This article is about basic phases of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If you have developed or thinking to develop a website, you must keep these basics in your mind. I have tried to explain very simple way so you can easily implement it.
There are two Major phases of SEO.
1– On-site SEO
2– Off-site SEO
On-site SEO
On-site SEO includes all those steps, taken to optimize website for search engines. Means On-site SEO is optimization of your website so Search engines can access and cache it easily.
Now you might think what is Search Engine Cache?.
Every Search engine has made a program called Spider or Bot. This bot follows hyper links and whatever page comes in front, it store all the text of that page.
Now you will be clear, It means your website must have good textual content. Because search engine can’t read Flash files and Images. They just follow their ATL or Object tags for graphics.
So make a good content by using best keywords.
Now here are the On-site SEO steps
Get Targeted Keywords and use them in the content. You can use Google Keyword Tool to get keywords synonym and their phrases.
Use keywords in you Heading H1, H2, H3 Tags
Write ALT attribute in your all image tags
Use your some keywords in Title, But it should not be long.
Make your Meta Tags of Keywords and Description, You can use any meta tag generator like http://www.addme.com/meta.htm
Use keywords in Menu links, footer links and content links. It will increase your keyword density.
After completing these step. Generate XML Sitemap of your website. You can use this application http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/ , However review your map and remove unnecessary links. Then upload it to your website e.g http://www.vidionline.com/sitemap.xml
Make your Robots.txt. e.g http://www.vidionline.com/robots.txt .You can search tools for that also.
hmmmm, Well I think its enough for the On-site SEO. However there can be secrets also. But these are some major steps.
Off-site SEO
Off-site SEO includes all those steps, taken to optimize the link popularity or website marketing.
What is link popularity?
Take example from real world. As many people know you, you become popular. If you are popular among good people then you become celebrity and if you are popular among bad people then you become notorious.
So when you are building links to your website, keep it in mind. Is that a good vote or bad vote?
After developing website, Make a good description of website and make special email account for submission. Don’t use regular email, Otherwise you will get spam forever 
Here are the main steps to submit
Submit your website to Google http://www.google.com/addurl/
Submit your website to Yahoo http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/
Submit your website to Live (MSN) http://search.live.com/docs/submit.aspx
These search engine have more than 90% traffic and most of other search engines follow their links. You can try other search engines specially local search engines, Otherwise it is enough.
Now submit your website to web directories.
Directory Submission: Most of SEO experts or link builders will ask you to submit url to 100 web directories and perhaps your will get results temporarily, But this is not good tactic and you will see your website with un-targeted traffic. Google experts are not so silly that they can’t differentiate good and bad links. I will recommend that Just take 20–30 good Pagerank web directories paid/free and submit your website there.
Social Book Marking: Personally, I think social book marking and social profiles are better technique than web directories submission. Because there website has already Good reputation to Search Engine. They just don’t give you good Vote but can send a targeted traffic to you as well. You will find serious customers and visitors rather than web directories. Some examples are Delicious, Digg and Stumbleupon etc.
Social Website Profiles: Make your website profiles on websites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. These websites provide good traffic and searching results as well.
Press release/ Article Submission: If your website has some articles and news stuff then you should publish it on websites. These website spread or publish your articles and news to other website also. That makes your website more popular and generate traffic. For article listings try http://ezinearticles.com/and http://www.articlesbase.com/ etc. For Press releases try http://www.prlog.org/ and http://www.openpr.com/
Waheed Akhtar is professional Software Engineer and SEO Expert with a great experience in PHP development,e-commerce web applications and internet marketing.
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