Search Engine Optimization For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Why do some sites pop to the top when you search? How do you make yours one of them? You create sites that make search engines happy — that’s what search engine optimization is all about. Search Engine Optimization For Dummies has been the leading resource on how to make that happen, and this third edition is completely updated to cover the newest changes, standards, tips, and tricks. This handy guide shows you how to get more visitors by getting more visibility for your Web site. Find out which search engines matter most, what they look for (and what they hate,) how to get your site included in the best indexes and directories, and the most effective ways to spend your advertising dollars. You’ll discover how to: Plan a search engine strategy Build pages that offer visibility Make your site rank high with the most important search engines Avoid things that search engines don’t like (and tricks that might actually get your site penalized) Use Google universal search, image search optimization, XML sitemaps, and more Choose the right keywords Track and measure your results Increase your exposure with shopping directories and retailers Boost your position with popular links and social networking sites Use pay-per-click in ways that get the most bang for your advertising buck Search Engine Optimization For Dummies, 3rd Edition also helps you skirt some of the pitfalls and become a savvy advertiser. With this book at your side, you’ll never need to fear search engines again! "If we build it, they will come." Unfortunately, in the field of Web sites, that's an unfulfilled dream. Having a Web site does not automatically guarantee having traffic, even if you register the site with appropriate search engines. Whether you're an e-tailer who wants customers, a business that wants clients, or an organization that wants to get your message out, Search Engine Optimization For Dummies explains the rules of the game with information on: Spiders--not the yucky kind, but the software that grabs Web pages, and then,,reads and indexes the information Search indexes or engines, search directories, non-spidered indexes, and pay-per-click systems The eight search systems you really need to impress and how to get your pages into them Keywords and how to choose them strategically and use them often Submitting to the directories, including the biggies (Yahoo! Directory and the Open Director Project) and second-tier directories Using shopping directories for e-commerce sites, complete with a list of nine popular ones and CPCs (cost per click) for various types of merchandise on various sites Written by Peter Kent, e-commerce consultant, popular speaker, and critically-acclaimed author, Search Engine Optimization For Dummies helps you build a search engine- friendly site (or fix an existing site) and build traffic, showing you how to: Use effective Web site structure and text, including filenames, directory structure, title tags, descriptive meta tags, keyword meta tags, and an HTML navigation system, Avoid things search engines avoid, such as frames, invisible navigation systems, including those created with Java applets, Java Scripts and Macromedia Flash, cluttered sites overloaded with HTML unrelated to content, and more Bulk up your site with content--original or recycled Use specialized search systems to attract valuable, highly targeted traffic Use link popularity to boost your position and your PageRank Complete with a tear-out cheat sheet and information about Web sites you may want to hit for even more information, Search Engine Optimization For Dummies will help you make the Web site hit list. Looks At The Basics Of Search Engines And Describes How To Build A Search-engine-friendly Site, Ways To Add A Site To Indexes And Databases, And Using And Finding Links.