How to Make Your Site SEO Friendly

Search engine optimization is fast becoming the way companies make their Web sites known about.

While having the perfect Web site is a goal of many companies, it's a hard feat to obtain. Search engines, such as Google, that rank Web sites according to content are often hard to read, and these sites don't always make their ranking rules clear.

One option many companies choose is to hire a firm to optimize your Web site for you. In the meantime, there are a few things companies can do to help the process along, according to an article by Macon.

First, making sure the site's content is relevant and unique is extremely important. Companies can help by posting new press releases and news articles on the site, which can be filled with keywords and relevant content, as well as some unique content. Another idea is to post articles or newsletters written by staff or other professional writers.

The Web site also should contain as many related links as possible, without overdoing it. This includes adding links to articles and news postings.

Companies should avoid having Flash headers or other animated content on the site, as these can't always be indexed on a search engine because they contain no text.

"Using Flash on sites today is like showing up at a 2008 school dance dressed like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever," the article notes. "A simple, informative site is best, and positions your business as one that is diligent about keeping up with today's changing world."

Finally, it's especially important the site contain title tags that can be indexed by search engines. Having correct tags you can plug into analytic tools will help maintain and trace traffic, as well as help analyze what keywords to use and what links are the most popular.

"Be sure to list your Web site everywhere, including on the rapidly-growing social networking sites," the article adds. "And any business that fails to include its Web site address on a print or broadcast ad anywhere at anytime is, well, eventually doomed."