popular online phone directories to make sure you can consistently pull up your business listing in your chosen category (keyword)
- If not listed at other directories, use their Contact Us link to inquire why your listing is not returned in search at their site after listing at YellowBook and SuperPages, and request that your listing be added.
- If listing is found, check for Edit or other links that may allow addition of info not currently displayed, such as website address and other pertinent additional info.
- Investigate cost of any additional services at these directories and decide if they meet your needs.
yp.Yahoo.com
YellowPages.aol.com
Switchboard.com
Anywho.com
WhitePages.com
Yellow.com
DexKnows.com
Phonenumber.com
6) Add your business to Google Local Business Center if not already included.
Read - Seven Ways to Raise Your Local Business Listing Rank in Google - for other things you can do, or request your Webmaster to do to improve your business listing ranking.
7) Check listings in LocalEze.com and click on ‘add your business listing’ if none exists (free service).
- LocalEze.com claims to be used by 45 of the Web's largest search engines
- Choose category in drop down menu, such as :
Schools Special Education Academic, or
Bed and Breakfast Accommodations
- Investigate cost of any additional services and consider if they might meet your needs.
8) Add free listing at Local.com if not already existing.
- If listing is found, look for links to add website address and other pertinent additional info.
- Investigate cost of any additional services and decide if they meet your needs.
9) Search directories for your website, and if not found, submit your link for inclusion:
- DMOZ open directory
- Google.com
- DirMania.org
Note: Yahoo.com charges $299 for direct submittal of business listing, but in time will pick up anything in DMOZ or Google
- MAKE SURE YOUR SITE IS OPTIMIZED FIRST BEFORE SUBMITTING !
- See these TIPS :
10) Search the web for directories specific to your business type and for other related sites with which to negotiate link exchange.
- Request related sites to post link to your site in exchange for same.
- Much of SE ranking today depends on popularity of site, so the more sites linking to yours the merrier.
- Check related sites to make sure your link is added, and/or use Google Webmaster Tools to periodically confirm external links to your site (or ask your webmaster to monitor this for you)
EXAMPLE:
School Directories (many with Private School category)
k12academics.com
educationbug.org
petersons.com
eschoolsearch.com
localschooldirectory.com
- Be alert while surfing the Web for other related sites with which to negotiate link exchange, and sites that offer free business listings or moderately priced enhanced listings
DStall.com
- Please report any additional info of interest you may find for sharing here with others.