If your website lacks high rankings with search engines, and no-one is finding your website - then you are not alone.   Many of us have a great website, excellent products, or superior service that isn’t being found online. We've all heard PPC and ROI. Many companies are claiming to guarantee high ranking for “X” amount of dollars, and "X" is usually higher than we can afford. The trend is on to use Pay-Per-Click advertising. But let's face it - those monthly costs can add up quickly - and the Return On Investment for a small business owner is generally nil. We might get more hits, but how many turn into real sales?

So what can you do to get your website listed on the first pages of the major search engine contenders, without breaking the bank? Keep reading... This search engine optimization article will address 10 tips to get you higher search engine ranking organically... a.k.a. FREE!

Secrets of Organic Search Engine Optimization:

1. Content Is King — We've all heard this, but what does it mean? Simply put - write, write, write. Place text content on your website that contains your keywords. Think quality not quantity. Peak visitor interest and keep them coming back for more. You're thinking, "How do I get started" right? Do your research! Check out other sites; see what they offer to get some ideas. Then write articles related to your website, keeping them between 300-500 words per page. Again, quality content will rank higher than meaningless jargon.
   
   
2. Niche Keyword Phrases — The market is competitive when it comes to keywords and phrases. Think outside the box, and go with a niche market to target. What does this mean? If your website sells dog collars, try using keyword phrases that address one particular breed of dog... "Boston Terrier Dog Collars" will have less competition in the search engine ranking scale than "Dog Collars" alone. Does it mean you can "only" sell to Boston Terrier owners? Of course not - we're just getting you started toward niche marketing. Next you can try "Cocker Spaniel Dog Collars"... you see where I'm heading, don't you?
   
   
3. Utilize Your Website URL — Your website address, domain name, URL, and page naming structure increase rankings with search engines when they include your keywords. Huh? The text you see in the Address Bar of your browser window after the "http://". So choosing a domain name like: www.joe.com - doesn't really say much about your site, but something like: www.JoesDogCollars.com has a different impact, right? Now we know what this site is about right off the bat. Try steering away from page naming like: page1.html. This does nothing for the good ole search engines. Let let's take a look at: www.JoesDogCollars.com/leather_dogcollars.com - tells a different story than: www.joe.com/page1.html - right? Now you've used the phrase "dog collar" twice in one URL and added "leather dog collar." You get the picture.
   
   
4. Show Your Title On Every Page — Use your "H" tags! Heading tags, <h1>, <h2>, etc. work like the table of contents for your web page. By placing your page title on the page, each page with a unique title and enclosing it within a heading tag - you are telling the search engine what this page is about in the first line of text. This is a great place for relevant keyword phrases - remember tip 2 above.
   
   
5. Update, Update, Update! — Keep your content fresh by updating it at least once a month. Even slight changes will impact not only your website visitors but also the search engines. They will think, "Hey, this site added some new stuff, we better keep a better eye on it!" Now you've accomplished two goals. First, your site is constantly evolving and the search engines will index it more often. Second, your website visitors will see new content added and may return again to see what's new - maybe they even bookmark it in their favorite’s folder. Viola – mission accomplished!

Read Part 2 - Five more organic search engine optimization secrets »

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About the Author:
Diane Valenzuela is a website development assistant for Zyun Graphics, a website design firm in Phoenix, Arizona. She joined us early in 2006, and is a valuable asset to the Zyun team.