28 SEO Steps to Win Search Engine Rankings
June 28, 2008
Search Engines are built to help the searchers. Search Engines strive to put the best fit/standard websites on top rankings so that searchers get their required info within few clicks.
How do Search Engines know a website’s standard and its relevance with searched keywords? What are the steps you should follow for a complete SEO to improve your website’s rankings?
This article covers Search Engine Optimization in two levels – the first is On-page optimization, and the next is Off-Page Optimization. An effective On-page optimization together with good Off-page optimization will improve your Search Engine Rankings.
On-Page Optimization
1.Define your Business& Target Audience
The first step in any business starts with analysis. Determine what kind of services your website is to provide and what kind of audience you want for your website?
2.Don’t Purchase a New Domain
If you already have a good domain name don’t try to purchase a new one, as some search engines look for the age of the website as a ranking factor.
3.Choosing your Domain Name
If you are planning for a new website, try to get a domain name with keywords included. If you target regional customers, you can have your domain based on the region, say for example .uk or .au or .in
4.Make your Website look Clean & Simple
Now you have a domain name and you know whom you want to target. Website design is the key factor which keeps your visitor to stay for a while in your website and navigate your services. Make sure your website design has a good feel & look, clean and simple.
5.Evaluate your Website
If you have an existing website, and now you want to do SEO for it, then evaluate your website:
Navigation structure – think in a visitor’s point of view – Can someone navigate and reach the product/services they are looking for? Make your navigation user friendly, no visitor should leave your website due to confused navigation.
Check for W3 compatibility of your website.
Check for any broken links in your website and fix if any.
Your website should load fast so that it doesn’t check on your visitors’ patience.
6.Observe your competitor
Find your competitor websites. Analyze and gain knowledge on their tactics, the keywords they use, the techniques applied. With the help of this analysis you will learn what is working and what is not working, which will help in your SEO process.
7.Research on Keywords
List the Keywords your target audience would search for and the ones used by your competitors. Make use of keyword research tools like Overture to know more on your related search terms. Now refine your list and make your final list of target keywords.
8.Structure File name
If you have control over your file names – modify file names with your keywords included.
9.Search Engine Friendly Sitemap
A well structured search engine friendly sitemap can help Search Engines to index all your pages. With good anchor text for your navigation links you can improve your rankings
10.Write an Attractive Title
Why is your web page title so important? The web page title is displayed in SERPs which in turn help in attracting your visitors. Web searchers do their search with a term and look for titles in the result pages that best fit their search. Hence make your title attractive, with targeted keywords included. Try to incorporate related keywords too. For example you target for Montessori School, you can write title as ‘Montessori School, the Preschool for your Children’. (in this way you add 2 related terms).
11.Meta Description Tag
Description tag is also displayed in snippets of any SERPs. This description helps to motivate searchers to visit your website. Make an effective and optimized description tag. Snippets are also taken from surrounding text of the searched keyword. You may need to edit your content a little to make your description look good.
12.Meta Keyword Tag
Though there is saying that Search Engines like Google doesn’t look for Meta keyword tag, there are some smaller search engines, which still follow the conventional way and spider the keywords tag. So there is no harm in making of the Meta keyword tags. Your meta keyword should contain keywords that appears in your body text.
13.Have Robot tags
If you don’t want any of your files of your website to be indexed, say an image or a text file, you can write your robot file insisting the search engines not to crawl those pages.
14.Alt Tags for images
As the name infers it acts as an alternate text for any image. This tag is both user friendly and search engine friendly. Search engines cannot read images; instead it indexes the alt tag given for any image and assumes it as the description for the image. This alt tag is not so important by Search Engines, as many spammers try to put irrelevant alt tag for the images to improve their rankings. However for an image link with a proper alt tag (keywords included) will work as great internal anchor link.
15.H1 & H2 heading format
Though no one is sure on whether this helps in rankings, try applying the header options, as this practice is good for any web development
16.Improve Keyword Prominence, Density & Proximity
Keyword prominence will increase if you have your keyword at the beginning of text part of your webpage. Keyword density refers to the ratio (percentage) of keywords contained within the total text content of the page. Keyword proximity refers to the closeness between two or more keywords. And this is yet another factor which has not much proven records but still exist in SEO practice.
17.Make Content look rich
As many SEO experts say content is the king. Optimized content with keywords included, along with other SEO factors working well the website can rank well in Search Engines
18.Keyword Rich Anchor Text
Anchor text for both internal links and external links is powerful element for Search Engine rankings. You can notice websites which doesn’t have the keyword in their web pages rank well which is all because of their anchor text of their inbound links.
Here a good article on Link Anchor Text and Search Engine Optimization to understand the importance of anchor text in Search Engine Optimization
19.Make Flash files work for you
Its better to avoid including flash files into your website. But under compelling circumstances, you can try adding keyword rich text somewhere in your file, since Search Engines like Google can index the text part of flash files
20.Bring your PDF files on SERPs
PDF file is a good source for keyword rich content. Most Search Engines can read & index PDF files and a few search engines shows PDF files in SERPs too. Make sure you have a good title and file name for your PDF file
Have a look Google guidelines for Webmasters
Have a look at Your Practice Online Official Website http://www.yourpracticeonline.com.au & Learn how all these steps worked for them.
Off-Page Optimization
Why Search Engines give so much of importance for inbound links?
It is easy for any website owner to optimize their website with good content, navigation, title, etc. But does that mean it’s a good website and people would love to check it out?
Search Engines try to know and evaluate the standard of a website through many factors and the most significant of them is incoming/inbound links. When a website receives inbound links from related & standard websites, it obviously means that it is worth looking at.
Search Engines learn about your website through inbound links and to be precise it’s through anchor text.
So natural linking with different & targeted keyword rich anchor text works great for any website.
Here are a few ways to increase your inbound links/ backlinks.
21.Search Engines
Submit your website manually to search engines including regional search engines.
22.Directories
There are many directories available online for free submission. Submit your website into the category that best fits your services, most importantly with good anchor text. Try submitting in your own regional directories to improve your local business.
23.Forums
Participate in your industry related forums & discussion boards. Post your comments, thoughts and also provide a link to your website (without spam).
24.Blogs
Having your own official blog helps to post your company’s updates, product release, etc., and also inbound links. There are directories for submitting blogs. Submit your blog with proper keyword tags which helps in your blog listing.
25.Articles
Write keyword & content rich articles on your own and post in article junctions available online. There are article junctions which accept articles in HTML format, so you can include your links with good anchor text. Write fresh articles on your topic, post and see your traffic increasing.
26.Press Releases
You can post Press Releases, which also works like Article junctions & directories; however it should look more like a Press Release and not like an article.
27.Bookmarks
Social book marking – it serves two purposes: It gets you incoming links and it popularizes your website in your community. Make sure you put keyword rich tags for your bookmarks.
28.Classifieds
You can see some websites displaying free classifieds. You can put your advertisements there with link to your website.
Source: Deepthi Kumar
Hotel ITC Park Sheraton and Towers in chennai
June 27, 2008
Address :
132, T.T.K. Road,Chennai 600 018, Tamil Nadu -INDIA
Ratings :
5 Star Deluxe
Location :
11 Kms. from Airport, 13 Kms. from Railway Station.
Hotel ITC Park Sheraton and Towers is situated in the down town area of Chennai.
Hotel Description :
Hotel ITC Park Sheraton and Towers Hotel is one of the two properties of the famous WelcomHotels group of hotels. This is the most exclusive address that one can think of while in Chennai. Hotel is for the who is who of any stream of life. Top of the line hotel Park Sheraton & Towers offer guests with the liberty of being in the city center while exploring the business, shopping and tourist attractions of the city.
Accommodation at ITC Park Sheraton and Towers :
Hotel offers 283 rooms that also includes 38 exclusive suites. The rooms are furnished with the finest of every thing with every minute detail that can offer complete rest to the guests have been taken care of. Finest in hospitality and personalised service in an atmosphere of gracious elegance. Where everything you need is provided for under one roof.
Facilities & Services at ITC Park Sheraton and Towers :
BUSINESS FACILITIES
» Two business centres
» Fully equiped
» Board rooms
HEALTH AND FITNESS
» Billiards Room
» Health Club
» Gymnasium
» Ayurvedic Massage facilities
» Beauty Salon
OTHER FACILITIES
» Shopping Arcade
» Foreign Exchange Counter
» Dublin – Irish Pub
» Vijays – Sports Cafe
» Travel Desk
» Florist
» Palmist
» Doctor on call
» Happy Hour for Resident Guests
ROOM FACILITIES
» Ladies Floor
» All suites Floor
» Non-Smoking rooms on request
» In-room safes
» Tea-coffee makers
» Personalised voice mail
» Dual line telephones with data port
» Internet connection
» Butler service in Towers Rooms
Source: Royal Holidays India
Reseller Packages-HostingITrust
June 26, 2008
I am using HostingITrust server from last 6 month. I have taken Reseller small plan. They are provided these packages are 15 Domain name and unlimited web space. I am very happy about their packages and their support. They are provided their customers with high quality web hosting service at an affordable price. The reseller packages are very good. They are providing the packages at reasonable rate. The hosting services are powerful, reliable, and trustable. They are server speed are very nice. They are support very nice. They are very responsively. I am highly recommended HostingITrust to anyone looking for an affordable, reliable, powerful and trustable web hosting solution.
Best web hosting package form hostingitrust.com
June 25, 2008
Hostingitrust is providing many web hosting packages with great features. These packages are available at low cost. No other company will provide you these features at this rate. Their web hosting packages also very good. They are providing windows server. It is a so good web hosting package. We are provide cheap web hosting. Your packages is really cheap and reliable company. We as web hosting company in Delhi provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee on all our web hosting packages. we are also provide a 30 day money back guarantee.
Want to improve memory?
June 24, 2008
Eat Blueberries
Want to improve your memory? Just start eating blueberries, for a new study has revealed that a couple of portions of the fruit every day can help better your retention ability and reverse the forgetfulness of old age.
Researchers have found evidence that compounds called flavonoids in blueberries interact with nerve cells, increasing communication between them and stimulating the regeneration of the brain cells. This can help in improving both short and long-term memory and could lead to a new treatment for Alzheimer’s in the future, according to the researchers. “Impaired or filing memory as we get older is one of life’s major in conveniences. Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time. Our previous work had suggested that flavonoid compounds had some kind of effect on memory, but until now we had not known the potential mechanisms to account for this. Our current research provides scientific evidence to show that blueberries are good for you. It also supports the idea that a diet based approach could potentially be used to increase memory capacity and performance in the future” the lead researcher Jeremy Spencer said. PTI
Source: Times of India Wednesday, June11, 2008
What is a domain name ?
June 16, 2008
If you are reading this page on the internet, then you are already using domain names, even if you don’t understand the principles involved. But what is a domain name? A technical term for the ‘address’ of a particular website on the internet, the domain name tells your browser where to look to access the pages you want to see. The domain name for this website, for example, is “netregistry.com.au” and you arrived at this page from clicking through one webpage to another, moving from one domain name to another, or by typing the exact address into the address bar of your browser.
More Informations: http://www.netregistry.com.au/domain-name-registration/what-is-a-domain-name.php
INGREDIENTS:
480g goat cheese
20g spring onions – finely chopped
20g chopped hazelnuts
3g rosemary
20g fresh rosemary for the garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE PEAR PUREE:
200g fresh pears
100ml fresh cream
5g Dijon mustard
20g sugar
A few drops of vinegar
FOR THE ONION MARMALADE:
250g chopped onions
500ml red wine
60g sugar
METHOD:
Mix the goat cheese with the chopped spring onions -add half of the chopped hazelnuts and 3g rosemary well to smooth dough. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take small portions and roll into about 40g weighing patties each.
Prepare the Pear Puree: Peel the pears. Cut it in quarters and remove the seeds. Keep cream on low heat in a non-stick pan. Add mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer pears in this liquid until soft. Blend the pears until smooth.
Prepare the Onion Marmalade: Simmer on low heat the chopped onions with the red wine and the sugar for about 10-15 minutes until the wine is reduced, and the onion is soft and nicely glazed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Dust the goat cheese patties with little flour and fry in a non stick pan until slightly browned. Serve two patties per portion with one two tablespoons of onion marmalade. Garnish with a few pieces of the remaining hazelnuts and rosemary.
Source by: Amritray.com
Pan Cake With Caramel Sauce
June 14, 2008
FOR THE PANCAKE:
250ml milk
3 eggs
100g flour
25ml oil
20g sugar
A pinch of salt
FOR THE GULKAND FILLING:
100g sugar
75g gulkand (available in grocery shops)
10g corn flour
FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:
100g sugar
Juice of ½ a lime
70ml water
METHOD:
Prepare the Pancake: Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth paste. Heat a shallow pan. Pour enough of the above mixture onto the pan to form a thin layer. Cook till the pancake turns light brown. Make more pancakes and keep aside.
Prepare the Gulkand Filling:
Boil sugar and water. Add gulkand to it and continue to boil. Let the water reduce to 1/3 of the original quantity, to allow the flavour of gulkand to get extracted. Add little water to the cornflour , form a paste then add it to gulkand mixture.
Prepare the Caramel Sauce:
Mix sugar and lime juice with 10ml of water and caramelize on low heat. Add another 60ml water to get a thick consistency.
Place a pancake on a plain surface. Spread little gulkand filling on it and fold it in half. Similarly prepare the other remaining pancakes. Pour caramel sauce in a zigzag way and serve.
Source by: amritray.com
Phirni with seasonal fruits
June 14, 2008
40 g basmati rice, soaked for an hour
1 liter milk
200 g sugar
10 almonds, chopped
15 pistachios, chopped
4 green cardamoms, powdered
10 saffron strands, soaked in water
300 g seasonal fruits (kiwi, mango, papaya, litchi), cut into chunks
1.Grind the rice with half a cup of water.
2.Heat milk in a pain. Add the rice past and keep stirring till it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
3.Add sugar and cook till the mixture thickens further.
4.Remove from heat and transfer into individual earthen containers or glass bowls.
5.Sprinkle chopped dry fruits, cardamom powder and soaked saffron strands. Refrigerate to set.
6.Serve cold with chunks of seasonal fruits.
Gajar Halwa Roulade with Spiced Custard
June 14, 2008
For the gajar halwa:
1 kg carrots, washed, peeled and shredded
500 ml milk
75 g sugar
75 g brown sugar
2 g green cardamoms, powdered
60 g ghee
30 g almonds, slivered
25 g raisins
40 g walnuts, chopped
1 g clove, powdered
1 g cinnamon, powdered
For the pancakes:
250 ml milk
3 eggs
100 g flour
25 ml oil
20 g sugar
A pinch of salt
For the spiced custard:
250 ml milk
1 star anise
3 cardmoms
3 eggs
100 g flour
25 ml oil
45 g sugar
A pinch of salt
15 g cornflour
20 ml water
To prepare the gajar halwa:
1.Heat the carrots and milk in a pain. Reduce to moderate heat and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring continuously till the mixture is nearly dry.
2.Add both the sugars and half the green cardamom powder, stirring continuously for 10/12 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.
3.Heat ghee in a pan on moderate heat, fry almonds until golden. Add the carrot mixture, raisins, walnuts and powdered spices. Cook till the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pain.
To prepare the pancakes:
1.Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth paste.
2.Heat a shallow pan. Pour enough of the above mixture to form a thin layer on the pan. Cook till the pancake turns light brown.
To prepare the spiced custard:
1.Heat milk for about 10 minutes till it comes to a boil. Add cinnamon, star anise and cardamoms to extract flavour.
2.Add sugar and continue to make a paste. Add to the boiling milk, stir well and prepare the custard.
3.Finally, allow the custard to cool until lukewarm.
How to assemble:
1.Take a pancake, spread a little Gajar Halwa over it and roll it into a roulade. Similarly, prepare more pancakes with the remaining batter.
2.Slice the roulades into pieces and serve.