Website traffic is essential in creating an effective website for SEO – Search Engine Optimization. Traffic indicates the number of visitors and the pages they click on. Upon arriving at the site a log is created and any links clicked on monitored. The numbers are tallied up and the site owner can get an indication of the amount of people visiting the site. The more traffic a site receives the more popular it becomes. Website Traffic can be measured by a variety of website metrics. It also indicates the number of times a site is viewed by unique visitors within a stipulated time. Increasing website seo takes time, luck, and skill.

Website traffic and SEO – Search Engine Optimization

• Pay for it

Paid links, such as banner ads, text links in the footer of the page, under a 'sponsored listings' category, could help traffic, but unlikely rank, as they are frowned upon by many search engines. If you're going to buy a pay per click link for ranking purposes surround it by content so that it doesn't look like an obvious paid link or an advertisement.

• Borrow It.

Trading or 'reciprocal linking' is pretty much dead, as are 'spam' looking link pages that have a "link then description, link then description" pattern. Three way linking is still useful: This is when you request a link from Site A to your Site B in exchange for putting a link to their Site A on your Site C. Sounds confusing, but it's not - just always make sure you're getting links from sites relevant to your own website.

• Actualize It.

Creating your own website seo is one of the best means of attracting visitors to your site. There are actually many ways of doing this although I will only outline two of these below:

Article writing for SEO – Search Engine Optimization

There is some division on how useful article writing and submission to multiple directories may be for Search Engine Optimization. While not the most effective link building method in terms of link juice, submitting 5-10 articles per month to several quality directories is a good strategy to add to your SEO play book providing that you have carefully written your articles and chosen your keywords wisely.

Submitting press releases online can greatly assist to build links, it can also keep your website in the news and Google has began showing news results in the SERPs. Write and submit press releases at least 1 or 2 times a month. Some submissions are free, some you must pay for, so do your research. Website traffic is vital to site.

The word 'Blog' is short for 'web log' or 'weblog'. Blog posts are separate editorials/inserts/entries contained within one/or more weblog authors. People who manage and maintain their web log are referred to as 'bloggers'. Designing a 'weblog', maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing web log is called “blogging”. Blogs are arranged in sequential order starting with the most recent entries at the top of the main page ending with the oldest entries at the bottom.

Frequent posts on a blog can assist with driving the search engines to your site for Search Engine Optimization purposes. Remember that SEO is a vital aspect to the success of your website.

Ranking and SEO – Search Engine Optimization using your Blog

When you are trying to get rank for top keywords. using blogging can go a long way to aid Search Engine Optimization process. The important thing to remember here is to ensure that your blog is totally separate from your website. If, for example, your website is called GXI.com call your weblog something different such as GXIBLOG.com. It is very important that your business and your blog have different IP addresses as well, so that links can point back to your website and search engines can rate these links as true external inbounds.

You must ensure the credibility of your blogs especially for SEO by writing well constructed content that has genuine appeal to your readers. You are wanting your readers to share your articles by submitting them to various social networking sites thus attracting traffic to your weblog. The search engines track this kind of activity.

Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO' & Marketing using a Blog

When writing blog content with Search Engine Optimization in mind keep blog posts on topic and active as search engines look out for this. Freshness of content is what search engines are seeking and rewarding. Ideally blogs would provide for tiny snippets of information that over time build up to a greater whole. While the main objective of a blog should be to get your message out, don't forget to take a little time for SEO and you should see your efforts payoff in the search engine results pages.

Writing a Blog entry for SEO – 'Search Engine Optimization

1. SEO tips inform us to avoid: bad coding, to use relevant keywords, to be aware of where they are placed in a text and to get inbound links. Taking all these into account a blog is an excellent part of Search Engine Optimization.
2. Coding: In most blogging platforms, top coding standards are maintained with approved templates meeting W3C standards.
3. Relevant Keywords: It is extremely easy writing content based on relevant keywords in a blog. Each blogging platform gives you options to label, categorize and even tag your articles by sub-topics. It is also easy to keep order in a weblog and remain on topic.
4. Writing 'around' relevant keywords: Most blog platforms present the user with a rich text editor to use. This allows for correctly writing your content and inserting your keywords into your introductory paragraphs as well as control the amount of sub keywords within the body content and in your closing paragraph.

Search engine rankings are vital for bringing traffic to your website. A procedure known as Search Engine Optimization or SEO, assists customers with finding their way to your website. Find out how search engines rank websites and utilize simple SEO strategies to increase traffic from qualified customers.

How traffic works for Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO'

Direct Traffic – customers find a website by typing the web address into the browser or click a bookmark or email link. Generally these are customers that know the company or are repeat visitors to the website.

Referrals – by clicking on a link from another website and are then directed to websites

Search Engines – will analyse web page contents and part of the process will then be to create a ranking of websites which correspond with keywords a customer is most likely to use when searching for certain categories or information. Typing Search Engine Optimization or SEO into a search engines search will bring up pages of sites.

The importance of Meta Tags in Search Engine Optimization – 'SEO'

A good website is not all that is needed to get attention or better search engine ranking. People won't know where to find your website unless you actually inform them. Obtaining free website traffic takes time, work and commitment. Here are a few guidelines to bear in mind as you develop your Search Engine Optimization strategies.

Free website traffic for Search Engine Optimization and SEO

Always keep your objectives clear. Your aim is to attract free website traffic and better search engine ranking for your specific line of business. You want to aim for the best possible search engine optimization strategies so ensure that your content contains well planned keywords that are reflected in headings and content. Good SEO is definitely necessary to help with free website traffic.

Some pointers for free website traffic and Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO'

1. Do submit your site to as many search engines as you possibly can. Some popular ones include Google, Yahoo, Ask, Alta-Vista,Web Crawler and Look Smart.
2. Go to http://www.favicon.cc/ and make yourself one. Wiki definition if you don't know what it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon
3. To have satisfied customers, ensure you have have unique content on your site. Include where possible, message boards, new items, specials, quotes, picture galleries etc.
4. Ensure that your Meta Tags are done correctly.
5. Check that all your links work, it is extremely annoying clicking on links that don't function correctly. The are online places where you can check this: do source them out.
6. Use keywords with care. For example: try searching for the word 'banner' you will discover pages and pages and simply a waste of time. Be creative and choose words well.
7. Subscribe to Usenet groups and start advertising, a good starting point is Google Groups.
8. Submit your website in related groups.
9. Create a 2nd email just for this to avoid finding yourself in every single spammers data base.
10. Sites advertising automated submission software, as a rule don't work and run by people often out to make some quick cash.
11. Check your grammar, spelling and sentence structure.

A web designer creates a fantastic website and initially the relationship between the designer and client goes perfectly well. Great, everyone is excited, eagerly awaiting the moment the website goes live!

Some time later the client returns not as happy, there are not enough visitors to the site. The Web designer, in order to give his client more than just a 'pretty website', needs to become familiar and up to date with key analytical elements and decisions that affect Search Engine Optimization – 'SEO'

Two key factors for Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO'

A web designers 'job' does not simply end once the site has been created. In essence there are two major factors to a successful website:
a) Web Design
b) SEO – Search Engine Optimization

A web designer needs to think like a Marketer as well as an artist. What's the design decision here? To be clear and focused about your site's objectives and purposes.

Things to put into place for Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO'

1. Determine the Website's priority purpose.

2. Have your main purpose clearly in mind including your Search Engine Optimization - 'SEO' plan of action.

3. Consider whether it is necessary to create an online brochure, it is not the 'thing' for every site but is quite legitimate for some types of companies especially local business.

4. Provide information of products/services to dealer locations. Some manufacturers don't sell on their sites and rather point people to retailers who have their products.

5. Selling directly over the internet requires some type of ordering system and catalogue.

6. You can earn affiliate commissions through generated links on the website via micro-sites so when a visitor click on one of their links he is referred to an e-commerce site, if there is a sale the affiliate gets a commission.

7. Guides such as FAQ's (frequently asked questions), technical assistance providing various ways customers can contact you.

8. Online orders with real-time credit card authentication can save paying call centre operators and eliminate entry errors. Online brochures and catalogues save tons in paper, printing and distribution costs.

Starting up a business takes capital, to make money you need money, fortunately the internet is adaptable and has many ways to assist you with attracting free traffic. You don't need to fork out any money, all you need is desire and the will to succeed. One key factor to website success is to have a Search Engine Optimization procedure.

Search Engine Optimization and online forums and communities...

The use of online forums and communities are definitely worth investing time into as you are able to pick out the types of groups and communities which would be best suited to the products and/or business your are involved in. These are platforms where you can discuss many things related to your business and build a reputation for your business by displaying your knowledge and expertise. Search Engine Optimization of your website by creating quality content on your own blog with appropriate link building from forums and news worthy content to news groups can be beneficial.

To summarize Search Engine Optimization ideas:

• Article Writing: Write articles with Search Engine Optimization in mind that will also arouse genuine curiosity in your readers. If your articles are of benefit and value to readers they are sure to visit your website. You can do this on blogs or in forums that you visit. You can include a very brief description on what you do and a link to your website.

• Website Content: Never underestimate the value of your own content. Search Engines track down keywords and phrases used on your website. They also look at 'how you use' these. You do not need to employ someone to write for you, you can do it yourself but do ensure you write great content that is entertaining and informational. Internet users use search engines to find what they need, search engines therefore use keywords for their search results. The use of well thought out keywords and phrases are vital to your content writing and there is no cost involved and will go a long way with your Search Engine Optimization process.

• Newsletters: Consider giving out catalogues of your products with compelling and interesting articles, people will sign up for it and as a bonus recommend it to others. This will naturally encourage more people to your website.

• Link Trading: No need to spend a cent. Exchanging links with another webmaster can be very beneficial to your business provided that the business actually 'compliments' your own and always obtain other webmasters permission.

A site map helps to strengthen the information on pages web crawlers find from the links within a website which in turn benefits your sites Search Engine Optimization success rate. Search Engines such as Google generally count on their web crawlers and bots for sourcing new pages on the web. It also benefits visitors to your website by making it easier for them to locate the pages that include the content the are searching for. In essence a sitemap provides an overview of how the site is arranged.

A sitemap is a synopsis of all the pages contained in a website. In the majority of instances small websites will include every page whereas in more involved websites, containing more categories, a site map will comprise of only the most import categories and sub categories. Most site maps pages are mapped out according to designated topics, although there are many other methods that are also used. Search Engine Optimization can be improved with site maps as the pages are found with ease.

Search Engine Optimization and site map design

A separate HTML page is used to create a site map with links to the appropriate pages on the web site to therefore function as a directory of the website. It is important to use plain text and to use bulleted or numbered listings for Search Engine Optimization. Maximize the use of your important keywords to enhance your 'keyword density' in the link text on the page. 'Keyword density' refers to the amount of times keyword 'phrases' and 'words' are displayed on your website.

Tips to remember for Search Engine Optimization of site maps

• Use plain text links.

• Create a plain text link from the home page to the site map.

• Maximize keyword usage for Search Engine Optimization.

• Use those keywords for the links on each page including the link you place on the sitemap.

Website Statistics play an extremely vital role in Search Engine Optimization as they provide you with data which you can use to evaluate your website graphically. Google Analytics, Webalizer, AW Stats and Stat Counter are a few examples of programmes used to do this. Measuring 'on' site behavior of visitors and spiders is essential in gauging the effectiveness of your SEO efforts as well as measuring the effectiveness of the design of your website in converting visitors into buyers and clients. If your target market is for the UK , for example, you need to ensure that you visitors are from the UK. For any successful internet marketing campaign, you do need to know who is coming to your website and how they came to be there.

What website statistics are used to help Search Engine Optimization?

Below we will cover some of the most important website statistics to become familiar with which will greatly assist your Search Engine Optimization endeavors.

• Unique visitors: Refers to how many visitors in total have been on your website which indicates that people are finding your site. If these stats begin to drop you need to re look at your Search Engine Optimization approach.

• Bounce rate: Refers to how many visits your website receives and how long they remain on your site. The longer people stay the better for your website and if you find visitors come and go too quickly it is time to re evaluate your SEO.

• Page views: The amount of page views will be greater then the amount of unique visitors because there will be people that discover your site and look around. The more page views you can obtain the better for your website. Paying close attention to your page views for Search Engine Optimization is vital.

A few more website statistics to assist Search Engine Optimization...

For the majority of websites top referrers will be the search engines so you will also want to find other sources to help your Search Engine Optimization rankings and to maintain a continued interest in your website. Search Terms will indicate precisely how visitors find your website in a search engine so consistently checking your search terms and choosing them with SEO in mind is important.

….and finally remember that it is not a given that your visitors will come from your own country, in fact, it may well surprise you to find where your are in fact receiving visitors from. So if you discover that you are getting many visitors from another country, it may be well worth your while to consciously make your content more accessible to those places. Search Engine Optimization and Website statistics definitely work hand in hand.

HTML is the common language used to create websites, a RSS feed is similar to HTML and as with HTML a webmaster uses conventional Search Engine Optimization strategies in creating an RSS feed will discover the RSS feed receives extra exposure.

RSS = Really Simple Syndication or a 'news feed'

Prior to RSS one would keep track of website updates by 'bookmarking' the sites in your browser returning to them manually, frequently to get information on what had been added.

RSS is simply an extremely easy way that is used by literally millions of internet users world wide to keep track of favourite web sites via an RSS reader which updates itself each time a page is accessed.

RSS is fabulous for link building as part of a Search Engine Optimization strategy.

Blog Line and Google Reader are two examples of RSS feeds.

RSS feeds enables web site owners the ability to inform readers when you have something new for them to view and this in turn increases your web site traffic.

Search Engine Optimization steps for RSS feeds

• The title must lure your readers without being misleading in any way. Highlight your keywords.

• Display RSS feeds as content on your website using PHP HTML or ASP for Search Engine Optimization.

• Use keywords in link text to redirect back to your website.

• Subscribe to your own RSS Feed.

• Submit RSS feeds to applicable directories.

• Every feed item must contain a unique URL

• Feed channels that start with A appear at the top of the list, bear this in mind.

RSS, Search Engine Optimization....

As an online marketing strategy RSS feeds will enhance your Search Engine Optimization. A well optimized HTML page increases exposure and in a similar way a RSS feed will improve the overall visibility online of your web site.

Many companies put up a web site with the hope of attracting new clients from the growing web communities. What usually happens is they get nothing for their time, trouble or their cost. There are reasons that websites attract visitors and there are also reasons they do not. A web site is not in itself an advertisement. Its an advertisement space. Search Engine Optimization – (SEO) of your website plays a key role in this matter.

No one has a website listing directory delivered like a newspaper, the closest thing to that are the search engines. In fact, no one will go to your site unless you specifically invite them. This is why a web site actually needs to be actively marketed, in other words you need to advertise your web site with either, pay-per-click strategies, give-aways or by attracting visitors by more ingenious methods like backlinks obtained from other websites and suitable online authority sites. You also need to spend time to implement Search Engine Optimization – (SEO) strategies.

Backlinks, website traffic and Search Engine Optimization – (SEO)

Attracting traffic to your website can improve your Search Engine Optimization - (SEO) when done correctly. There are a variety of downloadable programmes that you can install to assist you with Search Engine Optimization – (SEO). These programmes will provide important information about your content and their SEO effectiveness.

Backlinks are also referred to as “in-bound links”, “one way links” and even “reciprocal links.” GOOD authority websites demand a link to them from you before they are willing to grant you one from them..

Many of the links that websites have are designed to create a path to another website or resource that takes visitors from one website to another. These links are usually grouped together on a links page especially set aside for them or in a resource section of the website that is itself linked on the first page. Blogs can also put links in the sidebar or directly in a post depending on the nature of the link etc.

Backlinks have the potential to bring visitors to your website. Once visitors come to your web site, you can turn them into clients.

Search Engine Optimization - (SEO) and website traffic

Search Engine Optimization – (SEO) of your website is a necessary part of your website success.

Inn the eyes of the search engines, your website’s “worth” increases exponentially with its increasing popularity measured by the number of backlinks that it has accumulated over time. So basically each back link raises the popularity of your web site. It’s like having a huge following on twitter for example. The more followers you have the more people want to follow you. Its one of the most basic fundamental human traits.

As your page rank rises so does the overall authority of your website, that is recognised and rewarded by the search engines. This is why building backlinks are one of the fastest and most profitable strategy for growing your business.

An introduction to setting up your first business website

If you haven't set up a website before, the idea could be challenging. This brief article provides a few pointers to assist you with setting up:

• choosing a domain name for my website?

• my website contents?

• my home page appearance?

• attracting visitors to my website?

• how successful is my website?

Choosing a Domain Name for my business website

You can't use a domain name that someone else has already registered. Most web hosting companies have a page where you can type in a domain name to see if it already registered. If your preferred name is not already registered it is advisable to go and register it right away. Registration is not terribly costly and is lasts for two years, remember to renew it or it becomes available for someone else to utilise. Your name should say something about your type of business. Bear in mind: A .com domain implies a worldwide presence, a .co.za is for a business either in SA or the localised website of a global organisation and a .org website is mainly a non-profit making enterprise.

The domain name should also be closely related to your business. In most cases this means the name of the website should contain the name of the company. In other cases the website may be named after a product of your business. In these cases the advantage is that your site is more likely to appear as the result of a web search because users are more likely to search for products and benefits than company names.

What contents to include in my business website?

The pages of your website needs textual information about your products or services and their benefits. Google uses this information to determine the subject matter of each page for relevant keywords of your subject matter. You are aiming to appear as close to the top of a Google search for your products or services. Remember that keywords need to be things that people will actually search for but remember also that keywords are competitive so attempt to find words that effectively target your specific business. Once you have your desired keywords use the on your website, especially in headings and don't use synonyms.

Don't use links to expired or fictitious pages all this does is create a bad reflection. Keep your pages up to date and avoid the appearance of an incomplete looking site.

What should my Home Page Look Like on my business website?

Consider who will be visiting your site, what they would expect to find and how they will find it. What will a first time visitor see upon landing on your home page? Will they return? Ask a friend or a stranger to sit down and look at your site and give feed back and watch how they navigate your website.

How do I go about attracting visitors to my business website?

Apart from well chosen keywords, you will benefit from other people linking to your website. In the past, this led to the practice of link swapping. Such practices these days are likely to damage your ranking with Google. Include genuine links to others within your market sector, but do not adopt link swapping as a practice to sway the search engines.

Provide useful information on your website to potential customers of your business and design your website so that it is easy to use. People will visit your website for the information and may return and buy from you later, particularly if they found the information useful.

How Successful is business Website?

Your web hosting company will make statistics available about your website including the number of visitors to your website each month, the number of pages viewed, the number of requests for each page, which search terms were used in search engines to find your pages, the pattern of requests over a 24 hour period etc. This information enables you to build up a profile of visitors to your site, which you should compare with your targeted customer profile.

Summary

Your website needs to:

• convey your company's image and brand,

• be user friendly,

Websites need to be actively maintained, as those that do not change for long periods are classified by visitors and search engines alike as being 'dead'.