What is SEO?  And why would you want to do it yourself?

SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization, which is the process of making your web site more accessible (and therefore "findable") to web search engines.

The theory behind SEO is that the higher your web site pops up in a web search, the more likely that search will result in qualified traffic to your site.  That's because when most people search for information on the web, they typically just visit web sites listed in the top 10 or 20 results, so it follows that if you want your site to be more visible, you want it optimized as much as possible.

While there are many companies and software programs out there for SEO, I highly recommend trying a few of my killer SEO secrets before spending a dime.  SEO can be very costly, and you need to be sure that it is worth the investment.

I optimized my own $20 web site, and it pops up in the top 10 to 20 in many key word searches in the major search engines (#1 for "marketing coach" on Google, as of this writing), bringing me new clients from all over the world.  Here's how I did it, and you can, too.

The first three main areas of attention to focus on in do-it-yourself-SEO are page titles, body copy, and meta tags (key words and web site description).  All of these need to repeat the same words or phrases, which ideally, are words that your prospects would use when searching for your web site.

To see an example of what these look like, look at the very top of your browser, right up next to the rim of your screen.  There you'll see my universal browser title: Veronika Noize, the Marketing Coach, followed by my home page title: Helping SoHo businesses attract more clients!

As you look at other pages on my site, you'll notice that each page on my web site has a specific title that relates to the content on the page, as well as the same words repeated in the body copy.

Next, look at the top of the browser, and click on the View menu, scrolling down to the word Source.  A Notepad file will pop up on your screen, with my meta tags clearly listed.  There you'll see my site description, key words, and page titles.

The site description is the verbiage that shows up under my web link when my web site pops up in a search.  Keywords are words that you believe your prospects will use when searching for you (or services like yours) on the web.  Notice how my meta tags repeat the same words.

Tip: Be sure to include your name as well as your city, so that local searchers and people who have been referred to you will find you.

See how easy?  You can do this, and you'll be surprised at how your traffic increases. For more tips on self-SEO, see Self SEO Part 2.

Do-It-Yourself SEO © 2006-8 Veronika Noize.  All rights reserved.

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