Recently a long-time business associate of mine asked, "Why in the world are you doing SEO? You're a writer." I laughed at first but, after thinking about it, realized that some people in the advertising business (and other businesses) still don't understand what search-engine optimization is all about.

SEO is, yes, mostly writing.

That's because Google and other search engines are continually sifting through the text on your website in order to determine what your pages are about. It's the main way they determine your SERP (search engine results page) rank. And ultimately the way your website is found in organic search results – organic, meaning the way a search engine naturally finds you, without you driving traffic to your site through web advertising or word-of-mouth, etc.

Great organic search results are vital to a business, as the attention span of consumers get shorter and shorter every day. Rarely will a consumer even venture to search page two in their quest to find a product or company online.

So, how does search-engine optimization begin? Well, with thorough research. That's key. Keywords and keyphrases, to be exact. You have to be a bit of an experimental slooth to determine the optimal words to use on a website. Google and other sites offer keyword tools to help you learn which words people are actually searching for. You shouldn't use the interesting, and possibly quirky, words you might coin. You want to use the terms and phrases people are actually searching for. Then, code those words into your website's pages so search engines can find them. I'm simplifying the process, of course, because there's a lot of strategy that goes into SEO, particularly in choosing keywords.

Now, back to the writing part. The thing Google (and other search engines) values ​​most is your title. That's the text at the very top of your page (possibly invisible), the text that is bookmarked and also appears in blue on a search engine results page. Therefore, you'll want to incorporate your main keywords into this title, and place them first – even before your company name. Unless your company name is Coke or McDonald's. Or some other well-known brand.

Next in importance is the "meta tag," the black text underneath that blue title that tells searchers more about your site. Prioritize your most important keywords there, as well. Then, search engines will scan your website's HTML text for those same keywords. They give most value to what's coded as h1 (your main headline) then h2, h3, h4 (subheads), then the rest of your html copy. Note: the text on your site must be in HTML fonts, or they won't be recognized.

Search engines also give good rank to pages that are updated often, which is why blogs and news can do well, and to backlinks, such as articles that link back to your site. All of which is writing. Yes, writing.

It surprises me when I see prominent businesses, especially advertising agencies, that use "Home" in the title of their own home page, agencies that tout themselves as interactive experts. I figure, sure, they may be able to design a gorgeous site for their clients, but will anyone ever find it?

Source by Marie E Ostarello

Search engines plays a pivotal role in the success hotels have in marketing and growing their business. Google is especially influential, making hotels more visible than ever to potential guests.

Google My Business is a free business listing you can create and is the best first step to ranking higher in search results and providing travelers with all the necessary information they need about your hotel.

Here's why Google My Business is essential for your hotel (… and how you can improve your SEO)

Search engine optimization is a complicated issue because Google is constantly updating its algorithms. Trying to update your website at the same pace is nearly impossible unless you're using a smart website creator that evolves with new standards.

On the other hand, there are a few simple tasks you can complete to increase your chances of ranking high in search results.

Google My Business gets your hotel off on the right foot by taking your information and organizing it into optimized fields on a template that ensures you, and your guests, don't miss anything.

Using the tool you can:

• List your hotel's name, address, and phone number
• Have a geo-marker on Google maps to highlight your location
• Display unique photos
• Display guest reviews
• Provide any additional details relevant to travellers looking for information
• Google My Business makes your hotel immediately more accessible. Potential guests can easily click 'visit website' or 'call' from the search result on Google.

This also encourages them to book directly with you instead of through commission-based online travel agents. It's also very easy to edit all of your information once you have verified your business through your Google account, meaning even if you're away you can still be managing your listing and influencing your search ranking.

To ensure your business listing is effective you need to make sure your details are always up-to-date and accurate.

You should consider adding videos in addition to your images and have at least five genuine guest reviews for your hotel.

More tips for mastering your hotel's SEO

First impressions are always the most important. If you create an effective SEO strategy along with your Google listing and a beautiful website, you're more likely to capture bookings in the first instance.

Here are some important guidelines to follow:

• Research keywords and define your own list. Then use the most relevant and searchable on your website and in your content.
• Quality content always ranks highly so make sure what you provide your site visitors is interesting and engaging. Keep it fresh too, that means updating regularly, so maintaining a blog on your website will make this easy.
• Create cornerstone SEO pages by merging multiple pages that relate to similar keywords – otherwise Google won't know how to rank them and you won't feature high on search results.
• Optimising your website for mobiles will increase the opportunity you have to be seen by travelers and enable you to accept mobile bookings for guests who plan their travel on the run.
• Partner with other local sites to increase your inbound links. The more the better, both for traffic and search engine ranking. Visual content should always be a priority. No one will book your hotel site unseen.

Source by George Kitsos