Use this link to see all the posts in this series: Do-It-Yourself SEO.

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization refers to anything that you do in setting up the pages of your website that will have a positive impact on your ability to rank for specific keywords in the search engines.  This discussion will focus on seven key parts to on-page optimization.

1.  Page Name – Use the main keyword for the page in the name of the page itself.  You have to call the page name something, so you might as well include your keyword phrase in the name of the page.  So, if the main keyword for a page is Atlanta real estate, for example, don’t call the page About Atlanta.  Call it Atlanta Real Estate.

2.  Page Title – The page title is hidden away in the code on each page, but it does appear in several places, and the search engines use it as a critical component in determining what the page is about.

Many search engines will use the page title as the first line in your entry on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).   The Title will also show in the “information line” in your browser, and it is the text that is used as the description when someone bookmarks your page.

Think of the page Title as a short marketing statement explaining what the page is about.   There are several different theories on how long the Title should be, but you shouldn’t get too hung up on length.  A concise description of the page that contains your keyword phrases and is 10-15 words long would work well.

Keep in mind that once you rank in the SERPs, you will want to use the Title to encourage people to click through to your website.  Write the Title with the search engines in mind, but make sure it is informative and makes sense to human beings, too.
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