Finding the right keywords for Search Engine Optimization
There are many tools available to find keywords to optimize your website. One of my favorite tools is Google Insights for Search.
You can look up information by keyword, location or time ranges.
For an example, try this:
1. Select “Search Terms”.
2. Enter “widgets” into the search term box.
3. Select “United States”.
4. Select “Last 90 days”.
5. Click “Search”
This will show you where the term “widgets” has the most interest. You may also drill down even further by clicking on a state under “Regional Interest”. Choosing Pennsylvania, you will find Philadelphia, New York and Washington to have more interest than Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Erie. If you were selling widgets, you would know the regions that have interest in your product and can successfully optimize your website for the correct market!
Google Insights for Search (even in it’s beta form) is a helpful tool for any online business. Try a few of your own keywords and learn more ways to utilize Google Insights for Search!
Bing, Google and Yahoo! Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools, Google Webmaster Tools and Yahoo! Site Explorer can be helpful in your Search Engine Marketing efforts. Even if you are already included in the search results, it’s a good idea to use their Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap.xml for inclusion.
It’s a simple process anyone can do!
1. Sign in or Register for an account.
2. Create a Sitemap.xml file and upload it on your website’s server.
3. Submit your Sitemap.xml file by “adding a site”.
4. Check back often to fix any errors or see stats about your website.
Often, webmasters forget to update the Sitemap.xml file with the last modified date for each page. It is important to make sure you update the modified date for the search engines to reference.
If you need help setting up your webmaster tools accounts, sitemap file and submitting to Bing, Google and Yahoo!, please let me know!