Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as most of us call it, is quite simply the process of getting your web pages to rank well in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. There is both a science and an art to SEO. The science applies to the actual process of optimizing your actual pages, as well as building an effective backlinking campaign. The art is all about mindset, including remaining consistent, diligent, and patient… even when what you’re doing doesn’t seem to be working initially.

This article is about to present you with five tips to maximize your success with SEO. The first three of these deal with the science of search engine optimization and the remaining two pertain to the art of running an effective SEO campaign. By implementing all five, you will be light years ahead of your competition. Ready? Awesome, let’s begin…

Search Engine Optimization – 5 Tips to Maximize Your Success

Search Engine Optimization

1. In addition to including your page’s main keyword in the url, title, h1 – h3 tags, first and last sentences of your article, and in bolded, italicized, and underlined style, you also want to link one instance of your keyword either to the home page or to the actual page you’re working on (in other words, link the page to itself) for onpage search engine optimization.

Here’s how you can do this discreetly so that nobody actually clicks on the link, but you still get link juice: After you’ve hyperlinked the keyword in your editor, simply turn the color of that hyperlinked text to that of the normal text. In other words, if your links are normally blue and the rest of your text is black, just turn that particular link black. Brilliant!

2. Link a word to its related Wikipedia page. Just pick any word that looks good to you. It doesn’t have to be your keyword, but it should definitely be a word that’s on-topic. For example, if the word “psoriasis” is somewhere in your article, link it to wikipedia.org/psoriasis.

The reason you want to do this is that Google LOVES sites that link to authority sites. This Search Engine Optimization technique makes sense and it makes you look more important, and you will be rewarded with higher rankings. Also, to avoid any traffic leakage, go ahead and turn this link black, too (or whatever your default text color happens to be).

3. Only seek out links from high PR pages (not domains), .edu, and .gov sites, and some web 2.0 sites. Do NOT point forum profile links (like Angela’s backlinks) back to your site. Instead, point those types of links to the high quality pages you’re linking to your website from to enhance your search engine optimization footprint.

For example, comment on 3 blogs and create a Squidoo lens all linking to your money page with the appropriate anchor text. Then, go ahead and blast out hundreds of profile and article directory links pointing to those comment pages and the lens. This will strengthen your search engine optimization by using the power of the quality links and won’t raise any red flags for excessive linking in Google’s eyes.

4. Create a rock-solid plan of action that you can stick to. Be realistic. Unfortunately, too many of us get too lofty in our expectations, and when things don’t happen immediately, we get frustrated and quit. Have you been there? I sure have. So please, create a battle plan that you know will work, provided you stick with it. Remember that search engine optimization may change over time but it is important to keep your sites moving forward. Then…

5. Stick with it! This is SO hard for many of us. We want results now, and if we don’t get them, we move onto the next project without ever really seeing the first one through. Top search engine rankings take time, patience, and most of all, consistent action. Google rewards those who want it badly enough. Check… Google rewards those who PROVE they want it badly enough. Be persistent. Fight for your search engine optimization.

And that’s it, on search engine optimization. As long as you use your keywords wisely, do some clever internal linking, link out to a Wiki, only build backlinks from high quality pages, create a realistic game plan, and implement that plan regardless of your moods or doubts, then you WILL succeed as an SEO marketer. I simply cannot overstate the importance of this truth. But enough chit-chat… put these search engine optimization tips to work and go make yourself some damn money.