SEO or Search Engine Optimization helps you get found online.  Write about what you know and what your audience is looking for, then make sure you are easy to find. There are many things that affect your rankings on the search engines – and ten times as many ‘solutions’ to gain higher rankings. All things considered, it boils down to a simple philosophy: Be Relevant and Be Real, and a simple set of rules: Be on topic and weave your keywords throughout your copy, title and tags in a natural way. You can’t outsmart Google so don’t waste your time trying – spend your time creating.

Here are a few specifics on SEO:

Keywords. Your keywords are the most likely words people will use when searching for information on your topic. If, for instance, you are a dog trainer then obviously “dog” is a key search term or key word, but you’ve got to be way more specific (there are over 950 MILLION search results for “dog” – good luck getting found there) is your focus on puppies? Where are you located – one on one dog training is location based so focus there. Will people search by city, town or county? A search for “puppy training my town” will produce much more manageable results.

Keywords should be used in your <title> tag, this is important, it’s the most obvious place search engines look. They should also appear in the headings and copy – but not ‘stuffed’ – 3-7% keyword density is about right (Google is hip to the idea of over-writing copy with keywords to increase results and now it counts against you) and as <alt> tags on your photos. Search engines don’t read images but they do read the <alt> text, or description, of the photo. If you have the primary keyword as part of your URL as well, that’s great. You’ve probably heard of ‘metatags’ – the data about the data, basically what your site says it is. This is less and less important as Google relies on the actual content of your site vs. what you say it is.

So, a good keyword post/article/page could look like this: PuppyTrainingMyTown(dot)com as your URL, 5 Great Puppy Training Tips as a headline / title, Enjoying your new puppy in My Town as a header and several references / repeats of the keywords in the copy. Add a photo to your post and be sure to give it <alt> text data and rename the photo file (the standard “DSC001234.jpeg” is worthless – try “puppy park in My Town”)

SEO Sounds complicated? A bit – in the beginning perhaps, then it becomes natural, fun and easy. It really comes down to being real, transparent and truthful. If your website or blog is about dogs, or cookies, or raising kids – then make sure it’s consistent and make sure you’re utilizing the techniques available to you to get found quicker. The smaller the pond and the bigger the fish, the easier it is to get caught.

Content. It’s all about content; offer great storytelling, add pictures and update your blog as frequently as practical. You are the expert, stay on topic and stick to your subject of expertise (stick to your knitting as my grandmother would say) and promote what you write (at the very least, post a link to Facebook!) and keep at it. The more you do, the easier it gets.