Guide To Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

I've been doing SEO for nearly ten years now. It's been a love/hate relationship of extraordinary intensity. When the cheques have been rolling in I've loved it, I get all excited with my great rankings and all is good.

But when you realised you've over egged things and you loose rankings it can be depressing. After a bit of self-pshychonalysis I realised that its just a lot easier to do things properly.

It was a hard decision giving the scale of the returns from gaming the system, but now I'm after long-term earnings without the worry of having my sites removed from the search engines.

So how do I do it?

From a strategic level I try and look at products or events in the future or just quirky things that I could add some value to. I've got many sites aimed at products that are due to be relased at the end of this year which I started a good 18 months ago. And I've got sites ready for 2008 and domains for sites that won't generate any significant revenue for at least ten years - its forward-planning to its extreme.

I won't explain how I find events and products but with the Search Engines as they are it is essential that you start as early as possible when doing product focused sites.

My method of choice is blogging - this is because I'm lazy. I don't like setting sites up and I hate messing about with linking and navigation. Blogging gives me the opportunity to update the site from anywhere and fits the "buzz marketing" angle of new product launches well!

But what should you do to optimise a product-related website/blog?

1) Write great content
Provide information and views that others don't offer

2) Be timley
Get information out quickly (and accurately)

3) Be aware of duplication
It is so easy these days to trigger the duplication switch in Google. You've got to be so aware of it these days. I've created a tip based on it here.

4) Still register with DMOZ and niche directories
It's still absolutely crucial to gain links at a natural pace from relevant resources. Don't go out all guns blazing getting links. It won't work. Simply write great content and people will naturally link to you.

5) Watch your internal navigation
Most sites have terrible navigation. Most other sites will link to your homepage. Make the number of visible links you have to click to get from your homepage to your important content as few as possible.

6) Research the most popular search terms on your topic
You don't have to go out and buy keyword research tool as Google now has its own at the bottom of their serps in most cases. A search for "SEO" shows the most popular search terms for that phrase. Simply write great, insightful content around those topics.

7) Don't link to bad sites
If you are doing link exchanges, resist the temptation to swap links with sites that link to others sites in each and every industry. Keep on topic.

8) Remember KWD still has a place.
Its obviously harder to rank for a term if that phrase isn't present on the page. Its not esential, but makes life a lot easier.

9) Vary phrases
Don't focus a page on one phrase. Target two or three related-ones. You don't want to trigger any spam switches.

10) Keep your sites updated.
Its easier to rank with regularly updated sites, especially if you're blogging. Use RSS feeds to add new, updated content that users will find useful.

11. Don't be afraid to link out.
Don't be selfish. If another site is great, don't be afraid to send your traffic there. They'll thank you for it.

Lee On SEO:
Here's some other posts I've done on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO Continues it's Move Down the Ladder - SMO Moves Up
Why Social Media is Improving Google
Interview With Jeremy Crane, Director of Seach and Online Media - Compete.com
Why Kieron Has Got His Blog Marketing Strategy So Wrong
SEO Tip Of The Week: Advanced Link Building
Multiple Datacenter Link Popularity Check Tool
SEO For Blog Owners
SEO is Not Dead - Its Been Evolving For Years
Why I love the SEOQuake Firefox Extension
SEO Jobs
Big Companies Still Getting SEO So Wrong
Who Said Doorways & Hidden Link Spam Are Dead?
UK Search Engine Share Stats
Selling Links? You've Gotta Label Them as Such
Hilton.com Robots.txt Gaff
SEO Search Engine
SEO Ranking Factors
A little bit of knowledge is dangerous - SEO Mind Crimes
Are You Using The Google Cache Checking Tool?
Why I Love Google Webmaster Tools
Let There Be Light - Page Rank Update
Keyword Suggestion Tool
SES London 13th 15th February