Get your site found on the web 3

Get your site found on the web: where to next?

On 27/01/2011

In SEO - search engines

Over the last several weeks we’ve taken a look at ways to help people find your site on the web, and the kinds of things you can do to make it as easy for them as possible. We’ve seen how, even just as you begin to make a website, it’s important to have thought through who your potential audience is, and how they might find your site. In addition, we’ve explored how to put your site's free website builder tools to good use to optimize your site for visitors and those all-important search engines.

A website is a constant work in progress, and getting it listed with search engines is just the start. For your site to continue to attract new visitors, you’ll need to ensure that it figures prominently in search engine results – that’s something that takes time and regular effort. Search engines rank and re-rank sites for key word searches every day, so you’ll need to keep adding site content and working on making it visible on the web for as long as your site exists.

Even if you get to the top of the first page of search results for your key words, you’ll need to keep working to ensure you stay there. Here are a few external sites, tools and references that will help you ensure all that hard work you put into developing a website pays off.

A few useful links to help create a successful website Google provides a host of really useful tools and tips to getting your site noticed on the web:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
www.google.com/trends/
www.google.com/analytics/
www.google.com/webmasters/

If you’re short on time, their YouTube channel is great viewing:

www.youtube.com/user/GoogleWebmasterHelp

One of the most respected search engine bloggers around also happens to work for Google. Matt Cutt’s blog is a great place for practical information about search engines, and how best to ensure a website gets noticed:

www.mattcutts.com/blog/type/googleseo/

For further background reading on search engines and starting out with SEO, try the following links:

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization
//www.seomoz.org/article/beginners-guide-to-search-engine-optimization

You’ll find more details about building backlinks and creating link exchanges on the following pages:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlink
//www.webconfs.com/how-to-build-backlinks-article-16.php
www.buildingbacklinks.org/

Sometimes it can be useful to exchange ideas with others like you. Participating in forums can be a great source of information on, and help with, all aspects of getting your site up and running:

www.webmasterworld.com/
forums.ukwebmasterworld.com/
forums.digitalpoint.com/
www.emyspot.com/forum/

Finally, articles here on the doomby blog (tagged with “seo”) provide practical advice and tips on improving your site’s ranking with search engines:

//blog.doomby.com/blog/do/tag/seo

Choosing to create a website, and adding site content, are only the first steps - the key to a successful website is to get it noticed on the Internet. Though maximizing your site’s visibility on the web is a long process, don’t be discouraged if it takes time to start to get results and to attract visitors to your website. A little regular work listing your site and developing your content will go a long way to ensuring the you make a successful website - have fun building yours!