Selecting the right keyword phrases for each page of your web site is the first step towards ranking high in the Search Engines. However, it is only the first step. Once you have selected your targeted keyword phrases, you must then implement them into your pages. Here's how: taking the time to optimize your web pages the right way will pay off in ranking high in the search engines, driving more traffic to your web site.
Firstly, the title tag. Obviously your title tag should contain your keywords. If you want to put your business name in there as well that's fine, just put your keywords first and your business name last. Use a different title tag for each page of your site, including the keywords for each page in it's title. This way each page will be optimized for its own keywords. Too many sites make the mistake of using 'Welcome to X business name's website' as their title and use it for every page on their site. They will also use the same description on each page, they can say goodbye to rankings and hello to supplementary listings.
Next, the META description tag. It is used to describe your site. Some search engines use this description in their results pages. Therefore your description should contain your targeted keywords for that page. Do not just repeat or stuff the description with keywords though, people are less likely to continue on to your site if they see your listing stuffed with keywords. Also, search engines can penalize a site if they think ya site is stuffing keywords in the description tag in an attempt to rank higher. You want a realistic description for human eyes that also contains your keywords. Use a different description for each page on your site, each page is different, so why would you describe them the same?
Heading tags. Heading tags are used to separate topics. Some search engines put extra weight on words placed within heading tags as they help determine what the page is about. h1 is the largest font and gives the most advantage. It's appearance is the largest and is bold which can look out of place on most sites, although you can get around using cascading styling sheets. So, placing your keyword at the top of a page inside heading tags can be helpful. Headings should be followed with content sprinkled with your keywords.
The body text or the actual content on your page should also contain your keywords. The keywords should be repeated to a certain extent, know as keyword density. You want to optimize your content to include your keywords while making sure it reads well and makes sense. There is no point in overdoing it if it makes your site sound silly and turns visitors away. Mention your keywords at the beginning of your content and sprinkle through.
The alt image tag can be used within image HTML code. It is used to describe the image if a visitor is using a browser that reads web pages for the blind or if they have graphics turned of. You will also see the alt text if you hover your mouse over an image. This presents an opportunity to describe your images including keywords.
Anchor text is the text you use to describe a link. Here is an example of what not to do:
For Keyword Product X click here .
Instead you should use: Keyword Product X as the link text. Using the first example tells the search engines that the page you are linking to is about 'click here' which does nothing for you. By using the second example you are telling the search engine the linked to page is about Keyword Product X. Anchor text will give your pages a boost in search engine relevancy. This especially applies when other sites link to yours.
Having relevant file names can also help in search engine results. Keywords in your file name separated by '-' will tell the search engines what the page is about. For example keyword-product-x.html. Do not over do it with extremely long file names though. If your page is already ranking well with decent PR, I would not recommend renaming all your file names. You will lose your existing page rank for the chance of a very slight boost. This tip is useful for new websites or pages with no or little existing PR.