|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Three Prongs of the SEO Fork
Written by: Caroline MelbergArticle Overview: There are three essential components of any web page that must be in place in order for that page to rank highly.
 |
Free Download - 5 Ways to Know that Your Website Needs a Makeover By Caroline Melberg |
Three Prongs of the SEO Fork
Opinions on what constitutes the three prongs of the SEO fork may vary, but there are three essential components of any web page that must be in place in order for that page to rank highly. And it's not just ranking highly that's important; the page has to stay there for a lengthy time under reasonable circumstances.
First Prong
The first prong in the SEO fork is the web page's Meta tags. These are the parts of the page that you don't see when you access a site with your browser. But the search engine robots see the Meta tags, and they will use them to assist in the decision of how that page is ranked.
The obvious Meta tags, and really the only ones you absolutely should have, are the title tag, the keyword Meta tag, and the description Meta tag. The title tag is not, strictly speaking, a Meta tag. However, it is often referred to as one. It is the one tag that your page must have, as it is the single most important of all the 'invisible' elements on any web page.
Your title tag should include your primary keyword phrase. It should be readable by a human, as people will see it in the top browser bar. It should be fairly short and to the point, less than 80 characters optimally. The title should start, if possible, with your primary keyword, and can include a secondary keyword if you wish. Or it can simply consist of your primary keyword phrase alone.
The keyword Meta tag is one that many web developers ignore these days. They reason that the major search engines no longer heed the keyword Meta tag, so why bother including it. This is at least partly true, but some of the minor search engines do still consider the importance of the keyword Meta tag, so I would advise its inclusion. You will never be penalized for including it, and it may help on occasion.
The description Meta tag is still very much used by most of the search engines. It is often the text that is used in the listings description. For this reason it is wise to craft a good description of about 200 characters. Don't praise the web page - let others do that. Be factual and non-emotional. In short, provide an honest description.
Second Prong
The second prong in the SEO fork is links, both internal and external. A properly designed web site should have its internal linking structure set up in a natural and economical way. There are no hard and fast rules, but the main page will usually link out to every page, and every page will usually link back to the main page. The main page will often have a link to a site map, which will have links to every page in the site. There can be more internal linking, but it should not become confusing or excessive.
External linking can often mean mutually agreed links between two complementary web sites. It can also mean a one-way outbound link, or the greatly desired one-way inbound link. The ideal situation is a large number of one-way inbound links from relevant sites that use appropriate anchor text. This will give the pages a considerable boost in the rankings.
Third Prong
The third prong in the SEO fork is content. "Content is King" they all cry, and they are right too! Without good content your web site says nothing. People visit web sites to gain information. Even the visual sites hosting nothing but video clips have information. That's why people love the sites with the best information.
Have you ever done a search for something and chosen to go to a site, only to find nothing but AdSense ads? That's not useful information, and the major search engines don't like that either. Original good content will always win out over useless garbage. The best original content is written exclusively for the web site it is published on, and it appears nowhere else.
When you have the three prongs of the SEO fork in place, you will be in an excellent position to have your web site rise naturally up the search engine rankings. You will be providing exactly the kind of site they like to see, and so you will be rewarded for your efforts. There are many so-called black hat techniques that can achieve pretty much the same results, but why bother when doing it 'right' is really so much easier.
Design Process - Concept Development
Smarter Than the Average Berra
The Benefits Of Using Website Building Software
What is SEO and Why it Requires Constant Updating of Knowledge?
Tricks for Stretching your Dollar
Article Tags: browser bar, circumstances, elements, inclusion, keyword meta tag, keyword phrase, lengthy time, major search engines, meta tags, minor search engines, prongs, search engine robots, title tag, web developers, web page
|
About the Author: Caroline Melberg RSS for Caroline's articles - Visit Caroline's website  Click here to visit Caroline's website   Internet Marketing Secrets |
Related Forum Posts
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Chicago Sales Coach
February 2012 Top 100 Leadership Experts to Follow on Twitter
Please Stop Calling it Coaching!
Measuring the Quality of Your Hires
The fine line 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
The Biggest Domain Name Myth
African Technology Development
How to Develop Your Powers of Thought.
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.