Sep 3, 2008
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There are many different websites that are trying to optimize for certain search terms in the search engines. There are some common mistakes that I have seen websites make when it comes to search engine optimization.
Ignoring to put your targeted keyword in the title tag. Title tags of a webpage are extremely important for search engines and carry a lot of weight. The different search engines vary a little on how many characters they show in the results. On average you will be safe with 68-72 characters. Put your targeted keyword at the beginning of the title.
Meta descriptions are another place to place your keywords. Search engines are not placing as much weight on meta descriptions but they are what show up in the search results. It is best to have your keywords in the meta descriptions.
Image descriptions is another place people forget. There are many sites where the images have no descriptions. Search engines cannot see images so they rely on the descriptions. This is also called Alt text which stands for alternate text. Placing keywords to describe images is very good. However it must fit the image and do not overstuff with keywords or you will be flagged.
Header tags are another place people forget to place targeted keywords. If you are optimizing a page it is important to have your keyword in the header. Place your keyword at the beginning of the header tag.
Body text is where you should also use your keyword naturally. Many sites do not use the text to insert their keyword. If you are targeting a keyword then it should only be natural to mention it when you speak. Place your keyword at the top of the page within the first paragraph. Preferrably whithin the first 90 characters.
These are some of the most common mistakes that websites have made when it comes to search engine optimization. Always be conscious of these things and your website will do well.