Pen.
11-02-2008, 04:02 AM
1. Search Engine Optimization
What is the point of a website if no-one can find it! The very first thing you should do, as you build your website, is make sure it is optimized for the search engines (a process known as search engine optimisation).
This requires that you a) decide on suitable keywords ( three sets of keywords, say) and then b) put these keywords in your page tittle, page content, metatags, and alt tags (more or less in that order of importance).
Yes, it is a bit more complicated than that and yes the SEO rules keep changing, but it's important to get started with search engine optimization and that you keep on learning from your successes and failures.
Once your site is optimised then it's very important that the search engines (and directories) know about your site. The major search engines and directories include Yahoo!, Google, and MSN for search engines, and Yahoo! and the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) for directories. There are a few other important directories, too.
There are two steps to follow:
1. Add your site to the directories using their 'submit your site' link
2. Let the search engines 'discover' your site; i.e. do not submit it the major search engines. Instead, get a link to your new site from a web site already listed on the search engines, or (and this only works for Google) put Google Adsense ads. on your new site (if you can).
3. Build Incoming Links
Get people to link to your site. Not only do links bring new visitors, but they can also help your ranking on search engines.
There are many link-building strategies but a basic one is to simply create a fabulous website (how many links do you think Google. Microsoft and BBC have to their respective websites!) It is best if the links you build are inbound links only; i.e. links into your site that are not reciprocated. Put even more simply: it is best not to swap links, if you can.
4. Write Articles
A great way of building links is writing articles, actually. Write articles relevant to your website and let others reuse them on their website or in their newsletter or ezine on condition that they use the author resource box at the bottom of the article, which contains links to your site!
This is such a popular website promotion strategy that there are thousands of article directories (some much better than others) that will accept your articles. Learn how to write good articles (and how to promote them successfully) and you will succeed in promoting your website.
5. Write A Press Release
Press releases (news releases) can be one of the most effective ways to generate traffic to your web site. If written well, they can produce startling results. But only if you have a genuine story to tell.
There are sites that give advice on how to write a press release, and sites that will compose and distribute your press release for you too.
6. Use A Signature File
A signature file (sigfile) is a block of text that can be appended to the end of each email message sent by your email software. Use it in your email, or whenever you participate in discussion groups relevant to your services or products (see below).
7. Post To A Newsgroup (Or Forum) Discussion
Somewhere, there's a newsgroup or forum involved in discussions relevant to your site. You can find a great variety of newsgroups at Google Groups, which allows you to search all of the Usenet newsgroups for a particular term or phrase.
Post a message to a suitable newsgroup using Outlook Express (or other newsreader software), or via Google's newsgroup site, or via the forum itself. Do follow the newsgroup guidelines - but it is usually okay to use a signature file with each of your posts.
What is the point of a website if no-one can find it! The very first thing you should do, as you build your website, is make sure it is optimized for the search engines (a process known as search engine optimisation).
This requires that you a) decide on suitable keywords ( three sets of keywords, say) and then b) put these keywords in your page tittle, page content, metatags, and alt tags (more or less in that order of importance).
Yes, it is a bit more complicated than that and yes the SEO rules keep changing, but it's important to get started with search engine optimization and that you keep on learning from your successes and failures.
Once your site is optimised then it's very important that the search engines (and directories) know about your site. The major search engines and directories include Yahoo!, Google, and MSN for search engines, and Yahoo! and the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) for directories. There are a few other important directories, too.
There are two steps to follow:
1. Add your site to the directories using their 'submit your site' link
2. Let the search engines 'discover' your site; i.e. do not submit it the major search engines. Instead, get a link to your new site from a web site already listed on the search engines, or (and this only works for Google) put Google Adsense ads. on your new site (if you can).
3. Build Incoming Links
Get people to link to your site. Not only do links bring new visitors, but they can also help your ranking on search engines.
There are many link-building strategies but a basic one is to simply create a fabulous website (how many links do you think Google. Microsoft and BBC have to their respective websites!) It is best if the links you build are inbound links only; i.e. links into your site that are not reciprocated. Put even more simply: it is best not to swap links, if you can.
4. Write Articles
A great way of building links is writing articles, actually. Write articles relevant to your website and let others reuse them on their website or in their newsletter or ezine on condition that they use the author resource box at the bottom of the article, which contains links to your site!
This is such a popular website promotion strategy that there are thousands of article directories (some much better than others) that will accept your articles. Learn how to write good articles (and how to promote them successfully) and you will succeed in promoting your website.
5. Write A Press Release
Press releases (news releases) can be one of the most effective ways to generate traffic to your web site. If written well, they can produce startling results. But only if you have a genuine story to tell.
There are sites that give advice on how to write a press release, and sites that will compose and distribute your press release for you too.
6. Use A Signature File
A signature file (sigfile) is a block of text that can be appended to the end of each email message sent by your email software. Use it in your email, or whenever you participate in discussion groups relevant to your services or products (see below).
7. Post To A Newsgroup (Or Forum) Discussion
Somewhere, there's a newsgroup or forum involved in discussions relevant to your site. You can find a great variety of newsgroups at Google Groups, which allows you to search all of the Usenet newsgroups for a particular term or phrase.
Post a message to a suitable newsgroup using Outlook Express (or other newsreader software), or via Google's newsgroup site, or via the forum itself. Do follow the newsgroup guidelines - but it is usually okay to use a signature file with each of your posts.