Laying the Foundation for SEO Success, Part 2

In our last article, we gave you a set of fundamentals for a high-ranking site.

We talked about optimized site architecture, organized navigation, unique page titles, powerful content and thoughtful design. Here are the rest:

• Link popularity - Good cross-linking is key, and having external links from reputable sites will only serve to enhance your site's ranking.
• File names – As these are also indexed, file names should be sort and descriptive. Don’t forget to include your keywords.
• Meta tags – These have been deemed all but dead among SEO experts. However, if you decide to use them, here’s how:

  Add the following to the HEAD section of each of your pages:

  <meta name="keywords" content="KEYWORD1 KEYWORD2 KEYPHRASE1 etc. - about 30 to 40 unique words">
  <meta name="description" content="An accurate, keyword-rich description - about 150 characters">

• H1-H6 tags – Use 2-3 H1-H6 tags on each page of your site. <H1> is considered the most important keyword and <H6> the least. Also, keep the <H1> tag close to the body copy, as some search engines will translate this close proximity into a higher rating.

In the end, it comes down to basics: optimizing your site from the architecture on up. With well-executed content, design, links, and tags in place, you can establish a solid foundation from which to quickly move up the search engine ranks.