Content Optimization Guidelines

Good Techniques

Use Original Related Content

The more original content (directly written for your website) you have on your website the better. This is for many reasons, however one of the most direct being, more content equals potentially more keywords and the more keywords the better the rankings.

Consistently Add New Content

Adding new content to your website is not only preferred by search engines but by users as well. (Blogs perform extremely well because of this.) Making minor updates to previous content is not considered as adding new content.

Big Keyword Text Size

Having keywords stand out from the rest of the text on a page places more importance on them, thus making them more valuable then any keywords within the text itself. The best practice is to use keywords within your headings (<h1>, <h2>, <h3>) as these are typically larger in size than the rest of the text on the page.

Stylize and Emphasizing Keywords

Using effects such as bold italics and underlining to highlight keywords will also place more importance on them than the rest of the text on the page. However it is important to do so within limitations. Bolding an entire paragraph will create the opposite and potentially negative results.

Keep Content Updated

The newer the content on your website the better. We live in a fast paced environment and things change quickly, thus making some content outdated fairly quickly. Keep your content updated and fresh at all times.

Limit Content Length

Generally speaking users scan content online rather than read it. Producing three pages on one given subject rather than one long page will not only achieve better rankings but it will be easier to maintain user interest as well.

Poor Techniques

Use One Domain

Putting all of your content under one roof will help build better rankings as it will not confuse search engines and visitors when navigating from page to page. Moving visitors from one domain to will set off a red flag.

Keep Your Code Clean

Table based layout and designs are bulky and the way of the past. HTML and CSS layouts are short and clean allowing search engines to get to your content quickly. Keep your code clean and well compiled to allow easier access from search engines.

Stay Away From Unlawful Content

Search engines will not put up with any unlawful use of copyrighted content nor will they promote any website that condones illegal behavior. Stay far away from any unlawful activities and do not raise any suspicions amongst search engines.

Do Not Hide Content

One sure way to get blocked from a search engine is to hide content. This is a black hat method of SEO accomplished by coloring text the same color as the background of a website so that only a search engine spider can find it.

Do Not Practice Any Cloaking

Cloaking, serving up different content to search engines than to actual users, is highly banned by search engines and is also a sure fire way to be blacklisted immediately.

Do Not Use Doorway Pages

Doorway pages were once popular however, search engines have caught on and know when you are pretending to be one thing when you are not. Stay away from doorway pages and take down any that you might currently have set up.

Do Not Reuse (Duplicate) Content

Using the same content from page to page on your website does not make it more relevant nor bigger. It’s also important not to copy or duplicate content from any other websites as search engines will pick up on this as well.