SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is an important topic. Currently, Google monthly search engine traffic, worldwide, runs at around 7.5 million for the term " SEO", and there's a host of related terms such as " search optimization" and " search engine optimisation" (with an s) that generate millions of additional searches each.
These figures give a good indication of how important bloggers, Internet marketers, webmasters and business owners view SEO. Search Engine Optimization is also big business. With the exception of the obligatory Wikipedia and Google webmaster results, almost all the top page search engine results are pages selling SEO related services - one way or another.
Against this backdrop, I think it is important to highlight the fact that implementing good SEO for your own blog or site is something anyone can do. It just takes a bit of practice to get it right.
Recently Site prebuilder launched its SEO power page, aimed at providing a hugely powerful SEO enhanced page that utilizes keyword and key-phrase research, coupled with market analysis and high quality, focused, engaging and relevant content to help push SEO power page owners up the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages) for a large number of keywords.
I thought I would outline the process used to create these SEO power pages for anyone wishing to go ahead and build their own search engine optimized power page. It takes a bit of time and patience, and certainly no small amount of practice - but the rewards, when you get it right can be substantial and long term.
1. Keyword and Key-phrase research
Before putting pen to paper it is crucial to work out exactly which keywords and key-phrases you want to rank highly on. Sometimes, due to the dual meaning of words and the ambiguity associated with terms applied to different industries and niches, this task is not so straightforward.
For example, " traffic" is a term used commonly to mean vehicles on roads, and it is an Internet marketing term meaning number of visitors to a website. People searching on Google for the term " traffic" could therefore be after something completely unrelated to what you offer. You need to ask yourself how much time and effort you are willing to put into competing for a top page result on that term.
Once you have determined three to five of the most important keywords and key-phrases it is time to head to Google.
2. Build a list of related keywords and key-phrases
Google offers its Keywords tool for use by anyone - although it is intended to be used by AdWords clients looking to target their campaigns.
By adding your list of important keywords and key-phrases to the keywords tool, Google is able to provide you with a list of all the related search terms it can find, along with their traffic and competition stats. This in turn allows you to build a secondary, larger list of related terms.
You now have your primary list, and a secondary list giving you a total of around 50 important keywords and key-phrases. Onto the next phase...
3. Plan an SEO friendly document
Simply sitting down and writing arbitrary content stuffed with the keywords we have so meticulously researched and chosen would undo a lot of the good work accomplished to this point. It is absolutely vital that you have something to say. The content has to be informative, engaging, enraging, insightful, emotive or in some way remarkable and conversions worthy.
This is where you earn your stripes as an Internet marketer, blogger or SEO specialist. Your task is to work out a compelling piece of content that focuses on the primary keywords but also incorporates all the secondary keywords and key-phrases.
Remember to use proper HTML document structures. Primary keywords and phrases should appear in HTML headings. You should use major headings and subheadings to break up the content into easily understandable sections. Having a good document structure also makes the content easier to read and understand, and you are far more likely to hold onto the interest of readers if you can accomplish this.
For example, the following heading structure illustrates how you might structure a document discussion on Internet marketing:
Search Engine Optimized website structure
Search Engine Optimized page structure
Remember, search optimization is something we do for search engines, but the content itself has to be read by humans. There's no point in writing highly SE optimized garbage that appeals to the search engines, but means nothing to human readers.
4. Write engaging, relevant SEO enhanced content
With a good SEO compliant document plan and structure in hand, it is now time to really put pen to paper. Get the creative juices flowing. You are aiming for a page that captivates and holds the reader's attention.
An SEO power page should aim to become a popular resource in its niche
In other words, pack it full of useful and relevant information. Don't be afraid to link to other important resources if they add to the overall quality of the content you are providing. While adding links to other pages gives visitors the opportunity to leave your SEO power page, you will gain more credibility and authority in that niche by being useful.
It's very important that your SEO power page is not packed full of marketing or advertising content. You are free to advertise and market to your heart's content in the space adjacent (above, to the sides, and below) to the power page. By keeping your SEO power page clear of Internet marketing sales pitches or pushy self-promotion, you help to establish credibility and authority alongside the awesome SEO goodness and benefits your site will accrue with time.
5. Publish and promote your SEO power page
Actually writing and posting the SEO power page content is only the first step in driving traffic and increasing your PageRank and SEO. The page by itself will generate organic search traffic from the search engines only once it has been indexed. In the meantime, you have a world class information resource that you need to tell the world about.
Make sure you share your SEO power page on the social networks. Tweet about it. Share it on LinkedIn. Get friends, fans, colleagues, acquaintances to Stumble it or Digg it and bookmark it. Don't be shy. After all, your SEO power page is not packed with marketing content, and it is a valuable and useful resource that you are gifting to the rest of the world.
6. Encourage reader engagement
An SEO power page should be viewed as a " living" thing. That is, it should take on a life of its own. Encourage readers to contribute and comment on your SEO power page. Often people will have great suggestions and feedback about your content.
By continually adding and refreshing the content, you keep the page vibrant and in the forefront of the search engines index. What's more, this engagement gives you an additional opportunity to interact with your readers - and this is always a good thing.
7. Analyze and refine the power page's SEO
As with any Internet marketing campaign, you need to be aware of how your marketing resource performs. In other words, how did people find the page, how long did they stay on the page, where did they go after that, did they buy anything or convert in some other way?
By keeping an eye on your analytics, if you don't have analytics installed yet, I recommend using Google analytics, you will be able to see which keywords and key-phrases your SEO power page is performing well for, and which ones it's not.
This will help you to reposition the content from an SEO perspective in order to refine and improve its performance.
By actively contributing to, and monitoring your SEO power page, you will find that it will help generate traffic of the highest quality and help you to convert visitors into fans, followers, subscribers and customers at a much higher rate than before.
Of course, many businesses simply don't have the resources in terms of time, effort and skills to invest in creating a proper SEO power page. In that case, simply get the first, original and highest quality SEO power page right here. Once we have put together a top quality page for you, you can simply monitor and improve on it from time to time and enjoy the PageRank boost and increase in traffic and revenue.