Search Engine Optimization Tips for Your Business - Mike Dolpies
Posted by Member Solutions on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 02:00 PM
Using Your Website to Build Your Martial Arts Business, SEO 101 – Search Engines & The All-Important Key Phrase
The most important question when it comes to your Internet marketing is; “How will my prospective students find my website?” Early on in the construction of your website is the time to employ strategies that ensure your site will be found over your competition. Search Engine Optimization starts with the “blue-prints” of your website.
A Review and Technical Definition
Simply put, search engines provide an interface to help you find information on the Internet. This info is made up of text, images, video and other types of files. To provide organized and relevant information about the myriad of subjects on the Internet, search engines organize and prioritize websites by relevance. Search engines do this by sending their agents (called spiders) to “read” through the content of billions of pages to find “hints” as to how to categorize them. One of your first search engine strategies is to provide those “hints.” When you do, your site will be placed in the correct category and ranked appropriately.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the “cyber-speak” process that is used to make your site search-engine friendly. In fact, when you create your site you have two main audiences: your prospects and the search engines. Your prospects visit your site to learn the many benefits of your products or service. Search engines visit your site regularly looking for information to provide your prospect with the best search results. Remember, search engines still place a very high value on text. Your job is to use your text to tell the search engine your site has the most valuable and relevant information for their end user.
Search Engines are Like High School
When an Internet surfer wants to find a Martial Arts school in your area the search engine's job is to list relevant information and websites in order of importance. Just like in high school when the popular kids got all the attention - a page 1 ranking for your website is like being one of the popular kids.
How search engines rank websites is sometimes a point of contention among Internet marketers. It's also in a constant state of change. However, there are certain rules-of-thumb you can follow, so your site will be search-engine friendly and maybe even become one of the popular kids...
The first step is to choose a key phrase that best describes your business. A key phrase (also commonly, albeit incorrectly, known as a key word) is composed of 3-4 words that describe your product or service most accurately.
Ideally, this key phrase will repeat in different areas of your website. It should be contained in your domain name, as in “yourkeyphrase.com.” It needs to be in the title of your main page and included in the main heading. It must also be used in the text throughout your site. If you're in the process of launching a new site or updating an old one, be sure to choose a phrase your prospects and those “spiders” will clearly understand. Then you must use it often in the text. Always remember your key phrase should be straightforward – if you confuse 'em, you lose 'em.
Michael “Mike D.” Dolpies is the author of two books. He opened is first martial arts business when he was just 18 years old. He has been a regular contributor to Member Solutions since 2007. Visit http://www.martialartsbusinesssystem.com for Free audios including: The Insider Secrets of Six Figure School Owners & The Upgrade System That Never Fails.
Photo Credit: danardvincente
