My Top 10 SEO Tips for Brand New Websites

Posted by Wesley LeFebvre on January 11, 2010

light When you are ready to build a website for your business there are a a few simple search engine optimization tips you should consider as soon as you purchase your domain name. Implementing a few things correctly, right from the beginning, can slingshot your website into top search rankings within just a few months of launching.

These are my top ten highly effective SEO tips which you can apply to your website for free:

Choose a short descriptive URL with your primary keywords in it (if possible).
UPDATED: Only target 1-3 major keywords on each page.
Separate keywords with hyphens in the url – with the domain name being the exception, preferably.
Use Keywords in your navigation links where they make sense, however, like always, don’t overuse them.
Optimize your title tag – a good rule of thumb is up to 70 characters with your most important keywords first. Separate phrases with a “|”.
Optimize your meta description tag – One or two sentences max; using a keyword variant or two.
Provide a substantial amount content on each page and use a few keyword variants within the content.
Install Google Analytics.
Add a blog to your website and post to it at least once a week – don’t use a separate domain name for your blog, make it a sub-directory or sub-domain and fully integrated into your main site.
Get links pointed to your website using keywords in the anchor text related to the page they link to – AboutUs.org, DMOZ.org and sending a free press release are a few good ways to start.

Do you have any SEO tips you think should have made it on my top 10 list?

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Filed Under: SEO Tips

Mark van Loon said,

I agree with your tips. I only have comments on point 2 (focus on just 2 or 3 keywords): sometimes its better to focus on just 1 keyword, if this one is very important for your business.

Furthermore: great Post!
Wesley LeFebvre said,

Updated: Mark, I absolutely agree. Ideally, most pages should only be targeting one major keyword. An exception might be the home page. I am going to change it above to say 1-3 keywords.

Thanks for your input Mark!

SIDE NOTE: Also, I just noticed a few typos I had made and they are now fixed. Funny how you can read you own blog post over and over again one day and have it look fine, then read it a few days later and notice a bunch of typos.
Dmitry Gushchin said,

Thank you for the information!
I don’t have a blog but I create new articles once per week.

Do you see the difference between creating the articles and posting to the blog?
Wesley LeFebvre said,

Hi Dmitry,
They both have their benefits. Posting to a blog allows you to build a community around your website and pick up search traffic for all of the content you add. Posting articles to someone elses website allows you to gain exposure in front of an audience you might not have otherwise had access to. Some times it also allows you to gain profollow links back to your website. The pitfall is all of the content you are publishing usually becomes property of the site you are submitting your articles too, and you’re mostly helping them build their community and receive all of the search traffic for your articles.

My recommendation is to use both simultaneously.

best,
Dmitry Gushchin said,

Good points!

Thank you very much for you answers!
Wesley LeFebvre said,

Anytime, Dmitry!