We all get irritated when we click on a link and it redirects us to the 404 page.  I am pretty sure that the average Internet user has encountered this page at least once.  From the standpoint of the provider – the web site or blog owner – the 404 page should not be disregarded.  This is a case of taking advantage of what you have to work with.  Though users curse the 404 page, you can still use it to your advantage.

Think about it, though the user does not get anything from the 404 page, you can optimize that page to bring them back to the relevant pages in your web site.  The 404 page may very well be an inevitable page so why not simply exploit it?

How do you do this?  More than using the default content for the 404 page, tweak the content to be shown in it.  Make your own text explaining what the 404 page is and why the user was redirected there.  Use keywords relevant to your site even.

Don’t stop there, though, make sure that the users can find their way back to your main site.  You can do this by including your main navigation bar and including a link for the user to click on.  This link can be to your main page.  Better yet, this link could be to your site map, if you have one.

By doing so, you can point users who wander off to the 404 page back to your main pages.

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For the past couple of posts, we have been taking a look at some factors that may be hindering your SEO efforts from bearing fruit. Just to recap, we discussed the use of appropriate keywords and the frequency of your updates. These apply to both blogs and web sites in general. Today, let us take a look at inbound links.

We have had several discussions on this topics, especially when we had that series on increasing one’s Google PageRank. More than just simply focusing on what Google thinks, though, why don’t you think about the core idea of having other sites link to your own site or blog. What is the implication of having people link to your site? I would say that this is a measure of your blog’s relevance to those people. They link to your site because they think your site holds information that can be useful to them and their readers as well.

Going back to search engines – which is the focus of SEO – you really need inbound links to increase your visibility online. The idea is, again, simple. The more external sites that you have linking to your site, the higher your chances of getting up in the SERPs. That translates to better chances of being discovered by people who conduct searches.

The bottom line is that you have to continue building links that point to your site. This is part and parcel of SEO and if you have overlooked this point, then it may be the reason your SEO campaign is not working as you would like it to be.

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Did you like those two simple SEO tips from Richard Burckhardt? Well, there is a lot more where they came from. I hope I can share more than two tips in this post – we’ll see.

Don’t be obsessed with PageRank. It is just one isty bitsy part of the ranking algorithm. A site with lower PR can actually outrank one with a higher PR.

This one I really have to internalize. I know, in theory, that there is more to life than PR. However, it is hard when you see your already not-so-good PR of 3 slip down to a worse 2. Still, I think that this tip is a good reminder – let’s not be so focused on PR. It is not everything!

If your site content doesn’t change often, your site needs a blog because search spiders like fresh text. Blog at least three time a week with good, fresh content to feed those little crawlers.

Search engines like unique content that is also quality content. There can be a difference between unique content and quality content. Make sure your content is both.

Here it is again – content. If your web site is not the kind that needs new content on a regular basis, there is always blogging to help.

SEO is not a one-shot process. The search landscape changes daily, so expect to work on your optimization daily.

This is another good reminder. SEO takes time, it is not a one shot deal.

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…that even your mother would love. That is how Richard Burckhardt titled his blog post on this and I love it! The original title of the post is “51 Quick SEO Tips Even Your Mother Would Love” but we cannot cover ALL of those 51 tips here so I am picking out my favorites of the bunch. Here they are.

Content is king, so be sure to have good, well-written and unique content that will focus on your primary keyword or keyword phrase.

I have written about this topic many times so nothing more needs to be added to this. However, here is a related tip:

If content is king, then links are queen. Build a network of quality backlinks using your keyword phrase as the link. Remember, if there is no good, logical reason for that site to link to you, you don’t want the link.

I think that it is very important to stress the quality of the link. I have seen so many propositions for link exchanges and even though they may be tempting, it is vital that the unrelated sites be weeded out. Google is not stupid. Just because many sites link to your site does not mean that they are “legit” – that they linked because of your content. They know that people exchange links as easily as they change their clothes. If I were you, I’d choose who I link to and who links to me as well.

More of these quick SEO tips in the next post.

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