Every company using a website needs to use Search Engine Optimization – this helps rank your site highly in search engines such as Google and Bing. SEO helps people find ways to increase your sites visibility in search results, which allows for more traffic throughout your site.

Many people turn to companies or consultants to fully restructure their website without realising they can do it themselves by following a few simple steps. These steps are able to be done by almost anyone, and can help increase your online presence in search engine rankings. All you need to do is take the time to put in a little effort and gather ideas on how to restructure the content of your site.

1.     Monitor your search standings

In order to notice if your SEO efforts have paid off, you need to monitor your search standings. You can do this by carefully watching you page rank, which can be easily done using the Google toolbar, or the Alexa program. You must also remember to log onto the website quite regularly to track the amount of visitors you have on your website.

2.     Use as many keywords as you can

It is important to use as many keywords as you can throughout your content in an effort to draw customers into your website. You can do this by placing keywords in appropriate places, such as your content, titles, URLs, and image names. Your title tag and front page header are the best place to use keywords, as it is the first thing people see when they visit your site. Remember to include search terms, which are a great way to grab your customers attention. A professional SEO Company can be incredibly helpful when it comes to this aspect, and should be strongly considered by all who have business websites. Reputable SEO Companies should be able to identify keywords and target phrases that you may even have conceived before.

Don’t use too many keywords, as your website can be labelled as spam in search results. Use them minimally, but just enough to be effective as possible.

3.     Link back to your archives

One of the most important things to do when incorporating SEO into your website is to link back to your website. This directs traffic to individual pages, and forwards people to new content. Make sure your text is search engine friendly, using relevant words that are likely to appear in basic search results. Be careful to use appropriate links, and do not use excessive linking.

4.     Create a sitemap

Site maps are useful as they link all the pages of your website together, making it easier for people to search for your website.

5.     Avoid using Flash. Period.

Flash often makes website look flashy and professional, but doesn’t contribute to your SEO techniques. An SEO Company would certainly stay away from Flash sites for a variety of reason, and you should follow suit. Flash sometimes disables links, making it impossible to link to pages, so it is important to remember that if you do decide to use it, you should place your text and navigation links below the fold.

6.     Remember to use image descriptions

Perhaps consult an SEO Company to find your most suitable keywords. But be careful not to over do it…

People can only search text on your website, and cannot search text in your images. This means it is important to make all words associated with your images as descriptive as possible. Create a virtual image using text if you have to. You can do this by creating image names. By adding an ‘ALT’ tag onto your image, you are able to include keywords in your image descriptions.

It is also impossible to use captions on your entire image and be as descriptive as possible.

7.     Remember to connect

It is important to create content with specific intent. Use headlines and graphic headers that specifically outline what your website is all about. Make sure they are surrounded by adequate space and are engaging enough to draw in people’s attention.

Get started with the right tools. Install Google Webmaster Tools on your website: