5 Steps to Optimize Search Engine Traffic

If you have spent anytime online trying to actually make money then you have at least read, and tried to optimize search engine traffic to drive customers to your sight. However, what you've found out quickly is that to optimize search engine traffic is TOUGH!

In fact, to do it correctly it is a daily job. Not only do you have to do a lot of up front work to create the "momentum" but you have to continue doing this at least weekly, and preferably daily if you want to have a long term career actually making money online.

To help you out I've included five steps to optimize search engine traffic:

• First, start a blog! This is the easiest and most search engine friendly feature around. If you haven't done this yet then stop right here, go to one of the many free sites and get started. One key is to put your websites name in the blog's name. This will help to create backlinks that will drive traffic to your parent website.
• Step 2. Type in your market niche keyword(s) into Google and see what pops up. Look at your competitors sites and study what makes them get onto the first page. It could be the title, the content or even age. Use what seems to be working as a guideline for your site. It really is about experimentation!
• Step 3. Take every class you can find that teaches you to optimize search engine traffic. There are plenty of free ones and some great paid courses as well. If you just don't have time to do this then hire someone! There are many talented men and women out there that will do this very inexpensively.
• Step 4. Go to your favorite forum and start posting content and make sure your URL is included in your signature. This is a GREAT way to optimize for traffic. A word of caution here, make sure that when you respond to posts you are providing quality content and not just saying "I agree" in order to get your signature shown
• Step 5. Finally, keep good records and test everything! Keep a spreadsheet, write down what you tried that day and then check your websites' ranking. Go back a week later and check your ranking again. Do this EVERY WEEK to see if your efforts to optimize search engine traffic is working or not!

The SEO Service Providers That You Must Avoid

Good SEO would be a must for your business if your wish is to sell your products from the onset of the search engines. You have got to drive the necessary traffic to your site, and that will require you taking time to do what the search engines will deem good for them to recognize it and reward it with top positions in their rankings.

If you do not have the capacity to do good SEO, you may be forced to hire the services from the experts. There are many providers that we have in the market. The providers use various techniques to trick the search engines.

The search engine consultant that does black hat SEO will hurt your business greatly. It is true as it is said that some bad tricks can make your site top in the search engines. This may however not be for long as the search engines may discover your tricks and blacklist your site.

You will therefore be required to choose your SEO service providers wisely so that you do not get Google and other search engines blacklisting your site.

The following are the providers that you will have to scrutinize keenly or avoid them all together:

Those that will give a guarantee to propel your site to page 1:

Do not be cheated. There is no company that will be sure of making your site get to the top page. The best they can do is to help you get higher rankings using strategic legal ways. You will also need to be well aware of the black hat and white hat SEO techniques.

Those that buy links:

There are quality back links that you will be sure to give you good results. There are those internet marketing providers who will tell you how they will buy links to promote your SEO campaigns. You should do your best to avoid them. They may be buying low quality links in some free for all websites.

How to Be an SEO Guru

SEO is not rocket science; it's much more difficult than rocket science. To become a ninja-level SEO master takes years of practice for most people, and like a ninja if you don't practice, one quickly loses one's skills. The reason for this is that the search algorithms shift constantly, and as they are well guarded secrets, you never know what the search engineers are up to. No, it's not rocket science; It's more like reverse engineering a UFO that you can only see off in the distance and whose propulsion system constantly shifts gears.

It is extremely difficult to be a true expert in this field. The competition is fierce, and one mistake can cost you months of work. If you are working for a client, you had better be certain that you do not get their site thrown into the "sandbox," meaning that it will never be found. This is like being exiled to the far reaches of the Internet where only the most intrepid explorers will ever find them. It's not good for business.

For this reason, it is extremely important to choose the right SEO company or employee if you are in business. If you want to become that person (the right SEO company or employee), here is what you need to do:

1. Administer at least five websites for at least a year. Do not link them to each other. Each is its own little petri dish that must not be contaminated.
2. Be scientific about it. Develop theories and test them rigorously. Keep track of results. Note changes in the way the search engines index your site and in the way your visitors find it, and connect those changes to actions that you have taken (link building, keyword weight, social networking, etc.)
3. Learn how to find the right keywords. This is not as simple as finding words that people search for and that are not insanely competitive. In this, you have to be somewhat intuitive. What keyword combination is a potential customer likely to use as opposed to a bored web surfer?
4. Use different tools until you find one that works. I have my favorite, but I'm not allowed to mention it. Follow the link in the resource box and surf around my blog. You'll figure out what it is. It may not be for you, but you can try it free.
5. Get at least 20 pages to the top for fairly competitive keywords. This is what turns prospects into clients.
6. Be a ninja. Once you figure out how to do it, take a cue from the people who write the search algorithms and keep it to yourself. Also train and improve continuously so that your skills do not slip.