The following article explains just how to create a website that is “Google Friendly”

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=40349&ctx=related

Maggie knows how to find what she wants. She lets her fingers do the walking - not in the Yellow Pages, but at Google.com. She wants to learn about bread baking, and you have just written Bread Baking Made Simple, and you sell some great baking tools. The good news is the Google and other search engines exist for one simple reason: to help Maggie find your website.

Google will show Maggie 534,000 resources on “bread baking”. Unless she fails to find what she wants on the first page, or top 10 results, she will never find your website listed 124th in the results. (Actually, if she does not find what she wants in the top twenty or thirty results, she is likely to refine her search to “easy bread baking” or “home bread baking”).

How do you get into the top 10 results so Maggie can find your website? You might have heard a lot about “search engine optimization” and “ranking analysis” and “algorithms”. It all sounds very complex, but it really works on a simple 1 - 2 - 3 principle.

1. A search engine will show Maggie only resources (websites) it has on record. So make sure to submit your site to the key search engines and directories. You do not need to hire somebody who will charge you big dollars to do this. Nor should you fall for any of the auto-submit software or services. This should be done by hand, and anybody can do it. You can do it yourself.

2. The search engine will rank highest those websites it feels are most “important”. This means you have to show that your website is most important. There are a few simple things you can do. First, make sure you have content. Text content equals importance on the Internet. Links, both coming in and going out, are key. Connectivity equals importance on the Internet. Get listed in the major directories (DMOZ.com, Yahoo.com, Zeal.com, JoeAnt.com, etc.), as this also is a measure of importance.

3. The search engine will show Maggie the most “relevant” high-ranking resources. Google might rank http://TheHappyGuy.com relatively very high, but it is totally irrelevant to a search for bread baking. How does a search engine know which websites are most relevant for Maggie’s search? By the number of times “bread baking” shows up in text on your web page. By the variety of ways it shows up on your page. By number web pages you link to and that link to you with the words “bread baking” included.

Are you ready to roll? Possibly. Some of this you can easily do yourself. But there are three places that are worth spending money to help all the Maggies out there find your website and your book.

The first is choosing the right keywords. It might look simple, but “bread baking” might not even be the best keyword phrase to focus on. It might be “easy bread baking” or “home bread baking”. The most searched terms might not be the best, nor the term with the least competition.

The second is to prepare a link strategy. The “link exchange” pages that are getting more popular each day are also becoming less effective each day. Here are just a few of the linking factors that will affect whether Maggie discovers your book:

• The total number of incoming and outgoing links
• The importance of the sites you link to and from
• The relevancy of the sites you link to and from
• Which pages on their sites and on yours are being linked
• What you include in the incoming and outgoing links
• Where on the page the links are placed
• How many links are on those pages
• How many pages are linked to or have outgoing links
• The ratio of links to content on the pages involved

You can implement the strategy yourself, but it is worth hiring somebody to put it together for you. Ask the person what factors she would consider when building a strategy for you. If she does not mention several of the above, your money is better spent elsewhere.

The third place to invest is to have somebody knowledgeable review your html code. Chances are that you have missed numerous opportunities to let the search engines know your website is relevant, and possibly some opportunities to show it is important.

David Leonhardt is an effective, professional seo consultant and a website marketing consultant. For a free quote, call 613-448-3931, or send us an email.

This article is by David Leonhardt.

http://www.seo-writer.com/reprint/top-seo-tips.html#permission

David Leonhardt is an effective, professional seo consultant and a website marketing consultant. For a free quote, call 613-448-3931, or send us an email.

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35769#design

The following is the suggested 10 step-by-step method for determining, checking, and registering a domain name for your website.

1.        Make a list of at least 10 domain names that you like.

2.       Go through the list, and narrow it down to at least 5 that match the following criteria:

a.       Is the domain name short and easily remembered?

b.      Does the domain name represent the product or service that your web page represents?

c.       Does the domain name contain a keyword that you would want visitors to find your website through search engines?

3.       Take the remaining list and ask friends, family, associates their opinions about the names.

4.       Once you have a strong list of at least 5 names, listing them in the priority order in which you would like to have them.  The first being the one you like the best.

5.       Connect to YourWebReviewed.com and open the Domain Name Checker utility under the FREE Tools section.

6.       Enter the 5 domain names… DO NOT INCLUDE EXTENSIONS.

7.       Click the submit button.

8.       The utility will go out and check to see if the domains are available.

9.       The results will tell you what is registered and what is available.  You can check the WHOIS information or connect to the websites of those domains that are registered.

10.   At the bottom of the page is a utility that will allow you to register the domain at GoDaddy.  If you find that the domain name you want is available… register it… as soon as possible.

What is a domain name?

domain name

–noun Computers. a name owned by a person or organization and consisting of an alphabetical or alphanumeric sequence followed by a suffix indicating the top-level domain: used as an Internet address to identify the location of particular web pages. (“domain name”).

To sum up, your domain name is your address on the Internet.

Most people want a domain name that is similar to their business, but when they go to purchase the domain, they find that it is already taken.  Unfortunately, domain name registration doesn’t work the same as business name registration, if fact, it is more competitive.

In most cases you will not get the domain name you want the first time out.  If you get lucky and find it that the domain name you want is open, register it, quickly.

Some Great Tips:

In an article by JumpLine.com, they listed 8 Quick Tips to Choosing a Domain Name (A link to the full article in provided in the resources below).  We have taken their 8 tips, and have added some of our own commentary and suggestions: 

They are:

1.       Keep it short as possible

You should try to keep your domain name as short as you can.  By doing this, you are creating something that people can remember easily.  If you cannot find a domain that is short, create something that is catchy.  The key is to have a domain name that relates to your business, your website, and is easily remembered.

2.       Use a .com

There are many different domain extensions available on the Internet theses days; however, one of the oldest extensions (as well as the one that most people search for) is .com.  Always try to register a .com if possible, especially if you have a business.  It gives the impression that your business is well established and since most people look for .com anyways, it is one less thing that they have to remember about your website domain.

3.       Avoid Trademarked Names

It is just not worth the potential lawsuits by the big businesses with their team of lawyers and deep packets who will want their name (if it is even available anymore) for their website.  The days of trying to retire early since you thought of stealing the name before they registered it is pretty much over.  Pick a domain and brand for yourself.

4.       Register Your Domain NOW

Domain names are being registered faster than people can come up with them.  So if you find your domain name available when you search for it, register it quickly.  Even if you don’t even have the hosting, web designer, or idea for the webpage yet… get the name!

5.       One [domain] May Not Be Enough

Some people choose to register different versions of their domain name, or different extensions of the same domain.  You could even register something that is completely different (like your full company name) and have all of these domain names point to the same website.  Whatever you think it would take to get your customers to your website, the sky is the limit.

6.       Character Types

Your domain name can only use letters, numbers, and dashes.  Spaces and symbols are not allowed.  Also, domain names are not case sensitive (so you can use this to your advantage when promoting your website… i.e. YourWebReviewed.com)

7.       Ask Around

When you have settled on several available name choices, see what your friend and clients have to say about them.  A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard for other people to remember.  Is the name easy to say?  Is it too long?  Is it hard to spell?  Do you have to explain why you chose it?  Use this method to shorten your list.

8.       Don’t Shell Out Large Amounts of Cash

Domain registration used to be a little expensive; however, this has now changed due to so many companies having the ability to register domains now.  You shouldn’t have to pay more than $35/year for your domain name and in most cases; you can get your domain name for much less.  If you have a company managing your website, you may a have to pay a consulting fee for them to register the domain and keep it active for you.

Now that we have discussed what a domain name is, please read our next article that will explain how to use YourWebReviewed.com’s Domain Checker Utility to get your domain registered.

Resources:

“domain name.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 16 Jan. 2008.  <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/domain name>.

Jumpline.com “8 Quick Tips to Choosing a Domain Name.” Sitepoint.  14 May 2000. 25 Jan. 2008.
<http://www.sitepoint.com/article/tips-choosing-domain-name>