A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Specialist is a person who specializes in the art of crafting web content specifically to be indexed by search engine spiders. This indexing helps content to rank higher on search engines such as Google, Yahoo or Bing.

Keyword Research

Learning proper keyword placement is the key to higher page rankings. Relevant keyword placement is what the spiders are looking for and the more relevant a keyword is to your website’s content, the better a ranking your website will eventually receive.

Content

As for the content, it must be original and fresh, meaning no plagiarized work or old articles should be on the website’s front page. The more new articles or videos are found on the website, the more the spiders and crawlers will notice and continue indexing the new web pages. Plagiarized work should never appear on a website because it can lead to lawsuits and duplicate content penalties from the search engines.

Link Placement

Quality link placement is preferred over quantity of links placed. Placing backlinks on a site known for spam or with a low page rank can bring your website down. Alternatively, placing backlinks on a good, reputable website with a higher page ranking can instantly move your website to the top of the list. Reputation is everything on the Internet and quality backlinks are more likely to be followed and indexed.

Additionally, learn the difference between “do follow” and “no do follow” or “no follow” tags. Keep in mind the “no follow” tags that prevent links form being followed. This means that no matter how good the page rank is of the website in which you placed a link, if it has a no follow tag then it is a worthless link for SEO purposes.

Image Captions

SEO specialists know using images captions are essential for keyword placement, but not just any image is usable. Using a relevant image is the key. Use the same keywords that are used within the content to craft the image caption and in the image file name.

For example, an article about free dating online may use an image of a man and a woman. When uploading this photo, you might use the following, “free_online_dating,” or “dating_online_free.” For a caption, something such as, “Couple Falls in Love on Free Online Dating Site” would work. The same keywords in photo captions and file names give the crawlers something tangible to read while better relating the keywords to your website.

Summing Up

Becoming a specialist in SEO practices takes time and practice to get the rules down and put to good use. The best way to learn to become an SEO specialist though is through trial and error and seeing what works then continuing to use the techniques that work best for each situation as it comes.

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