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Do It Yourself Web E-Marketing
Success Formula: Common Sense + Knowledge + Resources = Traffic = Sales
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The "Title," "Description" and "Keywords" are ingredients to your search engine optimization efforts. They help define your Web page for search engines. The title element and meta description are very important in your source code. Each of these three are inserted in between the tags < > in the head section on every Web page.
· The < > mean that it is to be read as HTML, or Web language source code. <head> indicates the start of the head section. </head> indicates the end of the head section.
· You can easily view this "source code" for any page you visit. In your Internet Explorer browser, click on the tab at the top of the page. Click on click on the <View> tab at the top of the page. Click on <Source> to display. {Note: Pages made in "frames" may not be viewed.}
The information tells search engines about the contents of your pages. There is general site information as well as individual page information. It is very important that the information be unique for each page. Otherwise, the search engines will be confused.
· Other Meta Tags are also included in the head section which will not be discussed here. These include character set, generator or publishing software, author, copyright information, language, robot instructions, etc.
· Note for the following discussion that Microsoft Word ® can count characters for you automatically. Just highlight (drag your mouse over) the text you wish to count in a Word file, click on click on <Tools> tab, click on <Word Count> and it displays the total number of Words, Characters (no spaces) and Characters (with spaces).
Title Element
Every Web page must have a title element (it is not really a Meta Tag) in the head section. The title element is what appears at the top line of each URL (page) displayed on a Google, Yahoo or MSN search results. The title element is generally limited to 60 characters of display.
Every letter, space and punctuation mark = 1 character.
You can use vertical line
| as a separator to save characters.
Do not make the mistake of calling your page merely "Home". You are wasting valuable
space in doing so and not giving searchers any relevant information. Search engines
will lump this into an irrelevant category.
Meta Description
"Description" is a Meta Tag. It appears in the header section as follows: <meta
name="description" content=" ">
In a Search Engine query, the description is what may appear in the two lines just
below the title element above. It is very important for search engines and is generally
limited to 150 (or 160) characters of display.
Google's own Matt Cutts "lays a little
schooling on you" in his discussion about the use of the meta description in a video
I have posted on this site.
In years past Google picked a snippet (piece of text)
from your content as it relates to a search query. However, if you want input into
that selection, Matt suggests you write a good meta description tag. Google will
"more likely" choose your meta description over a snippet provided it is useful (information)
to the query.
So, get some input into what your page describes in search results!
Mr. Cutts cautions, however, to have a different meta description tags for each page.
Otherwise Google will not find your description useful and will select its own snippet.
Our Free Excel ® spreadsheet helps to ease your task.
Our Title and Meta Description
Keywords
"Keywords" is another Meta Tag. It appears in the header section under: <meta name="keywords" content=" ">
There are differing points of view today as to how effective the keywords tag is
in overall search engine results. It appears Google now ignores this keyword completely
because of past ‘stuffing’ practices by Webmasters. Rather they take your content,
and its relevancy, into consideration. You may also be "tipping" off your competition
as to what your keywords are when you advertise them as such.
Some "gurus" say limit
your choice to 10-12 words and 200 characters, others say 45-50 words and 1,000 characters.
I look to some of the well known Web E-Marketers and follow their examples.
Spreadsheet Tool
We have a Free Excel® tool to help you set up or check these areas. This is a Title
Element, Description and Keyword Metatag spreadsheet. The 60, 150, and 1000 character
counts are done automatically for your benefit.
Please contact us if you want a free
copy.
Title Element, Meta Tags Description and Keywords
in your Website's Head Section
- Are They Important?
For no obligation individual mentoring and tutoring
information or Website evaluation, contact MikeY!
Dedicated to helping solo-entrepreneurs,
mini and micro-business owners
successfully E-market your business on the Web.
Remember our simple Formula for Successful Marketing on the Web!
Common Sense + Knowledge + Resources = Traffic = Sales
Let JEM Consulting Group Help Your Dreams Blossom into Reality!
