American Idol has done it!  Idol has proven that America is Raising  a generation of cry babies!

Well, this one will not be about SEO,  I have been sick at home with Shingles and I was just wincing in pain as I watched  tonighs episode of American Idol.  I noticed my 5 year olds expression as he watched countless American Idol contestants ball they’re eyes out because the didn’t get picked.

I realized immediately that this was the wrong message to be sending my 5 year old and the wold as well, so I felt compelled to bitch a little.  If you would like to comment on my American Idol Crybaby comment, please comment below.

SEO Essential #3 SEO Meta Keyword Tags

Once crucial, now just a cumbersome step

The third most important SEO Essential is Meta Keyword Tags. I am not going to say much about this since most people are overly aware of Meta Keyword Tags. A few years ago, they were the most important thing you could do to a web site for Search Engine Optimization. The Search engines grew smarter as the webmasters abhorrently abused this concept. First the search engines started measuring the relevancy of the Meta Tags to the actual page content. Then they began ignoring Meta Tags once and for all.

We still recommend having Meta Keyword tags because you don’t want the search engine to think that you just don’t care, however, it is no longer the third most important step. A couple notes for those of you who are here to learn how to do it right;

1. use no more than 20 meta keywords per page

2. use keywords and variations of words actually found in the page content, including misspellings.

3. your meta keyword tag should be no more than 200 characters in length

4. do not repeat keywords in your tag

Well, enough about that.

SEO Essential #4 Image Alt Tags

Pics… You see em, Spider’s Don’t

Now that we have gotten through the initial SEO steps that involve Meta Data, now we can begin working on optimizing the actual page content.

First, W3C says that each and every web page should contain AT LEAST one image.

The search engine spiders are blind, they cannot see images, they cannot see logos, they cannot see banners. They read only the characters or words they “crawl” across as they spider the page.

That is why it is absoluteyly important to have an SEO Atl Image Tag imbedded in each and every one of your images. The SEO Alt Image Tag should be short, to the point and guess what; KEYWORD LADEN.

SEO Image Alt Tags give you a wonderfull opportunity to begin building keyword density without cluttering up the page or seeming overly redundant.

So remember, each and every logo, image, photo, tile, pic, avatar, etc. should contain keyword rich image alt text as part of a search engine optimization process.

Remember that Google is now open source so your image could very well be the search result that delivers your site traffic. Make sure the image alt text is not just keyword rich but says something compelling to get them to click.

SEO Meta Page Descriptions

All to often overlooked by web designers as they fly through the creation of web sites is the second most important essential Search Optimization techniques. Not only is an SEO Meta Page Description crucial for page optimization, it is also a major factor in converting a web searching consumer to a visitor in your web site.

The SEO Meta Page Description is not something that a web visitor can see in your site, it is in the code, embedded for the spiders to find. The SEO Meta Page Description is a short but poignant description about the page, it’s products, services and/or why a consumer would want to click on the link.

My roots are as an ad man, so I will describe it like this. The SEO Meta Page Title is the headline of your classified ad as it appears on the Search Engine Results Page. The SEO Meta Page Description is then the body of your ad. The text that says: YOU FOUND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR!

Every page of your site should contain a unique SEO Meta Page Description specific and relevant to the content and purpose of that page.

It should be keyword laden with important keywords closer to the front and it should be limited to only a certain amount of character spaces.

So in Summary, the second most important SEO Essential is a well written, keyword laden, compelling ad copy of limited length.

Sound like fun? If not, give me and my staff a call and we will do it for you. (and alot more)

SEO Meta Page Titles

The first and foremost important SEO Essential is a well written, keyword laden, unique page title for each and every page of your website. SEO Page Titles should be no more that 80 charachters. SEO Page Titles should be keyword rich with the more important keyword situated to the front of the tag. Most business owners and marketing managers don’t even know that the Page Title is the ‘Headline” of the Search Engine result and essentially becomes the ‘Headline” of your ad that will be responsible for driving quality traffic to your site. So when your writing your SEO Page Titles, carefull thought should be put into writing an advertising headline that meets the aforementioned SEO Page Title Guidelines.

Examples;

A good, well written SEO Page Title

AnchorStl St. Louis SEO | Search Engine Optimization results guaranteed!

A bad, poorly written SEO Page Title

AnchorStl Home

Remember, SEO Page Title’s should be unique for each page and MUST contain “relevant” keywords that will also be found in the corrisponding page content.

Search Engine Spiders look closely at the relevancy of an SEO Page Title!

SEO - Search Engine Optimization Blog by T.J. Kirgin

of Anchor Media Communications and Digital Services - The Digital People

Another Blog in an SEO Network by TJ Kirgin, Media Marketing Maven and New Media Guru for St. Louis, The Midwest and hell, with New Media and Social Networking, now the rest of the World!

Stop in and check out the tools, tips, lies and prognostications as to the SEO industry and it’s crucial importance to business’ large and small RIGHT NOW!