SEO is ever an Absolute

Base your search optimization on facts, and not on myths or misconceptions! And always remember that nothing about SEO is ever an absolute.

by Sharon Housley

A "myth" is a traditional story, idea, or explanation which is widely accepted, but actually untrue or unproven. Misconceptions can also be described as modern-day myths. When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the myths and misconceptions are abundant. We will try to dispel some of the more common Search Engine Optimization myths here...

Myth #1 - SEO Is A One-Time Deal

Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that requires attention and effort over an extended period of time. To do it properly, it is an ongoing process, and definitely not a one-time action.

Myth #2 - Quantity Is More Important Than Quality

When it comes to backlinks, quantity is simply not as important as quality. Attracting a huge number of backlinks is simply not as important as obtaining relevant links from related and trusted sources.

Myth #3 - Meta Tags Are No Longer Relevant

While meta tags are not the be-all and end-all of search marketing, they still matter. Including a unique and keyword-rich title and description on each page of a website will help the site rank better in organic search results for those terms. Meta tags may not be as important as they once were, but they do still matter in the world of search optimization.

Myth #4 - PPC Will Help Search Ranking

There is no association between PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising campaigns and how well a website ranks in organic search results. There is simply no evidence to suggest that advertising via AdWords will help improve an organic search ranking.

Myth #5 - Submit Your Website Early And Often

Submitting your website to search engines is no longer a necessity. Search engines use spiders to follow links on a website.

Myth #6 - SEO Is A Scam

Search engine optimization, when done properly, is quite effective. In fact, a website may have a difficult time ranking well at all if it is not optimized adequately.

Myth #7 - SEO Is A Guarantee

As the old saying goes, the only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes. When properly implemented, SEO can very likely improve your organic search rankings. But be leery of any search marketing company that makes guarantees. There are simply too many factors and variables for SEO success to be guaranteed.

Myth #8 - Build It And They Will Come

Once upon a time, before the Internet became so cluttered, you could build something new and interesting and it would attract attention without any effort. But now, with the noise ratio so high on the Internet, you must work to draw attention to your innovation. Do not assume that people will find it simply because it is cool!

Myth #9 - NoFollow Links Are A Waste Of Time

Acquiring links that are tagged as "NoFollow" are not a waste of time. A mix of both DoFollow and NoFollow links looks far more natural to the search engine algorithms than a website that has all DoFollow or all NoFollow links. Additionally, some search marketing studies suggest that not all search engines pay attention to the NoFollow attribute, and they do in fact value a NoFollow link the same way that they would value a DoFollow link.

Myth #10 - Google Is The Only Search Engine

While it is true that Google is by far the largest search engine, a decent volume of web traffic can still be generated by achieving a high ranking in other search engines for competitive search terms.

Base your search optimization on facts, and not on myths or misconceptions! And always remember that nothing about SEO is ever an absolute.

Original content from: SEO Myths: Nothing about SEO is ever an Absolute

10 SEO Tips

Be bold. Use the tags around some of your keywords on each page. Do NOT use them everywhere the keyword appears. Once or twice is plenty.

Deep linking. Make sure you have links coming in to as many pages as possible. What does it tell a search engine when other web sites are linking to different pages on your site? That you obviously have lots of worthwhile content. What does it tell a search engine that all your links are coming in to the home page? That you have a shallow site of little value, or that your links were generated by automation rather than by the value of your site. Here is an example of deep linking, in this case to my personal happiness workbook.

Become a foreigner. Canada and the UK have many directories for websites of companies based in those countries. Can you get a business address in one of those countries?

Newsletters. Offer articles to ezine publishers that archive their ezines. The links stay live often for many years in their archives.

First come, first served. If you must have image links in your navigation bar, include also text links. However, make sure the text links show up first in the source code, because search engine robots will follow the first link they find to any particular page. They won't follow additional links to the same page. You can see this in action at the link to the home page on this web site monitoring page

Multiple domains. If you have several topics that could each support their own website, it might be worth having multiple domains. Why? First, search engines usually list only one page per domain for any given search, and you might warrant two. Second, directories usually accept only home pages, so you can get more directory listings this way. Why not a site dedicated to gumbo pudding pops?

Article exchanges. You've heard of link exchanges, useless as they generally are. Article exchanges are like link exchanges, only much more useful. You publish someone else's article on the history of pudding pops with a link back to their site. They publish your article on the top ten pudding pop flavors in Viet Nam, with a link back to your site. You both have content. You both get high quality links. (More on high quality links in other tips.)

Titles for links. Links can get titles, too. Not only does this help visually impaired surfers know where you are sending them, but some search engines figure this into their relevancy for a page.

Not anchor text. Don't overdo the anchor text. You don't want all your inbound links looking the same, because that looks like automation - something Google frowns upon. Use your URL sometimes, your company name other times, "Gumbo Pudding Pop" occasionally, "Get gumbo pudding pops" as well, "Gumbo-flavored pudding pops" some other times, etc.

Site map. A big site needs a site map, which should be linked to from every page on the site. This will help the search engine robots find every page with just two clicks. A small site needs a site map, too. It's called the navigation bar. See how the second navigation bar at the bottom of Last Minute Florida Villas is like a mini-site map?

Content Source Here:
http://www.seo-writer.com/reprint/top-seo-tips.html

Boost website traffic and sales, How?

The first step to boost website traffic and sales is to get listed in the search engines. Unsurprisingly, Google dominates this field, and is likely to yield the largest amount of traffic to your site.

Google accounts for 49% of global search engine usage in April 2006 while Yahoo accounted for 22% and MSN 11%.(source: Nielsen NetRatings)

The good news is that it is still free to submit your site to Google but free submission can be very slow and even when your site is added it is unlikely to get within the top 10 or first page of search results. Getting listed is only the first hurdle to booste website traffic and sales. Getting high rankings that can deliver relevant, appropriate prospects, which will convert into new clients should be your main website goal.

This is where Google AdWords can help. It's a way to advertise your business on Google, a site that's used over 150 million times a day. [read more]