In a recent article at MarketingProfs, Mike Volpe of HubSpot likens search engine optimization to a gigantic onion. There's no end to the number of layers you can peel back in your quest for a higher rank among your target market's search results. But the good news is you don't need to peel back every layer to make a difference. Mike suggests starting with these five techniques. If these five are all you ever do, you'll still see a big improvement.

1. Pick good page titles. The words that appear at the top of the browser window are what a search engine looks at first as it evaluates that Web page. Use keywords and unique titles.
   
2. Be smart about URLs. If you're using a URL like yourcompany.blogspot.com, then you're building SEO power for blogspot.com, not your own company.
   
3. Start a blog. Blogs help in two ways. They provide new content (search engines prefer new over old). Plus, the more interesting blogs tend to generate lots of inbound links.
   
4. Leverage your PR program. Use press releases and externally distributed articles to drum up more inbound links. To maximize effectiveness, link back to your Web site from keywords. 
   
5. Use social media to build links. Find out where your customers hang out online, and start participating there. Remember to add value. Don't lead with a sales pitch.

Got these five handled already? Fabulous! Then you can move on to more advanced tactics. Stay tuned to this newsletter for more ideas.

The Po!nt: Your Web site's ranking is not out of your control. Start making a few changes today, and see your site climb.

Source: MarketingProfs. If you want to know more, see Mike Volpe's article (plus some member comments) right here.

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