Look Sharp Designs

Ask 100 search engine optimization experts how to get top rankings in the top search engines and you’ll get 100 answers. Some are convinced that you need to tweak your web pages continuously to keep up with the search engines’ ever changing ranking algorithms. Others are adamant that you need backlinks to get those coveted top rankings. And still more will tell you that you need to apply complicated mathematical formulas to your content to ensure that your keyword densities are just right. I don’t think so.

Before you scroll straight to the bottom of this article and submit a comment telling me I’m nucking futs, let me say that I’m not saying that those things aren’t important (well, I am saying you’re wasting your time if your chasing algorithms). They are, but I think people spend way too much time tweaking things to achieve top results when they may not need too.

Several years ago, when I was very active in search engine optimization, I tried a multitude of techniques to get top rankings in the major search engines. Many of them were successful. Some were not. I often made sure that my keyword densities were in the right range for each search engine. I used cloaking software to serve pages that were specifically crafted for each search engine. I devised my own techniques using CSS and absolute positioning to make some content "invisible" to visitors (this content was not keyword stuffed paragraphs). Some of these techniques were necessary, not because I was trying to trick or spoof the search engines, but because our clients used a lot of graphics and flash on their sites. Plus, their goal was to get people to make a deposit and gamble online and didn’t want visitors spending a lot of time reading. These techniques worked great most of the time and our clients were dominating the major search engines of the day for very competitive keywords such as online gambling and cash advances.

However, once I got away from having to get top rankings for highly competitive keywords, I stopped using every trick in the book and started simplifying my approach to search engine optimization. To my surprise, I was still able to produce top rankings in the most popular search engines.

Here’s what I do now. I execute thorough research on my primary keywords. I don’t use any special software or services, such as WordTracker, in my research. I simply start with a few words that describe the topic for the website and begin brainstorming from there. I check my possible keywords in Google to see what the size of the competition is. While I’m checking results, I use them to brainstorm new ideas for keywords. I enter each keyword and the competition size in a spreadsheet. When I’ve exhausted all possibilities I can think of, I sort the list to find the best keywords with the least competition. This usually takes me a few hours to do, but I’ve found that it provides me with a great list of keywords to target.

Once I’ve got my primary keywords targeted, I write the content. I fit my selected keywords into the content whenever and wherever they fit. Then I take a break. A day or two later, I review what I wrote to see if it makes sense from a visitor’s perspective, adding or subtracting keywords as needed. I don’t check the word count nor do I calculate the keyword density. I create a page title that uses my keywords and I use them in meta tags. Most search engine optimization experts will tell you that meta tags are old school and search engines ignore them. They well might ignore them for ranking purposes, but some use them for search results, which is why I spend a little time crafting a well written description for my meta description tag.

I don’t spend any time submitting my websites and pages to search engines. I let the Internet do it for me. I use CMS/Blogging software, such as WordPressto power my sites. I set them up to ping a variety of sites every time I write and publish a new article. The search engines’ spiders find my sites through those sites and my sites get listed quickly. And, if I’ve done my keyword research properly, I’ll get top rankings very soon thereafter.

Here’s an example. One of my "hobbies" is barbeque and grilling. A few years ago, I purchased the domain, billcangrill.com. My site was going to provide tips and information about barbeque and grilling along with some great recipes. I spent a few hours researching keywords and settled on "delicious backyard barbeque recipes" as my primary keyword phrase. It had very little competition at the time. I built the website, with static content on the front page using my selected keyword phrase a few times, where it made sense and didn’t overwhelm the content and my potential visitors. This website has consistently been #1 for that keyword in Google, Yahoo! and MSN/Bing since it was listed, beating out high profile sites such as Food Network. I get top rankings for derivatives of that keyword phrase in all three of those search engines as well. Traffic steadily increases every month, especially in the summer. I’ve never actively sought out backlinks. I don’t have a link directory on the site. I add content sporadically, but not with any regularity, yet the top rankings persist.

So the point of this article is that I am of the opinion that many search engine optimization strategists and experts are over-thinking their search engine optimization strategies and processes. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It actually can be quite simple.

Here’s my simple process:

1. Research keywords
2. Select the keyword phrase that fits the site’s primary topic and has minimal competition
3. Write a smart page title using the keyword phrase
4. Use the keyword phrase along with synonyms in the meta keywords tag
5. Write an informative, captivating description using the keyword phrase and insert it into the meta description tag
6. Write content, using the keyword phrase, that makes sense to potential visitors
7. Post the article online

That’s it. To me it’s so simple it’s silly. That’s why I say Keep It Simple, Silly. Keep your search engine optimization simple and you’ll have more time to spend however you want while achieving top rankings.