Tagging your way into search results

E. Lee Cunningham

about 13 days ago Good morning sleepy Atlanta. http://t.co/itZsJbAe

about 22 days ago Best cube mate ever. http://t.co/zriItuGt ht @sbcunningham

about 28 days ago Paulaner swirl. http://t.co/5qMnVarb #flixel

about 28 days ago Bird watching. http://t.co/YtILBmSQ #flixel

about 29 days ago @KeyWestWatch that's his actual schnozzola.

about 29 days ago @KeyWestWatch neat little program that lets me make animated still photos. Can u see his nose sniffing?

about 29 days ago Sniff sniff. http://t.co/6jLebpoB #flixel

about 29 days ago Trying out flixel. http://t.co/kFQBrvT7 #flixel

15 Apr 2012 Tilly has taken over the dog bed. It's now her nest. http://t.co/IHukAATB

11 Apr 2012 33 animals that are disappointed in you. http://t.co/Njlac8wE

8 Apr 2012 Taking a break from my from Henry to say hai! http://t.co/Hk8Lof46

7 Apr 2012 @KeyWestWatch sometimes dead tree form is the best way.

6 Apr 2012 Steve is my copilot. About time this Macgeek read his bio. http://t.co/EHCHNBIv

6 Apr 2012 @Urvaksh if so, what does that make you not having a DVR?

5 Apr 2012 The Basics of Using Online Social Networks to Boost Local Business http://t.co/G3MN8iTf

5 Apr 2012 RT @mashableapple : Find Out if Your Mac Has the Flashback Trojan -- the Fast and Easy Way - http://t.co/eI8EK5YZ

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08/20/2010 | E. Lee Cunningham

Its been a great week for ELC Innovations, even as thunderstorms rumble past late Friday afternoon. As a company we have grown beyond one of my first [ ... ]

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08/18/2010 | E. Lee Cunningham

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Recent Articles

Tagging your way into search results

<META> Tags

META tags are HTML code that is placed between the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags and instruct the browser.

The META description tag will contain a description of your site. This description will be visible in some of the Search Engines when your site is returned in a search.

Your description should focus on your site's main topic and not generalize. Make sure you include your most important keywords towards the beginning of your description. In addition, make sure your description describes your page in detail. You want your potential visitors to know exactly what you're offering. Your description should be less than 200 characters, including spaces.

Example:

<META name="DESCRIPTION" content="Dog grooming tips from top professional dog groomers">

The META Keywords tag will contain a listing of your keywords and keyword phrases that are relevant to your page and enable a Search Engine to find you. The most effective use of keywords is to concentrate on just a few Keyword phrases.

Example:

<META name="KEYWORDS" content="dog grooming, dog grooming tips, dog groomers, pet care, animal groomers">

You can also download a great little freeware program called, GoodKeywords. This program will assist you in developing a list of targeted keywords for your website. In addition, it also includes a site popularity tool that enables you to check your site's popularity.

Note: A word of caution...only use keywords and phrases that are appropriate for your web page. Just because a certain keyword is very popular, doesn't mean you should include it within your META tags. This is considered to be SPAM and could get your pages banned from the Search Engines.

<IMG ALT> Tags

An image Alt tag follows your graphic address or url in your HTML code. These words will be displayed in place of your graphics through an older browser or when your visitors have their graphics turned off. To fully optimize your graphics, insert a readable keyword phrase within the Alt tags of your graphics.

Example:

<IMG src="/mainlogo.gif" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="60" ALT="dog grooming tips" BORDER="0">

<TITLE> Tag

Your Title should contain your most important keyword phrase.

Place your "most" important keyword phrase first. Not just your most important phrase, but the keyword phrase that you think people will use when they do a search.

Instead of capitalizing the first letter, type it in lowercase, as most people type in all lowercase letters when searching. This will assist you in ranking higher in the Search Engines for your targeted audience.

Effective Title tags include only relevant keyword or keyword phrases. Avoid non-indexing filler words, such as a, an, the, welcome and home page.

Heading

Heading tags are used to separate topics and range from <H1> being very large and bold to <H6> which is very small and bold.

Your page heading should contain your most important keyword phrase to assist you in ranking higher in the Search Engines. Not all Search Engines place relevance on heading tags. However, many do and it is well worth the effort.

Text

Optimizing your text is another important step in ranking higher in the Search Engines. Your web page should contain plenty of text and should contain each of your keywords and keyword phrases used in different variations. If all of your keywords and keyword phrases you've listed within your META tags aren't found within your text, the Search Engines will simply ignore them.

Your keywords and keyword phrases should appear within your text at least three times, but not more than seven.

Tables

If you'd like to set up your web page using tables, try to place your Heading text above your Table code. If this isn't possible, make sure you include your keyword phrases within your top left Table cell to assist you in ranking higher in the Search Engines.

Note: Always place your most important information above the fold of your web page. This is the top portion of your web page that is visible when your page is first loaded, without scrolling. This is the most important part of your entire page -- use it wisely.

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