Search engine optimization (SEO) is the procedure of enhancing the quantity and quality of site visitors to a particular website or a webpage from search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask. SEO targets unpaid web traffic as well as direct web traffic. It refers to any kind of SEO that makes a website popular by making it visible over search results pages. The primary aim of SEO is to boost website rankings in search results pages (SERPs).
How can a website rank high in SERPs? There are two major methods of SEO that have been used since the beginning. One is off-page SEO where content is optimized for keywords and the other is on-page SEO which includes on-page and off-page links building, social media management, and SEO copywriting. These two major methods have their own benefits and drawbacks. This article discusses in detail both of them.
On-page optimization deals with the internal ranking of a website according to search terms used by users. A few elements have to be taken care of for this purpose. These include title tags, meta description, headers, keywords, web base content and Meta tags. For on-page optimization, major search engines like Google recommend density and the proper use of headings, subheading and anchor text. In addition to that the use of alternate texts in Meta tags and in titles has to be right to make a website appear natural in search engine results.
Off-page SEO deals with the external traffic coming to a website from search engine crawlers. This traffic has to be treated carefully. A few simple rules have to be followed for ensuring maximum benefit to the site. First of all do not redirect URL’s to homepage. Second do not submit URL’s to directories either by using software tools or manually.
Directory submission is a common practice done by most search engine optimizing companies. However it is a time consuming process. It is also expensive as most search engines change their rules periodically. Moreover submitting to directory has limited scope as there is a tough competition among SEO companies. Directory submission is an alternative search engine marketing strategy. It can help you improve your web traffic and ranking.
Link building is a vital part of any SEO campaign. You need to have links pointing to your website. Some of the best links are from other renowned websites. You have to request these links to be included in the anchor text of your web pages so that they can point to your site.