Instructions for Optimizing Web Pages for Search Engines (SEO)

1. Keyword Research

• Log into Google Keyword Planner

• Select appropriated keywords and download list

• The next step is to rank the keyword phrases by priority.

• Add a column and gave each phrase a ranking of A, B, C, D or X.

A= combination of "sable" "island" "wild" "horses" and "photograph or book or print or poster"

B= missing one of those critera

C= missing more criteria

D= too broad

X= delete, not worth even thinking about

2. Add Number of Competing Pages

• Start with the A's. 

• Don't go any further. We can do the others later.

• Copy the keyword phrase

• Search on Google.ca

• Copy the number of "results"

• Now add quotes around the phrase and copy that number to the spreadsheet

• You see! This is not a bad keyword phrase to go after.

• And notice that the competitors are right at the top.

• Ideally, you want to be #1 for this phrase but that is going to take effort, skill, and time.

• Add both numbers to the spreadsheet.

3. Select "high-performance keyword phrases"

• Now you have to look at the data.

• You need to re-prioritize based on the following criteria:

a) Very relevant to what Debra is selling (photographs of wild horses on Sable Island)

b) A low number of competing pages (using the quotes)

c) A high number of searches

d) Will generate sales

4. Group Phrases

• Using your list of A priority keyword phrases, sort them into groups of 3.

• The phrases should be relevant to each other.

• You should have about 5-7 groups (15 to 21 keyword phrases)

5. Align Phrases with Pages

• Now try to match each group of phrases to a page on the website

• Start on the Home Page and use the best keyword phrases based on the sorting in step #3

6. Optimization Plan

• Next plan how you are going to optimize the page

• Start with one page and the 3 keyword phrases you have selected for that page

• The most important page is the home page. You can start there but realize that we can't change the URL of the home page.

• At this stage, you have to write out the exact words that you are going to use for each part of the page that you are going to optimize:

Title

URL

Meta Keywords

Meta Description

Heading

Content

• Log into the website page and use your plan to optimize the page

• Review those pages with an SEO professional and then make appropriate changes

7. Internal Links

• Now find other pages on the website where you can add a link back to the target page.

• You are going to add a link on that page with the keyword phrase in the "anchor text" (visible text) and a link back to the target page.

• The target page is the page that has been optimized with the keywords and the page that you want to rank high on Google.

• But plan first. Send that to me and I'll give you feedback.

• It is very possible that you will group 3 phrases together on a specific topic and find out that there is not a page on the website that fits.

• This is common and is actually good. This means that you have to create a page that fits the criteria. 

• But ignore this for now. You can do this later after you have optimized all the pages that you can.