This document discusses search engine optimization (SEO) and provides tips for improving a website's visibility in search engines. It explains that the most important on-page factors for search engines are the title, body text, and inbound links. It also recommends registering the site with major search engines, including alt text for images, and monitoring keywords to better understand traffic. The overall goal is to create compelling content that will attract natural backlinks and rank well in search results.

1. SEO: Search Engine OptimizationMichael Rabby, PhDWashington State University-VancouverSeptember 29, 2010Heaven’s Gate

2. Why SEO?Most people only look at first few pages of Google/Bing/Yahoo…though “social” searches are gaining popularityBranding is importantThat said, please do not get obsessed with becoming “#1”

3. How do search engines work?EX: Google: Crawl IndexServewww.google.com

4. What is most important to Google?Title <title> title>

5. What is most important to Google?Good TEXT body copyInbound linksHow long your site has existed

6. Less important to Google, more important to searchersMeta keywords<meta name= “keywords” content=“1keyword, 2keyword, 3keyword” /><meta name="description" content=“whatever you want it to say beneath your name on Google" />

7. Step 1: Register your siteGoogle: http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurlBing: http://www.bing.com/toolbox/Yahoo: http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit

8. Step 2: Easy things you can do on your siteMake sure your images have “alt” text in themFlash-heavy sites, you too…http://www.mono-1.com/monoface/main.htmlHave compelling content

9. ContentAbove all else, you should have compelling content on your blogStrategically work in keywords

10. Step 3: Monitor your keywordsStart to monitor how and why people come to your websiteGoogle analyticsStatcounter.com