This tutorial briefly explains how and why to optimize your website and how to select unique and relevant keywords for your website. WHAT IS A SEARCH ENGINE? A search engine is a program that searches documents on the web for specific keyword phrases typed in by a user, and returns a list of results where those keywords were found. The most commonly used search engine is powered by Google, and is used by a majority of Internet users. WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION? Search engine optimization is the process of structuring a web page so that it is found, read, and indexed by search engines in the most effective manner possible. This makes your website and its content attractive, relevant and visible to search engines and web searchers.

WHY IS SEO IMPORTANT? The answer is simple: You want your website to be seen; thus, attracting new customers and keeping existing ones coming back for more. SEO increases traffic to your website and makes it easier for your target audience (and even a global audience) to find your website (which acts as an “online store-front” that can be reached 24/7). Search engine optimization gives your website better search results for users who search keyword phrases relevant to your business in a search engine. Today, most people use search engines to find a website that satisfies what they are looking for. HOW DOES SEO WORK? Typically, a search engine works by sending out a “spider” to fetch as many documents as possible. Another program, called an indexer, then reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document. HOW CAN I OPTIMIZE MY SITE? There are many elements that are involved in optimizing a website, here are just a few:

• CONTENT IS KING Fresh, relevant, and well-written content is extremely important.
• OPTIMIZED CODE Clean and consistent code that adheres to the latest web standards is key.
• RELEVANT TITLE TAGS Use unique and relevant keywords in your title tags.
• META DESCRIPTIONS Create well-written meta descriptions.
• UTILIZE A SITEMAP Make sure to utilize a sitemap on your website.
• BE A RESOURCE Provide free, useful content to your users.
• UNIQUE KEYWORD PHRASES Use unique keywords that will help you surpass your competitors.
• LINK BUILDING Create inbound links to your website by placing your URL on other websites.

WHAT ARE KEYWORD PHRASES? Keyword phrases are unique, simple words that describe, and are specific to, your business. These phrases are selected and optimized to improve the visibility of your website in search engines. If the keyword phrase is commonly used in your industry, you may want to add a location, such as a city or state, to the end of the phrase. This allows your keyword phrase to be more specific and gives your website a greater chance of receiving better search results. (Please note that each keyword phrase should not contain more than three words). HOW TO CHOOSE KEYWORD PHRASES First, you should look over your website’s homepage content (body copy/text) to see if there are any important words that already describe your business. If words are repeated on the website, then it is usually a good keyword choice. Once you find a couple of keywords that you are satisfied with, take a look at your competitor’s website to see what keyword phrases they have selected. You can look at their title tags and the text written on their pages. You want to use similar keywords as your competitors so your website can show up in the same search result.

HOW IS SEO IMPLEMENTED? This is where Lform’s expertise comes into play! Once you come up with one to three keyword phrases, we will start optimizing your site using the keywords you selected. We adjust the title tags and meta descriptions for each page of your website, and create inbound links to your site by listing your company on online directories. These steps allow your website to have better search results based on the keywords you select. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE SEO RESULTS? Think about SEO in terms of marketing. It is impossible to see results over-night, and it is different for every business, not matter the industry. Typically, it takes a minimum of eight weeks for search engines to pick up on new keyword phrases attributed to a site. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process; it takes patience and persistence to not only achieve a high ranking, but also to maintain it. TOP 10 REASONS TO START OPTIMIZING YOUR SITE TODAY!

1 ……………….. To increase targeted organic traffic

2 ……………….. To increase global online presence

3 ……………….. To promote your products and services

4 ……………….. To reach potential customers

5 ……………….. To generate leads

6 ……………….. To create brand identity

7 ……………….. To create brand loyalty

8 ……………….. For long-term sales conversion

9 ……………….. To list ahead of your competitors

10 ………………. To increase ROI SEO resources you may want to consider:

• The Beginners Guide to SEO
• Google Webmaster Guidelines
• Google Basics
• Add (your website) URL (to Google)
• Ask Google to Crawl a Page or Site

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