October 8, 2004 - (PromotionWorld) - A few years ago if you needed to locate a hair salon, restaurant, doctor, or even a landscaper, you would look in the phone book or dial 411 for local information. These days, things are different due to technology and rapid growth of the Internet.
In fact, some web experts believe that within the next twenty years ordinary phone books will become a thing of the past. Internet search engines will be the standard for finding the information people are seeking.
The Phone Book is presently a significant form of commercial advertising. However, more and more customers have begun to utilize Google, MSN, Yahoo, and various other search engines to track down reliable, up-to-date information.
As a result of computer usage and Internet modernization, the question is "How can online business owners obtain higher search rankings when clients are seeking the products and services you offer?"
The answer is rather simple! You will need to consult an experienced SEO (search engine optimization) professional or specialized company. Beware of businesses that claim to produce results but deliver little or next to nothing in results.
You will also need to join a community network within your local area, as well as connect to a national network if you want your business to be successful on the web.
Most importantly, you must have viable content on your web pages. Useful subject matter offers your potential customers something to read and consider before purchasing your services. Next, your site must be easy to navigate, load quickly, and above all must not contain hidden code or doorway pages in an attempt to trick search spiders or bots.
The following information is a simple formula that I developed approximately eight years ago and it is still effective today;
1. Include matching title, description, and keyword tags.
2. Make sure the title on your page matches the title tag in your document.
3. Have a minimum of 350 text words on each page that you would like promoted to the search engines.
4. A site map is mandatory to ensure that all pages are spidered within your site by the majority of search engines.
5. Consult an SEO professional - not just a webmaster. Several webmasters claim to be search engine optimizers, when in fact, they understand little about proper web design combined with search engine optimization.
You will also want to locate a network that you can link your site to. But then again - BEWARE - as link farms and link exchange programs may cause your site to receive lower rankings than if you linked to no other sites at all. A community network is your best bet, though it be a forum or blog network.
A lot of people may call themselves SEO professionals but they are typically nothing more than students who have paid a fee to attend an SEO seminar. The fact of the matter is that this type of training was started by a person with no knowledge of programming or systematic page design, but rather saw an opportunity to earn speaking fees from unsuspecting individuals looking for some type of get-rich-scheme.
An SEO firm I do recommend is EZ Rankings (www.ezrankings.com). I have been closely observing their methods and techniques and I believe they are one of the most experienced SEO Providers in the industry today.