In this article, we'll cover the main points of Google's Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide. This valuable ten-point checklist explains the most important steps you can take to "improve your site's interaction with both users and search engines."

Please download the guide and keep it handy. Refer to the guide as you read this article. As you read through the guide, keep in mind your website should be appealing to both Googlebot and the human users who visit your site.

Before we address the steps individually, we'll follow the guide's format by explaining the difference between paid (or sponsored) links and Google's "organic" search results. On any Google search results page, you are likely to see paid search results in addition to those returned by the search engine. Naturally your goal is to rank higher in the organic (non-paid) search results. Your page rank is an indication of your website's popularity. Also, search engine traffic is free.

The higher your appearance in the search engine results pages (SERPs), the more visitor traffic you can expect from the search engines. Since a large part of page rank is based on inbound links to your website, search engine traffic can be compared to positive word-of-mouth advertising.

The Title Tag

The Title tag is an HTML tag that goes within the head of your document. The title is the name of your page, which displays in the bar at the top of your browser. Google's example recommends you use the name of your website, and three main focus areas of your site.

Google recommends that you use unique titles for each page. Since each page title is unique, it represents your best opportunity to describe the page. Ideally, your "three main focus areas" should consist of keywords you expect visitors to follow in searching for your site.

Use of a unique title tag allows you to more specifically describe your webpage. In Google's search results page, the title appears directly above your short "meta-description." Always use the title tag to (1) remind Google of your business name, and (2) provide Google with several relevant keywords describing your site. Example:

Foothill Web Design - Business Web Design, SEO and eMarketing

Somewhat confusingly, in Joomla you set the page title not from the Article page but from the Menu Item>>System Parameters page.

The Description Meta Tag

The description meta tag is similar to the page title tag. It also goes in the document's head section. While the title tag is a short phrase, the description tag may contain one or two short sentences describing your site or business. Try to keep your description under 20 words, or else it may get truncated (cut off) by the search engine.

As with the title tag, Google recommends a unique description for each page. This is an important consideration, because by default Joomla provides the same page title and description for every page (see Global Configuration>>Site>>Metadata Settings).

Add a description to every article you create in Joomla. The description field is located on the Article Edit page, under Metadata Information.

Improved URL Structure

URL structure refers both to the logical layout of your website, and the file/directory names themselves. Google likes descriptive web addresses such as http://www.designshowroom.com/articles/french-design.htm. Pay close attention to your menu layout, article title and alias. (The article alias is used to generate the folder name.)

Pay attention to the menu item, article title and alias. Is your menu structure easy to understand? Are your page titles unique and do they contain relevant keywords?

Although Joomla is by nature a dynamically generated website, it has its own "search engine friendly" settings that you can access from the Global Configuration>>Site>>SEO Settings area. These settings produce pretty URLs of the kind Google likes.

I recommend you don't change the global configuration settings unless you know what you're doing. In general, you will need mod_rewrite enabled in order to use SEF, and you will also need a properly configured .htaccess file. If this is confusing, just leave the current settings. For a more in-depth discussion, refer to the Google SEO Starter Guide.

Make Your Site Easy To Navigate

As your site grows, you'll discover natural groups of articles, categories and sections. Understand the logical arrangement of files and paths on your website. I recommend use of XMap for Joomla, which automatically generates a Google Sitemap each time you add a a page to your site. (Check your Components menu to see if XMap is already installed on your Joomla site.)

It's easy to grow your Joomla site, simply by adding more (sub-)menus with links to articles. The art of Joomla CMS is its ability to create a taxonomy of data. A taxonomy is a natural system of classification. Understanding the relationship between files or articles is essential to creating a logical navigation system.

Google's SEO Starter Guide includes other helpful hints, like use of "breadcrumbs" and custom 404 pages.

Offer Quality Content

This common-sense approach to SEO is Google's most essential recommendation.

"Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website more than any of the other factors.... Organic or word-of-mouth buzz is what helps build your site's reputation with both users and Google, and it rarely comes without quality content."

What is "compelling and useful content?" One accepted approach is to repeat select or targeted keywords at least several times per page. This helps Google understand your page's content. [But can you train it to roll over? --Ed.] Naturally, you also want to make each page interesting for users. Add more than just a photo and caption. Include plenty of text-based information for both Google and your users. The Starter Guide has many tips for improving content.

I often use a practical approach to web design. What is the website supposed to accomplish? In the case of an ecommerce website, you sell goods or services directly over the Web. This is possible using secure payment gateways^{See Authorize.net.} or online payment services like Paypal. Keep the process as simple as possible for your customers to find, select and pay for items.

Some common types of website business models include:

1. Ecommerce: You sell goods or services directly over the Web.
2. Brochure: Displays information about your business and company.
3. Informational: Generates profits through advertising revenue.
4. Promotional: Acquaints the user with your product.

Write Better Anchor Text

Anchor text refers to the text within an anchor link. This is the highlighted text the user clicks to jump to another spot. Keep it short (three or four words max), simple and descriptive. Plan your link and use natural keywords within your anchor text. This benefits Google by providing hints wrt the linked webpage.

In the next blog, we'll look at the remaining Google SEO best practices, according to Google's SEO Starter Guide.

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