Practical SEO for Every Blogger

Search Engines, Directories, Topical Search Engines

Ask what a search engine is and you’ll probably hear “It’s the way you find things on the Internet.” That’s true enough, but I like to know a little more than that.

Most people know there are lots of search engines and lots of directories. It’s common knowledge that search engines index information and directories list sites and locations. Everyone seems to know the big three search engines: Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Fewer folks have heard of the Open Directory Project aka the DMOZ or Zeal.com, another large directory.

Some Basic Definitions

• Search engines are computer programs that use “spiders” (crawlers, bots) to crawl from link to link across the web indexing information. Each search engine sets up its own criteria for what and how much gets indexed from each location.
• Directories are run by human beings who collect the information, review, and index it. In place of criteria for spiders, they write guidelines for those who wish to submit their blog or website to be listed in the directory.
• Topical Search Engines are also called Vertical Search Engines or Internal Search Engines. These are really search engines, directories, or databases of listings about one topic or specific discipline compiled by humans who know something about that topic or discipline.

The Secret Life of Search Engines–Hybrids
Hybrids Search Engines are partnerships, alliances made between searchers with different competencies. A tradtionial search engine might form an alliance with a human-powered directory to refine its index further to be sure what looks relevant truly is.

Don’t like Google and the results it gives you? Going to AOL instead? How about Ask Jeeves? Guess what? Yep, you’ll probably find Google working for you still. Most search engines and directories have partnership agreements working behind the scenes.

This chart from SearchEngineWatch.com, about halfway down the page, is dated 2004, but still gives you an idea of how many alliances there are and how they connect. You’ll find a similar layout, from 2002, at searchengines.com . Again I point out the problem with SEO information changing faster than it’s being updated.

So now we not only have each body’s algorithm, but the layered tests of more than one core group reviewing the information. Talk about six degrees of separation. Has everyone worked with everyone–except Kevin Bacon?

How does that saying go? You can’t tell the players without a program? To think I didn’t know that some of these searchers were even dating.

ME “Liz” Strauss

Practical SEO for Every Blogger

At the top of the list and the top of your template are your blog title and the description of what it’s about. Here’s how to write ’em and how to tag ’em.

Title Tags

Call It What It Is. Snappy titles are fun and clever, but they often don’t communicate. If you choose to go that route, know that you’re asking people and search engines to process more. Music Marketing Blog might not sound exciting, but it communicates more clearly and more quickly than Razza-Jazza ever could. If you’re set on a funky title, consider a subtitle. Always make your description explicitly clear and straightforward.

On my writing blog I have a nondescript title, Letting me be . . . random wandering and philosophy with a subtitle, Storytelling that Makes Memories, on the blog to explain it. Eric’s title includes a subtitle–a phrase with three keywords: free, blog, and promotion. (He’s recently edited it to better reflect his blog content. The keywords now are funny, blog, promotion.)

How do you write that?

• Keep the title short and clear.
• Include keywords.
• If you go Eric’s route–space 2 colons space–know that a direct hit listing will show that way.

How do you tag that?

Here’s how it looks for Eric’s blog.
< head >
<title> Teh Blogfather :: Free Blog Promotion </title>

Which in Google looks like this.

Description Tags

Keep It Short and On Target. The description tag is the <meta> tag that we all agree still has use. I use mine as dual promotion–not only as search engine data, but also to entice readers to visit once the listing does come up. My description tag is packed with keywords that are relevant–words that people look for, words that reflect themes that I write about. The description evolves over time. I tighten it, true it up about every six weeks.

How do you write that?

• Keep it short, tight, and accurate.
• Use keywords to describe your blog.
• Tell readers what to expect.
• Be sure you can deliver on what you promise here.

How do you tag that?

Here’s how it looks for Liz’s blog.
< head >
<title> Letting me be . . . </title>
< meta name=”description” content=”ME Strauss skews the world slightly wondering about crayons, conformity, feelings, friends, idiosyncrasies, imagination, heroes, yo-yos, and that person reading the paper at Starbucks. Take a second to let yourself be.” />

Which in Google looks like this.

Title tags and description tags–two tags at the top of your template–keep them relevant, accurate, and attractive to your readers. They are your blog’s name and personality. They’re the first things that people know about your blog.

ME “Liz” Strauss, Eric Mutta

What’s Coming?
This weekend while you while away your time in more timely things, I’ll be seeing my way to SEO files. That’s right. I’m on a QUEST!

SEO Basics for Everyone starts Monday and lasts until we’re done.

Successful Blog will be crawling SEO like the itsy bitsy up that waterspout. I’ve invited programmer, Eric Mutta, to “tag along” to write, code, and explain anything that’s beyond my expertise. So we’ll have the perfect pairing of the new guy (me) and the whizkid (him).

The next interview in two weeks should perk your interest as well. Prepare your coffee early because we’ll soon be talking to the team from The Business Logs.

–ME “Liz” Strauss