10 Tips to SEO Your Website on a Shoestring

by Ron Sansone, Director of Search and Online Marketing, Arc Intermedia

  • Assign 3-4 keywords to a single webpage and incorporate them within the content. Every page on your website should target its own unique set of keywords.
  • Research the most popular, most relevant keywords that apply to your site. Free resources such as Google AdWords Keyword Tool can help you with this research.
  • Use keywords sparingly in content, but place them within vital content areas such as body copy, navigation menus and side column content.
  • The headline on a page (known as a Header or H1 tag) is the most important SEO element within your copy. Use only one per page to describe the page’s subject matter. Be sure to include a keyword phrase within all H1 headers and within most subheads (known as H2s).
  • Special code within webpages called Title, Meta Description and Meta Keywords tags affect SEO and should be unique for each page. The Title tag (<title>) is the most important content element for SEO overall.
  • Links to your site from other sites are viewed by search engines as references that vouch for the quality of your content. Consider your offline and online relationships and whether other sites would be willing to link to yours.
  • Track the progress of your SEO efforts within the search results. Free tools such as the Rank Checker Firefox add-on from SEObook.com allow you to check your keyword rankings.
  • To truly understand the impact of Search on your site’s performance, make sure to have a Web Analytics package such as Google Analytics that lets you view your visitors, the amount of time they stay on your site, and other key metrics.
  • Stay on top of changes to the Search landscape. Read industry news sites such as Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable to keep up to date.
  • Get a glossary of terms from the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) so you speak the language.