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Simple Google SEO Guide

Search engine optimization or SEO sounds complex to business owners who may be aware of its importance but who lack the skills to implement it. While SEO generally boosts rankings in major search engines, its main targets are the top rankings of search results pages of Google, the world's leading search engine. By following a Google SEO guide, small businesses are able to compete online with companies that are armed with sizable marketing budgets.

Basic Google SEO guide

1-Determine targeted keywords: Keywords are phrases which Internet users type in search fields to look for web pages containing products, services or information they need. A web page containing popular keywords in a particular industry is a good foundation for SEO. These are determined through a process of brainstorming, research, analysis and testing.

2-Optimize website: Use the targeted keywords in various parts of a web page: title, meta description, H1, text content, Alt image attributes, text accompanying video, and page URL. Use simple text in the URL of each page and rename pages where necessary. Boost local search results by adding essential business information such as the company name, address and phone number at the footer of every page. Insert no-follow commands for links that are not intended for indexing. A robots.txt file also guides search crawlers to pages for indexing.

3-Submit website to directories: Site directories such as Google Places are good sources of local traffic. These drive Internet users to a website and to the doorsteps of a bricks and mortar establishment. Submission of website details at these online directories is free. As a rule of thumb, consistency in business information appearing across online directories influences visibility in Google local search results. Conduct an online search of industry-specific directories and add the website to all of these.

4-Submit sitemap: A sitemap in XML format shows Google search crawlers all the pages of a website, and enables crawling and indexing. Create a sitemap and submit it to Google Webmaster Central.

5-Create inbound links: Popularity is a major factor in search results and it is best indicated by the number of sites linked to a web page. The source of a site's links is important; exchange links only with relevant websites. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, blogs and forums also provide good sources of inbound links. Integrate social networks with a website and leave appropriate comments containing links at blogs and discussion threads.

6-Google's formula for ranking web pages is known as a search algorithm which considers and calculates hundreds of factors known only to Google's search engineers. Due to changing Internet behaviour and technology, the algorithm continues to experience modifications making SEO a constant challenge for business owners. The right SEO service is backed by years of SEO study and experience, and stays updated on the latest trends, making it the ideal Google SEO guide for small business.

Small business SEO requires the implementation of specialized strategies if they are to compete with bigger competitors. The team at Touchdown Internet Marketing are experts in the field and offer.