Simple Start‐up SEO Checklist to get to Top of Google for Free
If you don’t know where to start, here is a simple checklist the will get you started. More in detail is described in SEO Checklist and in Best Practices for Well Designed and Optimized Website sections.
This simple start‐up check list will definitely get you seen on Google and will help you to achieve top ranking on major Search Engines. After you went through the list and applied SEO tips to your website, continue monitoring and optimizing your website.
- Determine the best keyword phrases for your site. Use WordTracker to help you come up with a list of 2 to 4‐word phrases. Target 100 keywords initially (For details on how to use WordTracker please read sub‐section “Choose Keywords”. For other tools available for Search Engine Optimization, please see “Free Search Engine Optimization Tools” section).
- Create lots of pages. It’s better to have 20 short pages than 5 long pages on your site. Each page should be 200 words minimum and discuss one topic (one keyword phrase) only. (See examples of some web pages you may want to create for your own website in “Best Practices of a Well Designed and Optimized Website” section.)
- Optimize each page for your keyword phrases (see “Positive Search Engine Optimization Factors Detailed Checklist” for more details):
- Include keywords in the <TITLE> of each page. This is a MUST!
- Replace “ands” with a “|” character
- Include keywords in the <H1> and <H2> headings for each page. Use the styles sheet (CSS) to control the size of heading text to make it blend in better. Google considers <H2> tags more important than tags, since people were abusing tags
- Include keywords in the first paragraph of each page (within first 20 words).
- Use keywords in italic and/or bold tags in your main body. Example: <BODY><p>keyword</p>
- Last paragraph of your page should also include keywords: <p>keyword</p></BODY>
- Include keywords in the text of links. Never use “Click here”. Example: if my keyword is “x‐ray” use it in your URL <a href=”http://www.domain.com/x‐ray_products.html“></a>
- Use keywords in your folders and file names. Example: http://www.domain.com/keyword/keyword‐products.html or in your image file keywords.jpg
- Your images should include ALT tags with keywords in them. Example: <img src=”keword.jpg” ALT=”keyword”>
- Link to each page from your sitemap page, and from each page back to your home page. Also cross‐link between pages that discuss the same topic.
- Submit your site to the Open Directory Project (OPD: go to http://dmoz.org/add.html.). This is very important and should be done early as it takes time to get listed! (See “Submit Website to Open Directory” sub‐section for detailed overview of OPD)
- Submit your site to Yahoo! If you can afford it, this is money well spent. Be sure and follow Yahoo’s submission guidelines precisely and to the letter.
- Regularly monitor your progress and modify your efforts:
- Monitor your site traffic often – it contains a wealth of information.
- Check to see that all new pages are indexed in Google.
- Check your site’s ranking on your chosen keywords once a month.
- Regularly check your incoming links as part of your link campaign.
