Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Basics

1. Register Your Domain Name for 2 Years

When you register your domain name, register the name for 2 years or more. This tells search engines that your website is a permanent fixture and not a short term solution.

2. Add Your Website To All Search Engines

Make sure you list your website URL with the major search engines. The URL is your website address, e.g. www.yourname.com.

3. Don’t Use Frames

Make sure your website is designed for a single window not in frames. Frames severely hamper search engines as they try to read your website.

4. Have Clear Navigation

Make sure your design has a navigation path with clear links to each page on the website, also make sure that the main pages have text links at the bottom of the page to assist search engines navigate through your website or use a site map for this purpose.

5. Make Sure Your Website is W3C Compliant

Ensure that your website is W3C compliant. W3C is the organisation that regulates HTML code (the computer language websites are built in). The closer your website gets to good clean code the easier it will be for search engines to trawl through it. validator.w3.org

6. Content is King!

Make sure your content is clear and concise. Make sure your website contains ‘information rich content’.

7. It’s All About Keywords

META tags are a method for providing a description of your website content. For the best results provide your website designer with a single sentence for a description and up to seven keywords.

8. Clearly State What You Do On Your Homepage

Like a mission statement your homepage should contain at least an opening phrase which states clearly what you do.

9. Organise Links With Allied Organisations

The more links to/from your website, the more search engines will like you.