Search Engine Optimisation - Manual
Introduction
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is the practice of making your website accessible, findable, and relevant to search engines and searchers. Not all changes in SEO happen overnight. Some can take weeks, even months, before you influence search engines to rank you above your competitors. Instant Edit provides essential tools to help you maintain your websites search engine rank. Understanding Keywords
'Keyword' or 'keyword phrase' are the terms that searchers type into search engines to find results. For example a searcher might type "Interest free computer deals" to find computer stores with special deals. Your aim is to relate your website to targeted keywords so that searchers find your website with the terms they type into a search engine. Every Page is an Entry Page
Every page on your website can be an entry point to your site. A common mistake many make when optimizing their website is associating the same keyword phrases with every page and cluttering the pages with too many keywords. Instead, every page on your website should be optimised for only one keyword phrase. This technique ensures that your pages aren't cluttered with multiple keywords and search engines can understand your page better.
The page title appears at the top of your browser window, as well as in the title of the results displayed in a search engine. By default, Instant Edit will add the name of your company, or organisation, to the end of the title. You can adjust the beginning of the title in "edit mode" and by clicking on "page options".
The page title is one of the more influential tools in telling search engines what your page is about. Search engines take more notice, and rank higher, the words at the beginning of the title and pay less importance to the end of the title.
Use your keyword phrase in your title in a short sentence or phrase. It is also a good idea to geo target your title by adding in the area of the service you provide. Do not make your title more than 75 characters as search engines take less notice of longer titles. An example of an Instant Edit title is below.
Page Description
The page description is not visible to viewers of pages on your site but is stored in the background in something called a metadata description tag. The description will, however, sometimes be visible in the search engine page description underneath the title. Search engines will sometimes switch between using text on your page or your description and sometimes both.
Like the title, search engines rank the words at the beginning of the description as more important than the words at the end of the description. You should try and use your keyword phrase twice in the description and use only normal sentences.
Search engines understand when you do not use sentences properly. They understand when you cram in keyword phrases to trick them into giving you a higher search rank. When you do not use natural sentences you risk search engines giving you a negative ranking. Meta-tag Keywords
Meta-tag Keywords used to be one of the most essential tools in getting a website found on the earlier search engines. Unfortunately, spammers took advantage of this tool and targeted their websites with completely unrelated keyword phrases. Because of this, meta-tag keywords now have a much smaller influence with search engines ranking, however, it is still an important field to fill out as every tiny bit helps.
Meta-tag Keywords like the "description" are hidden underneath your page and are not directly visible to your viewers, but are to search engines.
Found in "Page Options" in "Edit Mode" underneath the description text box. Each keyword phrase can be separated by a comma. Because the meta-tag keyword tool is less important to search engines, you can target all the keyword phrases for your site on every page. Keywords in your Headings and Titles
Including your keyword phrases in headings where possible is important, especially the first and second headings.
Like the description, be sure to use your keyword phrase in natural sentences or phrases. Search engines are designed to only use keywords that are worded correctly. Linking Program
Getting other websites to link to you can be extremely important in determining your search engine ranking. You can get a free business listing that includes a link back to your website on www.2cu.co.nz. Background things Instant Edit does to help
Instant Edit has optimized those things that make your website 'search engine' friendly. We continually research and update features as the market changes and all those improvements are automatically included in the regular software updates. If you are an Instant Edit user you can choose to receive email updates of the latest features, both in search engine optimisation and in the editing software. We continually refine and improve at no extra cost to our clients.