1. Key words

Selecting key words and phrases

• When selecting a large list of key phrases corresponding to the subject matter of your site, it is convenient to arrange them in an excel file, having specified the request frequency against the words.
• Try to select key phrases instead of single key words. First, it will allow you to achieve your goal faster, and second, attract the most targetable visitors (those who are interested exactly in your products or services).
• Select the most popular key phrases (the most frequently requested by users). You can use the free service for key phrases selection adwords.google.com – a tool for key words selection, as well as useful but paid services/ programs for words selection such as:

• WebCEO
• Keywords Analyzer
• Pastukhov key words directory http://www.pastukhov.com/
• http://www.wordtracker.com/ or free ones: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
• http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/

• Try not to use stop-words in the selected key phrases (such as but, without, more, would, was etc.) - they are ignored by search systems.

• On having made up a large list of key words, select 1-3 main key phrases which you are going to use more frequently than others and choose from the large list of word combinations the most successful ones which are popular and less competitive.

Focus on your key words

• Wherever you place your key words, in a text of your page or an anchor of external links, you should always ensure that they are relevant to the context.
• Arrange your key words in order of importance: primary key words should go first, secondary ones - second and so on in a descending order.

2. Domain name / file name

Domain registration

• An important parameter for some search engines, particularly Google, is confidence in your domain, that's why by having registered your domain for 5 or 10 years at once you will demonstrate to Google that your intentions are serious and that you don't plan to engage in short-term search spamming.
• Don't conceal your domain registration data by means of various "private" services. Some search bots may take your domain negatively - as a domain for search spamming.
• Domains registered a long time ago (old domains) always have greater priority and correspondingly larger weight for search engines.

Key words in a domain name

• Including the most important key words into the name of your domain will result in a significant increase of the total weight of the site in a search engine, particularly in the Trust Rank. This especially relates to English words and the Google search engine. Use 1-2 key words in a domain name because 3 and more words are often taken by search engines as spam.
• Use dash (-) to separate key words in a domain and in addresses of your pages.

Length of your URL

• Try to make the URL length shorter - it is advantageous both for visitors and search engines.
• Long names can be filtered out by spam filters but 3-4 words in a URL name are quite acceptable.
• Avoid using such parameters as Session IDs and ID variables which are generated by many web applications; use method POST for their rendering.

Key words in file names

• Try to use your key words in the names of files on your website (in addresses of pages). The optimum number of words in a path name of a site is 1 or 2. Long phrases including more than 5-7 words can be taken as spam.
• Use dash (-) to separate key words in a file name.
• Use .htaccess for numerical program control or CMS system generation with the parameter which is already embedded and adjustable.

3. Key words arrangement

Key words in the tag <title></title>

• Try to make a TITLE short, i.e. usually consisting of 10-60 symbols.
• Using inappropriate, irrelevant words in a title makes your page less relevant.
• Place the most important key words first in a TITLE tag.

Key words in a content

• The density of key words on a page must be around 3%-5% of the total quantity of text.
• If your site contains a small quantity of content you should make sure that you have placed your key word at least 1-2 times but it is better just to increase the quantity of unique content.

H1, H2 and H3 (Titles)

• Place the most important key words in the H1 tag but use this tag only once per page, usually it is a website header (title).
• Place less important key words in H2 and H3 tags.

Font styles

• According to W3C Standards, it is recommended to place a key word in the tags <strong> <b> <i> or <i> in the page text.

Key words in META DESCRIPTION

• Type a few phrases (2-3 small sentences) describing your website or its activity and Google will show this text in a snippet to your potential customers. You can increase clickability in the delivery on your website by means of a successful page snippet.
• Many search engines ignore Meta description; nevertheless, try to make a description more attractive to a potential visitor.

Key words in META KEYWORDS

• Place your primary key words and phrases in the META KEYWORDS tag but no more than 10-12 words.
• Try to ensure correspondence of key words to your page content.
• All words should not be repeated.
• Most search engines ignore this tag during ranking, so don't take the trouble and use CMS system with automatic generation of such tag on the basis of page content analysis during the page creation.

Key words in a page body (<body>)

• The most relevant word should be as close to the beginning of the tag <BODY> (to the top of the page) as possible and be highlighted in the title H2-H6 if possible.

ALT tags

• Avoid using long information texts inside of pictures as search engines cannot view graphic images. Use ALT tags for this purpose.
• Description of images should be recognized by means of ALT tag.
• If a picture directly relates to a text use your key words in its description (ALT).

4. Internal links

Key words in links to internal pages

• Don't forget that links on internal pages can also be effectively used to suggest the most relevant pages of your website to a search engine. Use your key words and phrases in the anchors of links.
• Try not to use site wide links from every page.
• On each page, place not more than one outgoing link to the same landing page.

Internal links check

• Check once more if all internal links work - search engines can slightly reduce the total weight of your site in case if broken links are found in the site.
• Periodically check all links by means of special automated tools; this will not take much time.

Effective linking

• Internal links in your site should be used proportionally; this ensures equally proportional distribution of pages weight within the site except in cases when you intend to pass the whole weight to a single important page.
• Use both block linking (linking after the main text, link block such as Products bought together with this product) and linking within the page text - this will ensure an equal weight distribution.
• Don't use site wide links excessively (links on every page referring to the same page), this may result in weight reduction.

5. Incoming links

Referring page quality

• A referring page having a lot of back links (links back to the page) will lead to weight increase.
• Develop a high-quality link directory from the very beginning by using sites with high PR.
• Links to your site will be evaluated as more important if the subject matter of your site agrees with the subject matter of the referring page.
• A link from a computer games website referring to the site with games for consoles will have an amazingly high rate.
• You must check if the page from which you want to get a link is indexed in the search systems or not.
• Pay attention to such parameters of the donor as domain age, page indexing, site indexing, text quantity, number of outgoing external links, site subject matter, donor-page characteristics.

Tendency of inks popularity

• Gradual and constant build-up of the link directory will have positive effects - it will show to a search engine that your site is significant for network users.
• Sudden and significant increase of link mass on your site can seem artificial and be taken as spam by a search engine. Build-up links gradually otherwise punitive sanctions may be imposed as a result of "link blow-up".
• Get links from websites having positive Trust Rank if you think that this is a really high-quality site with high rank not only due to its excellent link directory.

6. Outgoing links

High-quality links

• Refer to high-quality sites with the subject matter which is best matched to the subject matter of your site.
• Links to link farms and catalogues or other poor quality resources can significantly affect your site.

Outgoing links monitoring

• Regularly look through your outgoing links.
• If one of the external links refers to a site which has at some time turned into a link farm you can be fined by a search engine.
• Make sure that all your links work and refer to a proper website.

Title and description

• Links to external resources should have appropriate titles and description relating to this site.

Limit of links on a page

• Use at the average no more than 5-6 external links on a page, don't turn your PARTNERS page into a junkyard.

Link text (Anchor text, anchor)

• Make sure that the name of the link referring to your site contains your main key words.
• Try to have links referring to your site by means of different key words.
• If all back links of your site contain the same text search engines may decide that you have bought these links and lower their value.
• Anchor text must remain unchanged during the whole link life (should not blink with links).
• When an anchor text of a back link is changed too frequently search engines may take it as a sign of a bought link.
• Use also non-anchor promotion thus emphasizing the naturalness of your incoming links, for example use such links as "you can buy light-emitting diodes for your car here".

Age of a link

• A back link existing for quite a long time will favour the increase of your rating.
• Temporary links with the age of 1 to 3 months usually don't gain a high rating.

The number of outgoing links on a referring page (donor site)

• The cost of each link is divided into the general number of links from this page.
• The less is the number of links on a page the higher is the value of each link.
• Try to place back links to your site on pages with a small number of links (maximum 5-6).

Link position

• The closer to the beginning of HTML-code is the position of a link the higher is its value.
• Links situated in a title are rated higher than links situated at the bottom of a page.

Trusted websites

• Your position in the rating will be higher if links from large-scale, well known websites refer to your site.
• Most domains in .edu, edu.ru and .gov are highly valued by search engines.

Links to JavaScript/Flash

• Avoid back links referring to JavaScript or Flash.
• Most search engines ignore links to JavaScript and Flash.

7. Internal factors

Over-optimization penalties (OOP)

• You can be penalized for over-optimization of a website.
• Gaining of high rating takes time. If you haven't reached top positions in the rating at once, have patience.
• Create pages with unique, high-quality content. It's better to have 20 short but unique pages than 5 long ones. Each page should contain minimum 200 subject related words. Optimize a page for two key phrases.
• Optimize each page for the best key phrases:
• Include key words in the tag <TITLE> of each page. It is obligatory.
• Include key words in the tag <H2> of each page.
• Include key words in the first paragraph of each page.
• Include key words in texts of links. Sometimes you can use "Click here"but it is advisable not to use such anchors when creating anchors for external links and internal linking.
• Refer to each page from the site map and partially to the home page and other internal pages of the site from each page. Plus make links between pages of the same subject matter.

Home page

• Post the most important and competitive key words on the home page.
• Some non-sequential pages of your site should contain a link to the home page.
• Post a link to the site home page containing your main key words.

File size

• Page size shouldn't exceed 100 Kb.
• Large size pages are indexed later than small pages.
• Search engines prefer pages having the size of not less than 40 Kb.

Page update

• Search engines prefer fresh content: news, discussions, auctions etc.

Update rate

• Pages which are updated more frequently are indexed more frequently as well.

Website age

• The older is a website the higher is its rating. Most spam sites "live" for not longer than a year, that's why search engines give higher rating to older sites.

Texts on images

• Avoid using long text descriptions inside of images as search engines don't index graphics.

Dynamic page

• Use short file names; don't try to use a whole sentence as a file name.
• Avoid using session identifiers and dynamic identifiers, e.g. http://www.led-car.ru/articles.php?view=287.

Excessive use of JavaScript

• Minimize the use of JavaScript.
• Avoid redirecting to JavaScript and hidden links.

Frames, floating frames

• Minimize the use of frames.
• Some search engines don't give rating to pages using frames.

Duplicate content

• Avoid duplicating content of other sites.
• In case if search engines detect duplicate content on a site, they usually give preference to older sites.
• Search engines welcome original and unique content.

Understandable content

• Make sure that HTML code of your site is understandable for most browsers; it is perfect if this code complies with the W3C standards.
• It is always worth setting several browsers and making sure that your site is normally displayed by each of them.
• If your site has Flash, create also an HTML version and better gradually refuse to use this technology on the site promoted and create special separate promo sites with Flash.

Hidden links\texts

• Avoid hidden links and texts. If a user doesn't see links or texts the website content can be taken as spam.

Cloaking

• Search engines will penalize your site if it has been detected to use cloaking. Cloaking is using different website contents: one for web crawlers and another -for users.

8. External factors

Minimum one back link

• In order to hit the index of search engines at least one external link should refer to your site (make sure that search engines know this link).
• Keep track of your progress and modify your actions on a regular basis:
• Track information about visitors - it contains a great deal of useful data (use web analytics, better Google Analytics).
• Check if all new pages are indexed in search systems.
• Control the rating of your site by selected key words once a month.
• Regularly look through incoming links.

Purchase of links

• Search engines don't welcome sites purchasing unrelated links to increase rating.
• Avoid steep increasing of the number of back links.
• Avoid using links from well known sites with unrelated subject matter.
• Build up links and traffic naturally.

Links from bad sites

• Links from bad sites may fail to influence your rating.
• If your site exchanges links with a bad site your rating may decrease.

Server reliability and time of site operation

• Make sure that your site is always accessible.
• Search engines may delete your site from their indexes if it is not accessible during indexing.

Server IP-address

• If there are spam sites on one server with your site, search engines can lower the rating of your site.
• Try to get a private unique IP address for your site. It is not so expensive as it may seem - around $1-2 per month.

Engagement of links

• Engagement of links is an important factor for gaining high rating.
• Try to use main key words in the names of links referring to your site.
• Read attentively about back links above, in the paragraph "Incoming (back) links".

Unique content

• Try to create a unique content which can attract users and induce them to make references to your site.
• When composing an article make it not only interesting but also optimized for some low-frequency phrase. If an article is interesting it will hit Google top 10 without your help.

Articles

• Create descriptive articles which will be referred to by visitors.
• Post your articles on sites with the subject matter similar to that of your site.
• Allot a small block in an article for description of and a link to your site.

Press releases

• Make interesting press releases.
• Allot a place in a press release for description of your activities and your site (including a link).

Forums / guest books / blogs

• Take part in forums where a user can paste links to a site into a signature under each post.
• Leave meaningful records in blogs and guest books with the link to your site.
• Don't do mass mailing, search engines can lower your rating because of spam.

Sponsorship

• You can sponsor websites.
• Sponsored websites usually post a link to your site.

Catalogues

• Register your site in well known subject catalogues.
• Don't use low quality services or databases of such catalogues as they can cause damage to your site. Better search for trusted services or use your own databases.
• Make sure that the service has the function of gradual link placement, for example link placement in 3-5 days.
• Make certain that the catalogues in which you register are friendly to search systems.
• Try to include your site in Dmoz, a Yahoo catalogue.

Link exchange

• For link exchange, search for sites in the same category as yours.
• Make sure that the site you exchange links with is not a spam site or a link market.
• It is possible to find sites which have posted links to your competitors and offer them to exchange links.