The term “tag” with regard to SEO is used as an identifier for many, many different bits of HTML code, most of which you will never have a reason to know anything about unless you are planning on becoming a programmer. In which case, you need to stop reading this blog and go in search of a more HTML-friendly one For those of you that have WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc. sites, however, you might find yourself needing to know some of the basic and more well-known types of tags since these platforms allow users to choose tags without knowing anything about HTML code. So, when you see an entry field that says, “Meta Description Tag,” this post will tell you which information belongs there. Most of these tags are not something seen by visitors to your site, but instead are seen only by search engines. Title Tag – easily one [...]

Have you ever visited a website that had “site map” listed somewhere either at the top or in the footer of the page? A site map is a great tool for visitors because it allows them to click on the link to view an index of all the pages within the website. But the benefits of a site map do not stop there. They also help with SEO efforts. By submitting a website’s site map directly to a search engine, the owner of that website is telling the search engine exactly which pages or how many pages within the site should the indexed. While a search engine like Google might eventually itself be able to index all the pages within the site, giving it a site map allows the owner  to speed the process and help improve ranking within the search engine at a faster rate. You may have heard the term ” robot” [...]

In our lively conversation yesterday that kicked off a month-long blog series dedicated to the topic of SEO (What Is SEO?), I provided my top list of tactics I always integrate into my clients’ strategies and highly recommend to anyone. The rest of the month we are going to break that down and take a closer look at each tactic so you understand what they are, how they help, and any pros and cons. But first, I want to talk about how tactics are typically grouped or defined. This is because, in the world of SEO, you will most likely hear terminology such as onsite tactics and offsite tactics when the experts are speaking their lingo. So, let me break it down for you: Onsite – exactly as it sounds…the tactics used on the website to optimize it for search engines. This includes your content, the sitemap, meta tags and [...]

I think it’s real important to start out this month, which is dedicated to SEO, by defining what SEO truly is for those who are new to this (very powerful) game. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. The very definition of optimization is the process of enhancing the performance of a product or service. I’m hoping that made that made a lightbulb go off in your head…SEO is the process of enhancing the way a search engine performs in relation to your website. The key, of course, is making the right moves (choosing the right SEO tactics) to properly position your website for greatness. There are many, many to choose from; and while a portfolio is always better than a single-line-of-attack, it’s not always necessary to load them all into your arsenal. The key is to know what they are, what they do, and when they are most useful. The [...]

There are many, many posts out there that will tell you that as long as you have dynamic and unique content, you will win over the crowds and have the masses flocking to your site. While there is truth behind this theory, this is a misleading statement. You see, unique, dynamic content is necessary on a site. It’s what visitors will be attracted to and come back for. They want to get from you what they cannot find somewhere else. Yet, you can spend quite a bit of time and money writing the best content out there, jam-packed full of rich information that potential customers would love to get their hands on, and if all you do is post it, it is doing absolutely no good for you. While some sites or “experts” would have you believe all you need is great content, the truth is that if you’re not [...]