The following are easy tips that not only help to create a user-friendly site but one that the search engines will love as well:
- Source Code Clarity. It’s important that you pay attention to your source code. Unfortunately, many people put more importance on a site’s appearance and graphics. While those are certainly important, your source code must be well-written and clear so that the spiders can find your keywords.
- Title Tags And Keywords. Make sure that you’re title tags include your targeted keywords. This is actually one of the most important things when it comes to optimization, but it is also seen by Internet users in the search results and lets them know what your site is about.
- Navigation. Make sure that your navigation links are clearly visible and that you have no hidden links. It can be very beneficial to include keywords in your navigation links, but avoid keyword stuffing, or overdoing it with the keywords. Keyword stuffing is not only considered as spam by the search engines, it often leads to content that is illegible for your visitors as well.
- Content And Keywords. While the search engines do love lots of keyword-rich content, it’s important that, like your navigation links, you avoid keyword stuffing. Don’t use so many keywords that your content becomes meaningless for your visitors. It’s best to shoot for a keyword density of 5% to 7%.
- Heading Tags. Header tags can help your visitors read your content more easily and find the information they’re looking for. The search engines can also better understand the importance of your content, and they give keywords in header tags more relevancy.
- Images. Your images must be optimized for fast download times. Avoid using flash or heavy images that make load times longer. You should also use alt tags for all of your images, and these should include your targeted keywords.
- Site Maps. The search engines love site maps filled with text links. Further, they can be very beneficial for your visitors, helping them to quickly find the information they’re looking for and more easily navigate through your site.