DIY Search Engine Optimisation Tips

Being in charge of the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your own website, instead of hiring a search engine marketing company can be a daunting task.

There is so much to do, and so many of the techniques change over time as technology changes. How can you possibly know how to do it, and do it right?

In order to help you perform SEO for your ecommerce website or blog, here is a compilation of some of the most important do’s and don’ts.

Do Spend Time Researching Keywords

Do not underestimate the importance of habits people use when they search for information on the internet. The major search engines know the power of search habits and use their sophisticated analytic tools and algorithms to respond to the needs of the majority.

You must find the most common keywords and phrases that match the content of your site. And then use them. But don’t overuse them, as this obvious Search Engine Optimisation technique can cause bots to think yours is a spammer site, which will result in a drop in SERP.

Do Use Meta Tags, Title Tags, and Captions

The more places you can accurately describe your site and its contents, the better your chances of being ranked favourably by search engines and being found by visitors.

In fact, some experts go so far as to say that a proper title tag for your pages is the one most important SEO techniques you can utilise. Remember to use your most profitable (those that result in conversions) keywords and phrases in these tags.

Going hand in hand with these tags is the captions on your graphics. The image itself cannot be read by a search engine bot, but the text sure can. This also helps make your site more friendly to those with visual impairment.

Don’t Use Flash Animation

This is wrong on more than one level.

In terms of search engines, Flash can be recognised, but not as well as content in HTML, .pdf, or other, more traditional formats.

In terms of visitors to your site, waiting for Flash animation to load can be more than annoying – it can cause them to leave your site in a matter of seconds, never to return.

One viable option is to imbed your Flash content into an HTML frame. That way search engines can more easily crawl your site.

Don’t Ignore Your Site Analytics

The information provided by the analytic tools that come with your website or blog is invaluable for designing effective marketing strategies. These statistics clearly show what works and what doesn’t.

They tell you if your site needs to be more interesting and what particular content visitors like best. This software can also help you determine your target market and its demographics.

Marketing guidance is there in your analytic tools, you simply have to find it, and then use it to your advantage.

Do Use Social Media

One of the easiest and most effective ways to optimise your site is through social media. This is a great way to achieve organic results and reach out to your target market on a personal basis.

Become actively involved in forums, YouTube, Twitter, MySpace and other social venues. Yes, it takes time to utilise this Search Engine Optimisation strategy, but the results will be well worth it.

No two experts will ever agree on exactly what an e-commerce site owner should do to optimise their pages, but this list gives you a good idea of what you should, and shouldn’t be doing when you’re trying to build traffic so that you can make more sales.