Search Engine Optimization

I’m in the process of writing an Ebook about search engine optimization.  I know, everybody has been there and done that. After millions of articles, thousands of books, vidoes, cartoons and prophecies, one would think nothing more could be explained. All I have to do is look up at my bookshelf to see that I’m certainly not writing about anything new and exciting.  Could it be I just like to write? Maybe I want to prove to myself that I can create something more than a simple blog entry.  Or, it might be the fact that I want to take all the gazillion words people have used to try and explain SEO, simply the process and give it to you in one easy to follow book.  Regardless of the reason, here is a small excerpt from the book.  I hope someone can use this information to better optimize their website for improved placement within a search engine results page (SERP).

Up to this point, you have had full control over the optimization of your website.  Now is the point in which you learn to delegate.  It is a time when you tell the entire world, “here I am, help me be successful”.

External links are text links situated on other websites that point back to your website. The best way to describe a link and its importance is by comparing it to a vote for your site.  When a search engine sees a link to your site from another website, you win a vote.  The more votes you get, the more important your site must be in the eyes of a search engine. But, it’s not that easy.

There are a number of ways you can obtain links to your website.  First, when we say link, we are looking for a keyword or key phrase such as “search engine optimization” that, when clicked by someone on another website, will take that person to your web page that talks about search engine optimization.  A common mistake by many is to have all links point back to the home or index page of their website.  Even though you may have a lot of useful information on your index page and may mention search engine optimization, the link should point to a more relevant page.

Ok, back to obtaining links and my first very important point . . . do not pay for a link! Unless you’re signing up for Yahoo Directory or another reputable search directory, do not pay for links. You will find far too many “link farms” that will guarantee hundreds of relevant links to your site, but in the long run, this type of linking will do more harm than good.  Search engines can tell if the links to your site are paid links.  Search engines know that if you are paying for links, your site must not be important enough to get unpaid links.  Also, link farms will generate hundreds of irrelevant links to and from your site.  We are not looking for irrelevant links.  Everything stated in this book deals with RELEVANCY.  Your site will not be properly optimized if everything about it is not relevant.

What are inbound and outbound links?  One directs traffic to your site and the other one directs traffic away from your site.  They are both important and you need both inbound and outbound links.  Once again, you must be careful.  Just as you want relevant links to your website, you must also point your outbound links to relevant websites.  For example, if your website or web page deals with nuts and bolts, you don’t want to have a link that will direct visitors away from your site to another site that sells purses.  Now I know your thinking, “why in the world would I want to direct my customers to another website in the first place”?  And, I say to you, “because it shows that you are a legitimate business and you are conducting your business throughout the broad expanses of the internet”. By golly, you must be important!

The trick is to find the “fine line” and not cross over it.  You do not want to have links so well placed in your website that good paying customers want to leave your website to explore another one.  You don’t want your customers to buy their nuts and bolts from another vendor.  However, if you don’t sell WD-40, then maybe you could decide to link to a website that does.  There is certainly a valuable relationship between nuts, bolts and WD-40.  In exchange for your text link to the WD-40 website, ask for one in return to your page that sells your nuts and bolts.

If you would be interested in obtaining a free copy of this Ebook once it’s complete (within 2 weeks), please take a minute to register for NakedGator.com and leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: Information contained in this blog entry and related Ebook outlining search engine optimization techniques and/or recommendations are based soley on the authors opinions and/or experience.  The author has not independently verified this information as being correct or incorrect with any representative or technical support personnel associated with any known or unknown search engines.