Best SEO Practices
-
I've been doing SEO for quite some time now but with the recent updates I've been told that I'm doing some things wrong now. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything from a SEO standpoint, let me know what your thoughts are.
On-Page
Max of 3 keywords on homepage linking to internal optimized pages
Links to these pages on other pages using your keywords
XML and HTML sitemaps
Using only WWW or no-WWW version of the site, make sure this is also set in .htaccess and google webmaster toolsEach optimized internal page should have this:
content is king, write for readability
max 2 keywords per page
keyword in slug or html page name
keyword density of 3-5%
keyword 2 times in title and meta description (preferably at beginning and end)
keyword in bold, italic, and underline
keyword in h1
keyword in h2-6 if possible
keyword in image alt tags
low code to text ratio
valid HTMLOff-page
Link directories
article directories
social media links and likes/+1s
web 2.0 links
forum profile and signature links
pdf links (slideshare, google docs, pdfcast, scribd)
social bookmark links
blog comments on related sites
yahoo answers
edu and gove links
authority sites carry much better link juice
build backlinks to your backlinksFrom what I understand forum profiles and web 2.0 aren't as powerful as they used to be, is all of this correct?
-
Latent dirichlet allocation is the newest school of thought on content: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/lda-and-googles-rankings-well-correlated
Essentially focusing on contextual clues to reinforce the idea of what a page is really about.
Writing about Jaguar the animal, talk about fur. Writing about Jaguar the car, mention spark plugs.
Here's a followup article to SEOMoz's that's quite informative: http://www.seangolliher.com/2010/seo/185/
It get's into the actual math of the data.
-
I would drop the "keyword in bold, italic and underlined" as well as worrying at all about density. I would only do that if it enhances the page for the reader rather than bolding etc... a word simply because it is your targeted term for the page. Also - alt tags are very important, yes, but remember to describe the image, don't just throw keywords in. I think will all of the recent talk about 'Over Optimization' those are things that the algo's could potentially be looking for etc...
-
Thanks for the info!
-
Hi Terry,
It is important to include exact match keywords and related keywords in each page's meta data, headers, and content. As for an exact keyword density, we do not use this as an on-page factor anymore. Just make sure you use the keywords you want to show up for in the meta data, headers, and content, while keeping the content user focused.
-
Hi Terry,
It is important to include exact match keywords and related keywords in each page's meta data, headers, and content. As for an exact keyword density, we do not use this as an on-page factor anymore. Just make sure you use the keywords you want to show up for in the meta data, headers, and content, while keeping the content user focused.
-
Thanks, I forgot about that one. Are the on-page factors still important such as the keyword density or has this changed too?
-
Link directories and the web 2.0 backlinks to backlinks strategy is not very effective anymore. Blog commenting is typically marked with a nofollow link, so that will not do much for you. Many of the other
Several of the elements on your list are still very important for SEO, but knowing this is only the start, especially regarding off-page. Knowing where to get the links is good, but the more important factors is knowing how to get the links, which is best done through out reach and creating things for your link targets that merit a link.
Also, your off-page list is missing one very effective link building tool which is guest posting. This is a great way to acquire quality links.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
The relationship between Social Media and SEO?
I have read mixed reviews about the relationship between these two in the past. Are there any ways Social Media can improve SEO?
Social Media | | sophiecrosby970 -
Best tools to create facebook landing page
Hello Mooooooooooz fans ! Oye, does anyone recommend a tool that can easily create and integrate landing pages ? Tks a lot !
Social Media | | JoomGeek0 -
Best Link Building Agencies in Australia
Hi all, I'd like to ask the community to recommend some great agencies that specialise in large scale link building (enterprise level), especially around link baiting & social linking. Would like to avoid the traditional paid links and have someone who's innovative in their approach. If you've had experience with any of them, would be great to hear your experiences. Thanks.
Social Media | | danng0 -
What about Google + and SEO has this effect on your organic results?
Can somebody give me an answer on this question? And when so what to do? With your Google + account? And what about Google + and the future of SEO within the organic search results in Google ? Hope to get some answers???
Social Media | | SearchOptimization
Thank you in advance 🙂0 -
Social doesn't help SEO (article), what are your thoughts?
Social doesn't help SEO (article), what are your thoughts? http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/32887.asp?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ImediaConnectionAll+%28iMedia+Connection%3A+All+Stories%29
Social Media | | activitysuper0 -
Best Way to Install Facebook Comments in Wordpress.
Guys, What is the best way to install facebook comments in a wordpress blog, I've seen most plugins, but most of them are broken. Also, I would like to keep the default wordpress comment system. So, I'll be maintaing 2 comment systems in my blog. Please inform me the procedure in detail. Thank you in advance 🙂
Social Media | | gurrambharath0 -
Google+ SEO value
Hello, We created a google+ page for our website and we would like to know what's best for SEO purposes. We've put +1 buttons on our website and when you use them it give a +1 to our website's url. Some other websites on the other hand make the button give a +1 to their website's page on Google + like this for instance: https://plus.google.com/u/0/113493854651753327245/posts So basically the number of +1s on the Google+ page increases. Which one is best to have my website rank higher for its keywords? Thanks for your help 🙂
Social Media | | LisaAa0 -
Social Media effects SEO
Looking for Tips on how to improve our Social Media. How to get more people to LIKE US on Facebook and or Share. My understanding is that Facebook Likes are starting to play a big role in Organic Search Results. Any Ideas on how to to receive more LIkes and Shares. Anyone know of any Facebook Tools? If we run a contest, how can we set it up on Facebook for people to Like us prior to entering the contest. Can we track who Liked Us When?
Social Media | | hfranz0