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Marketing

Enhance your SERP (Search Engine Results Placement) through Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  1. Avoid shady SEO tactics
    Keyword stuffing and link farming are the type of things that can get you banned from search engines. Major corporations like BMW Germany have already suffered the consequences of such shady SEO tactics by having their website blacklisted by Google.

  2. Don’t design your entire site in Flash
    A Flash based site is essentially one big graphic file. Search engines can only read plain text and can’t grab the content off of a graphic. If the search engines can’t “read” your site, they can’t index your site and your website won’t appear in SERPs.

  3. Write content that’s relevant to your business
    Write your content for your audience not a search engine. Good link labeling also applies. Consider hiring professional writers to write your Web content, especially writers who specialize in writing for the Web.

  4. Make your site accessible and usable
    Download a text only based browser like Lynx. Now, surf to your website. Lynx displays your website the way search engines see your website. Make your site more accessible by appropriately labeling graphics using the alt element in image tags, providing meta descriptions and always using title tags. Try adding primary keywords in these tags when appropriate, just don’t over do it. Again, avoid using Flash.

Remember, there is never a guarantee where your site will appear in SERPs or even in paid ad campaigns such as Google AdWords. The most important thing to remember is to stay focused on developing a usable, accessible and well-designed website.

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Angela Wright is director of Web development for Parthenon Publishing. She previously worked as a Web programmer and later Web designer for Huntsville Hospital Systems. She also ran her own firm, Pointe of Creation, redesigning sites for companies such as DYA Cosmetic Surgery Center. An expert on information architecture and an ADDY award winning designer/illustrator, Angela earned her B.A. and a certificate in computer mediated communications from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.