Mihai's SEO Cheat Sheet

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SCOUTING

KeyWord Research
Use WordTracker for a estimate o dai!" searches a d O#ert$re for a appro%imate report o &W $sage i the !ast mo th. Use Wikipedia' dictio aries a d other reso$rces for &W i spiratio to tr" a d stretch "o$r !o g tai!. (emem)er' this is the cor ersto e of "o$r f$t$re actio s a d it ma" determi e what domai ame' tit!es' U(*s' a d co te t "o$ chose.

Competition Spy
E#er" gos$ p!a"er k ows that sco$ti g ear!" i the game is cr$cia!. +i d o$t who "o$r top , competitors are a d determi e their marketi g strateg"' )efore "o$ e#e )$" "o$r domai ame or write a si g!e !i e of codeCheck for )ack!i ks $si g the .!i k/ m"competitor.com0 1$er" o Goog!e. 2o 't stop at the directories the" s$)mit to. See if the" ha#e a Wikipedia page or refere ce3 see if the" ha#e a " !i ks o socia! )ookmarki g we)sites' !ike de!.icio.$s' a d what do peop!e commo !" associate them with3 check for )!og posts o Tech orati3 check for )$zz o digg a d other pros$mer we)sites. See what the" did )est a d thi k of wa"s "o$ ca do )etter a d differe tiate.

4E52 T5GS

Title Tag
6ro)a)!" the most importa t of them a!!. Use re!e#a t &e"Words' "et do *i k 7aiti g3 remem)er that this tag wi!! show $p i SE(6s. Use a differe t tit!e o each page to a#oid d$p!icate co te t pe a!t". 7$t keep them sta dardized )" )ra di g them with "o$r we)site ame. Tr$st a separator character. 8eg/ 5CME 9 7$" (ed 7ic"c!es o 2isco$ t:

Meta KeyWords Tag

Tr" to stick to a ma%im$m of ;< &W com)i atio s3 st$ffi g is o good. Use differe t &W tags o each page to a#oid d$p!icate co te t pe a!t".

Meta Description Tag

2escri)e the page co te t as acc$rate as possi)!e' whi!e $si g re!e#a t &W. (emem)er that this sho$!d )e o !o ger tha ;=< chars a d that the first >=< chars ma" show $p o SE(6s. Use a differe t tag o each page to a#oid d$p!icate co te t pe a!t".

Meta Foo Tags

2o 't forget a)o$t the http?e1$i#' reso$rce?t"pe' c!assificatio ' rati g' distri)$tio @ other meta tags o$t there. Tr" teachi g the spider as m$ch data a)o$t the page as "o$ ca .

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5(C4ITECTU(E

URLs
2escri)e "o$r co te t a d keep it short. Separate words with h"phe s' as the" work )est. Watch o$t for too ma " s$)fo!ders' as the f$rther awa" from the home page "o$ are' the !ower the 6age (a k wi!! )e. Caref$! with s$)domai s' the" wi!! )e treated a!most as separate we)sites. &e"Words wo 't h$rt' "o$ k ow-

Dynamic Pages
Use a U(* rewriti g e gi e' !ike modErewrite o 5pache' a d t$r "o$r stri g of parameters i to mea i gf$! fo!ders. Take the time to $ dersta d this tech o!og" a d "o$ wi!! har#est the goods. E d "o$r U(*s i a .html. 5 good starti g poi t wo$!d )e readi g 6rofessio a! SEO with 646.

Session IDs
If "o$ ser#e a craw!er the same page' with differe t U(*s' for a tho$sa d times' it wi!! e#e t$a!!" get a gr" a d do ast" thi gs to "o$r ra ki g. T$r those $g!" $m)ers off a d imp!eme t cookies if "o$ rea!!" ha#e to. Or' if "o$ fee! !ike !i#i g da gero$s!"' $se c!oaki g for spiders.

Canonicalization
www.we)site.com' we)site.com' www.we)site.comBi de%.htm!' we)site.comBi de%.htm!' wi!! )e treated as separate pages. 6erma e t!" redirect 8,<>: a!! of the a)o#e com)i atio s to a si g!e address' prefera)!" www.site.com.

Frames
It ai 't 'FD a "more. So G$st forget a)o$t frames' as weird thi g wi!! happe to "o$r i de%i g if "o$ $se them. Hes' the same with iframes-

Forms
Craw!ers are smart' )$t ot smart e o$gh to i p$t te%t i search )o%es a d the i de% the res$!ti g pages. Co te t a#ai!a)!e o !" )" forms wo 't )e i de%ed. If "o$r we)site is desig ed i s$ch a ma er' e gi eer a workaro$ d with 4TM* sitemaps.

a!igation
If "o$r we)site is str$ct$red o differe t !e#e!s a d "o$ eed a drop?dow me $' do 't $se Ia#aScript or +!ash 8with chees" )ackgro$ d m$sic:. Use a SEO frie d!"' !ist me $. If cross)rowsi g iss$es dri#e "o$ craz" a d "o$ m$st go with 24TM*' fi d a script that hides the !ist di# i stead of ge erati g it o ?the?f!".

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M5(&U6

Semantic Code
Emphasis "o$r ke"words a d esse tia! i fo with fo t weight' size a d co!or attri)$tes. 5!wa"s $se headi g a d s$)headi g tags 8h%: a d app!" whate#er st"!e "o$ !ike to them. Use !i tags whe disp!a"i g a set of items3 $se ta)!es whe disp!a"i g a grid3 $se )!ock1$ote whe 1$oti g. (emem)er what the sema tic we) is a!! a)o$t/ data a)o$t the data' a d gi#e mea i g to "o$r mark$p.

"nchor Te#t $ Title

Use &W com)i atio s that c!ear!" descri)e the page "o$ are !i ki g to. Click here is ot a optio . (emem)er this is #er" powerf$! as it has )ee $sed for !i k )om)i g. Sta" awa" from Ia#aScript !i ks as cha ces are the" wi!! ot )e craw!ed.

%alid Code
2o 't h$rt the we) a d do "o$r )est to stick to sta dards. Write #a!id J4TM*BCSS;. There are h$ dreds of comm$ ities that $se #a!id code a d desig s$per) we)sites' !ike cssze garde . +i d "o$r s$pport gro$p a d (e)oot "o$r we)site.

CONTENT

Copy &riting
Write "o$r ow ' origi a! co te t. S$rf for editoria! tips' !ike Cop"7!ogger a d pa" m$ch atte tio to sca a)!e te%t. St$d" Iaco) Nie!se 's artic!es o reada)i!it". (emem)er to $se a i #erted p"ramid str$ct$re' with the esse tia! i fo at the top. Orga ize "o$r cop" i to sectio s' short paragraphs a d !ists.

Freshness
Spiders !o#e fresh a d G$ic" co te t. 5 d so do "o$r #isitors. If "o$ se!! st$ff' get a Latest Products sectio 3 if "o$ write st$ff' get a Latest Articles sectio 3 if "o$'re a )ori g compa "' at !east get a Latest News sectio . To make thi gs e#e more attracti#e' ge erate a (SS feed a d ad#ertise it o "o$r home page.

Cra&la'le Content
5!tho$gh )ots ha#e achie#ed great tech ica! progress' 5Ga%' +!ash' Ia#aScript ge erated co te t' te%t i images are a!! )!i d spots o "o$r page. 6$t "o$r importa t i fo i p!ai 4TM*. If "o$ m$st rea!!" show "o$r fa c" fo t' $se sI+( as te%t wi!! sti!! )e i de%ed. Most )ots )eha#e as a te%t )rowser' so $se a too! !ike *" % to a a!"ze "o$r we)site.

Image

ame $ "lt Te#t

Thi k of craw!ers as #is$a!!" impaired )ei gs' !ear i g to comprehe d images. The te%t wi!! come at$ra!!" to "o$. If "o$ ha#e m$!tip!e sets of images' !ike i a shoppi g cart' gro$p "o$r images i to fo!ders amed appropriate!".

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SE(KE( INTE(5CTION

ro'ots(t#t
Make $se of the ro)ots.t%t fi!e o "o$r we) ser#er. This fi!e te!!s craw!ers which directories ca or ca craw!ed. Make s$re it's c$rre t for "o$r site so that "o$ do 't accide ta!!" )!ock Goog!e)ot . Kisit www.ro)otst%t.org to !ear how to i str$ct ro)ots whe the" #isit "o$r site. ot )e

sitemap(#ml
This fi!e is ow a sta dard practice. Kisit www.sitemaps.org to get the protoco! specificatio s. There are p!e t" of free too!s for a$tomatic ge eratio of the JM*. S$)mit it to a!! maGor search e gi es/ Goog!e' Hahoo-' MSN.

Ser!er Con)ig
Make s$re "o$r we) ser#er s$pports the If?Modified?Si ce 4TT6 header. This feat$re a!!ows "o$r we) ser#er to te!! the )ot whether "o$r co te t has cha ged si ce it !ast craw!ed "o$r site. Check that "o$r ser#er o$tp$ts a C<C header e#e if "o$ $se c$stom error pages. Get a re!ia)!e hosti g pro#ider3 if "o$r ser#er goes dow d$ri g a craw!' "o$ co$!d f!$sh awa" mo ths of hard work.

6(OMOTION

*log
Start )!oggi g e#e )efore "o$ !a$ ch "o$r ser#ice or prod$ct. There are tho$sa ds of great reso$rces' t$toria!s a d cheat sheets for "o$ to !ear how to do it proper!". Some of the most importa t aspects for "o$ to remem)er/ )e tra spare t' )e i forma!' )e remarka)!e.

+nline Rep,tation
The We) is s$ch a deperso a!ized e #iro me t that peop!e cra#e for a h$ma prese ce )ehi d the scree . 7ecome the spokesperso for "o$r )$si ess. 6$t "o$r para oia aside' drop "o$r ick ames a d create a professio a! #irt$a! ide tit". Sig e#er" artic!e or comme t with "o$r rea! ame. 5ttach a smi!i g photo of "o$rse!f to "o$r acco$ ts. 6eop!e wi!! )e goog!i g for "o$r ame. Ho$ sho$!d ma age what the" fi d.

et&or-ing
Comme t o the )!ogs "o$ read a d !ea#e "o$r U(* a!! o#er the p!ace. 6$t "o$r )!og @ we)site address o "o$r emai! sig at$res3 o "o$r !etters' )$si ess cards a d e#er"thi g e!se "o$ pri t. Ioi a Socia! Networki g Comm$ it"' !ike *i kedI ' ask for co ectio s a d gi#e recomme datio s.

*,zz .eneration
If "o$'re ot worth" of getti g digged' write "o$r ow 6ress (e!eases a d spread them with free 6( we)sites. Tr" "o$r !$ck )" aski g for a re#iew with we!! k ow )!oggers i "o$r fie!d.

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2ON'TS

*lac- /at
C!oaki g' &e"Word st$ffi g a d invisible text are pro)a)!" the easiest wa" to get de!isted' sa d)o%ed or )e p$t i Supplemental Results he!!. Most amate$rs start with the pick?$p !i es i stead of the )asic )od" !a g$age co tro!. St$d" the f$ dame ta!s' do 't !et "o$rse!f foo!ed )" some secret techniques "o$r eigh)o$r's kid to!d "o$.

D,plicate Content
Use!ess to sa" "o$ m$st ot stea! other peop!e's co te t' for it wi!! h$rt "o$r karma a d ra ki g. 7$t make s$re "o$ do 't show the same co te t with differe t U(*s a d tit!es3 !ike a prod$ct co fig$rator' where a U(* parameter o !" cha ges the shoe co!or3 or Sessio I2s.

Page Ran- Mania

+oc$si g o i creasi g "o$r 6age(a k is a arrow?mi ded approach to SEO a d we) marketi g. It's ot o !" i acc$rate' as Goog!e keeps is o$tdated for some mo ths after it has rea!!" cha ged' )$t it is irre!e#a t. 7ri gi g #isitors to a poor!" crafted page or d$!! co te t is s$icida!. Ho$ wa t co #ersio s' ot traffic.

Lin- 0#change
(eciproca! !i kage is a thi g of the past. Goog!e a!read" ig ores reciproca! !i k acc$m$!atio o rea! estate we)sites. 5 d e#er !iked spamm"B!i k farms a "wa".

(EMEM7E(

.1o, wi!! e#er rea!!" k ow e%act!" how Goog!e works 8$ !ess "o$ work there:0
- Search !n"ine #ptimi$ation% An &our a 'a() *( +. ,rappone- ,radiva Cou$in

.Most of the right choices i SEO come from aski g' WhatLs the )est thi g for the $serM0
- .att Cutts

..ood 4TM* tit!es' good )od" cop"' great co te t' e s$ri g that "o$r site does Lt ha#e road)!ocks to craw!i g N these ha#e worked for ear!" a decade.0
- 'ann( Sullivan

Ma " tha ks to *ifeC!e#er for the desig tips a d SEOMoz for their great materia!. +or s$ggestio s' correctio s a d tho$ghts' p!ease emai! me at mihaighezaOgmai!.com 2ow !oaded from http/BBmihaigheza.wordpress.comBfi!esB;<<DB<ABseoEcheatEsheet.pdf

This doc$me t is !ice sed $ der a Creati#e Commo s 5ttri)$tio ?No commercia!?Share 5!ike ,.< *ice se

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