SEO is comprised of two different disciplines that must work with one another to be truly successful. The two areas you need to master including on page optimization and off page optimization. Web sites that are successful at both can achieve search engine optimization success.
In order to be successful with your SEO long term, you should always start with on page optimization techniques. On page optimization refers to everything that has to do with your actual web site and web pages from a search engine optimization perspective. This would include factors like web site age, URL, Meta tags, on page links, etc. It’s important that you start with on page optimization because it ensures that your pages will be fully recognized by search engines.
Let’s start with looking at your url structure. Many people believe that the only way to get number one rankings is by having your keyword phrase in your domain name. For example if your keyword is sneakers, you should have a URL that includes your keyword of sneakers. Sure, this would help but its only one of many factors considered in search engine optimization. Not to mention the difficulty of finding a good URL that includes your keywords.
It is true that putting your keyword phrase in your URL is beneficial even though it is not the end all be all. This is especially true with search engines like Yahoo and Bing. One thing you can do is to use a sub-domain strategy. This means setting up sub domains from your main site that include the keyword you’re optimization for. It would look something like this: sneakers.yoursite.com where your site is the name of your main web site.
Keeping the sub-domain strategy in mind, you can also implement another URL strategy that is just as effective. Although it’s been debated in search engine optimization circles, I’ve implemented both a sub-domain strategy as well as the following strategy and they are equally effective. Instead of implementing a subdomain simply create a page that includes your keyword as part of the actual URL. For example: yoursite.com/yourkeyword where your key word is the actual keyword or keyword phrase you are trying to optimize for.
After focusing your optimization efforts on your URL, its time to focus on other on page attributes. One of the most important is page load time. This is a function of the overall size of your page, scripts, the number of external calls made by your code, etc. and requires a good deal of experience from a programming perspective. Your best bet is to have someone with SEO experience review your pages to make sure that you are applying SEO best practices from an on page perspective.
If you’ve done a good job at on-page optimization, then you’re ready to start focusing your effort on off-page optimization. Off page optimization comes down to building links to your web site from a number of sources. These sources could be authority web sites, blogs, directories, or social media web sites. The thing to keep in mind is that off-page optimization is an ongoing process that requires ongoing effort.
Start with on page optimization to build a strong foundation to your web site. Once you have the proper domain structure and address other on page optimization factors, you’ll be in a good position to roll out your link building strategy. As you develop more inbound links, your search engine results will improve.
Looking for help with your SEO? Learn how to Improve Search Engine Rankings in less than 36 hours with our helpful SEO guide. Also, be sure to check out our latest review of today’s leading search engine optimization software by visiting our SEO Elite Software Review.
