Rule# 7 - Optimize Your Site for Search Engines

Search engine optimization might seem technical, but if you're going to have a Web site, it's something you should have at least a basic understanding of so you those interested in finding you can. Most people go straight to a search engine when they are looking for more information about a product or service, so your site must be optimized to allow those search engines to find your site.

Typically, a search engine uses a "spider bot" to crawl through sites and detect keywords, meta tags, and other aspects of a site that help identify its purpose. There are things you can do to your site to help these spiders find you. Here are a few tips:

• Use keywords throughout your site. You should identify a list of keywords that accurately describe your business, your industry, and your products and services. Use them on every page, but use them naturally.
  
  
• Use title tags - This is a short description of your page that will appear in search engine results. You'll want this title to be different on each page. You might include your business name along with your location and the title of your Web page. For example, an attorney might include his name, a designation of what type of law he practices, and where he is located, along with the name of the Web page.
  
  
  Joe Smith - Attorney - Civil Law - Chicago, Illinois - Services
  
  
  There's no such thing as a perfect title, and you can experiment with different phrases, but it is important to include your keywords here.
  
  
• Find companion sites that will link to your site. The more incoming links you have to your site, the higher your search engine ranking can be. If you are a member of a professional organization, check to see if there is an online directory that will display your name and Web site. Or your city may have a business services directory that will list you for free. Other opportunities include linking to your site form your blog or exchanging links with other business people.
  
  
• Validate your CSS or HTML code. This will ensure your code is free of errors and help all of the aspect of your site to display properly. You can have your code validated by the W3C. Valid coding helps search engines to accurately read your code and determine the subject of your page.
  
  
• Create a site map. This is a page that shows the navigation structure of your site and links to each page as well. It improves SEO because it ensures that search engines will find each page of your site. it also helps visitors understand how you have organized your site and could make it easier for them to go directly to the information they need to find.