SEO Tycoon

**pealo86** · 12-24-2007, 07:50 AM

The only knowledge I have is that is consists of meta tags and search engines! But I'm guessing there's a lot more to it than that? My website uses the following meta tags:

Code:

<meta name="keywords" content="web design, website design, merseyside, uk, affordable website design, djsaklfaskjldnaalksjn" />
<meta name="description" content="Affordable and professional website and graphic design based in Merseyside, UK." />

Oh, the last keywoard is in there purely as a test. If I enter 'djsaklfaskjldnaalksjn'
into a google search, it brings up no results.

I did submit my domain to Google sometime ago, but I'm not sure it will work properly as it is just a HTTP redirect from 1&1.co.uk .

However if I type 'Inspin Design', it is the first result that comes up even though it is not in my keywords, I think it might just be something that happens automatically with my domain account.

I did; last night, submit the actual destination of the page to Google. Does this mean that when that is registered; the keywords I have now should bring up a result?

**chrishirst** · 12-24-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Oh, the last keywoard is in there purely as a test. If I enter 'djsaklfaskjldnaalksjn' into a google search, it brings up no results.

Yep, there's a reason for that ....

It's because Google doesn't use the meta keywords at all.

Quote:

However if I type 'Inspin Design', it is the first result that comes up even though it is not in my keywords, I think it might just be something that happens automatically with my domain account.

Nothing happens "automatically" with SEs.

It's because you mention your business name on your pages (as you would) and you have links that point to the site with those words.

You REALLY HAVE to do something about that redirect it is NOT doing you any favours redirecting using a 302 response to a IP and username folder.

More Tips for newbies at HighRankings.

Quote:

I did; last night, submit the actual destination of the page to Google. Does this mean that when that is registered; the keywords I have now should bring up a result

If only it were that simple!

**CSS4Life** · 12-24-2007, 06:08 PM

SEO used to be mostly about those things... Back in the good/bad old days of the web and SEO, meta keywords and descriptions were the backbone of SEO.

As Chris pointed out, content among other things now has much MUCH more influence on search engine rankings. There's a lot of advice going around all the time about SEO - you need to decide what methods you are going to use to get your site top of the rankings.

You *could* use a number of blackhat methods such as keyword stuffing in pages and titles, duplicated content specially for rankings among other things. You could on the other hand go completely whitehat and rather than worrying about search engines, focus entirely on how to improve the site for the customer which in turn might benefit search engine rankings (via organic links to your site).

It's up to you to choose your methods. There's plenty of information about both, although I don't recommend blackhat SEO myself. For some useful tips, try:

http://www.webmaster-talk.com/the-go...oogle-faq.html
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/the-go...important.html

Dan

**ADAM Web Design** · 12-24-2007, 09:24 PM

What Hirst and whym said.

Search engine marketing is getting closer and closer to most other forms of marketing. It's not just about meta tag this and title that...it's about putting everything together in a unique marketing package. It stems from content that's unique and has something to offer, and grows outward from there.

**vangogh** · 12-24-2007, 10:23 PM

I'll basically echo what's been said. Search engine marketing becomes more and more like traditional offline marketing all the time.

There are things to know specific to search engines, but there's more than can be said in a single post.

The basics:

Research keyword phrases that lead to targeted traffic
Build a site that is search engine friendly
Create content that us useful, entertaining, and just makes people want to visit
Get other sites to link to yours
Rinse and repeat.

That obviously leaves out a lot of detail. Read through some of the threads here and at other forums. Find some seo related blogs and read them too. Try some things on your site(s) and ask specific questions. The more specific the question usually the better the answer.

**it-outsourcing** · 12-25-2007, 01:45 PM

IT depends on how many links direct to your site

**ADAM Web Design** · 12-25-2007, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by it-outsourcing

IT depends on how many links direct to your site

Information Technology "depends on how many links direct to your site"? I guess you're the expert, based on your forum sig. Amazing how one capital letter can completely change the context of a post, isn't it?

Seriously, if you're saying that "SEO is link-dependent", then you're wrong. It's about building something original that people can use and getting people to recognize that and share it with others. You know...building, and marketing. Just like offline businesses.

**CSS4Life** · 12-25-2007, 02:05 PM

Lol @ Adam's response. Adam - I just thought: what if he was saying "it" depends on link building etc., rather than "I.T.". You may have just made a seriously funny rant about computers in general, when he was actually on topic with SEO

**ForrestCroce** · 12-25-2007, 02:48 PM

Links are still the core of seo. It's that the goal of seo isn't the goal of most web sites. We all want traffic - good traffic, which for most people means a sale - but we don't really care how much is from Google vs some forum vs Consumer Reports. Being #1 for any search isn't what's important.

It's unpopular, but true: more links can be assumed to yield more traffic. Of course, more horse power can be assumed to mean a faster car, and we still have speed limits. Say you make #1 in Google for a very competitive phrase ... there are still nightmare scenarios, like someone clicking the #2 result, or clicking yours then hitting back.

At the end of the day, you want links where interested people will click them. And you want something a search engine can't measure directly: a site people enjoy using. If that sounds generic, it's because any specific thing you might do to market your site depends on your site.

**pealo86** · 12-25-2007, 03:30 PM

Thanks for the replies. I've got a better idea on what it's about now. One thing Im still not sure about though is what to actually do with the keywords once Ive researched them?

If meta tags arent really used in search engines, then where would I put the keywords? Do they just have to be in the content somewhere?

Am I right in thinking that SEO isn't really a technical thing [e.g. coding]? Its more about research and good ideas?

**ForrestCroce** · 12-25-2007, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KkillgasmM

If meta tags arent really used in search engines, then where would I put the keywords? Do they just have to be in the content somewhere?

Where they make sense to be.

Something in your title will have you rank better than if it weren't in your title. Headings get special treatment, but less than your page title. And then in anchor text - the stuff you click on - in links from other sites that Google has some respect for.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KkillgasmM

Am I right in thinking that SEO isn't really a technical thing [e.g. coding]? Its more about research and good ideas?

It's a little of both. But all your competitors are doing the technical / coding stuff, so you won't be able to pull ahead with that alone.

**chrishirst** · 12-25-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Links are still the core of seo

I have to disagree, links (and anchor text ) have never been the "core" of SEO. Google may have given the anchor text of links more weight than they should have and so allowed links to very often be the determining factor in ranking but;
getting links is NOT optimising and optimising is NOT getting links.

Getting external links is really marketing and advertising, the only links anyone can "optimise" with are the links on your own site.

**pealo86** · 12-25-2007, 05:14 PM

I seee!

One more thing, Google claims that its unnecessary to submit each page of your website, as its crawler will find the rest. But the only way I can get a result is by entering some of the static content off the main page. If I try content for another page then it doesn't seem to bring up any results??

**ankitfadia** · 12-26-2007, 03:06 AM

Link building , Pagerank arent they part of seo ?

**chrishirst** · 12-26-2007, 06:38 AM

PageRank isn't part of anything (other than the Google toolbar)

Link building is part of SEM rather than SEO

**wokaka** · 12-26-2007, 07:22 AM

You can read various tutorials about SEO in here, digitalpoint, or people's blogs. SEO is about onpage and offpage optimization.

**ADAM Web Design** · 12-26-2007, 10:57 AM

Reading an SEO tutorial on Digital Pointless is like learning how to drive from a blind man. For those who don't understand what I'm referring to, please read:

100 Reasons why Digital Point Sucks

It's written by one of our regular members, and one of the smarter people up in dis piece.

As far as links and PageRank being a part of SEO, external PageRank (the green toolbar pixels) is useless as Hirst pointed out. It's not a ranking factor, and it never was. The problem is that they can't remove it because idiots now know about it and think it's nectar from the gods, when it's just a "rough indicator" a la the ultra-useless Alexa rank of how well a site is doing.

Internal PageRank (the stuff Google doesn't actually tell you about) is one of over 100 ranking factors and its importance is usually greatly overstated.

All about PageRank, directly from a Googler working in Dublin. Read it. Learn it. Love it. Adopt it as your mantra.

The problem is that the ethical criminals of the SEO industry (who make up the vast majority of it, unfortunately) go around spreading the word that PageRank is the Holy Grail and "SEO is links and links are SEO" (thank you for that little gem, Aaron Wall) and that if you don't have millions of backlinks, you'll never rank for anything and (insert SEO inbound-link-related noise here). To a very small extent, they're right: you need links in order to be found for something in search engines (Brian White himself confirmed that in the post above.)

The problem is that it goes well beyond the link itself and into what type of link it is. Is it one that you did some silly link exchange for? Not going to be worth much, if at all. Paid review/advertisement? Some of these are still worth something, but as big G goes further into the pile of monkey crap that is the paid-link SEM marketplace and MSN and Yahoo! (eventually) follow along, this will be reduced to a bare minimum.

The types of links that you actually want are the kind you'll never have to put out any external effort to get in the first place. They're the kind that stem from quality content, and something to offer visitors, and that's the only way to get 'em. No shortcuts, no "SEO linkbaiting", none of the other BS...just good, clean, organic content. The end.

**jamestl2** · 12-26-2007, 08:33 PM

Search Engine Optimization means basically "Optimizing" your website for search engines.

So, to answer the question, this involves improving your site's structure, code, and presentation, and for the most part, making your site as "search engine friendly" as possible. Any one of these factors may cause problems for the SE spiders, and SEO involves fixing them and having your site crawled as easily as possible. Since SEO involves different factors for most sites, there is no "all-in-one magic bullet of SEO".

Everything else mentioned (having good content, link building, keyword researching, etc.) I view as being in the wider scope of Search Engine and internet *Marketing* (As Chris already alluded to).

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

It's written by one of our regular members, and one of the smarter people up in dis piece.

I'm a smarter member? Cool.

**dave9713** · 01-03-2008, 04:58 PM

Wow i have never seen 100 reasons why digital point sucks... someone who has 1500 posts is encouraging members to spam edu and gov sites for backlinks!... I'm browsing through there forums now and it's scary!

**ADAM Web Design** · 01-03-2008, 08:36 PM

Isn't it? It's the SEO equivalent of the Special Olympics.