Over the past few months I have been working on some projects who's aim is to enhance and improve a websites standing in the various search engines, such as Google and Bing. There are a number of 'monetary' methods that a website owner can use to try and improve there ranking in a search engine, such as using the Googles Ad Words tool where your advert is promoted alongside the search results and you pay a samll amount everytime someone clicks the advert.

These methods can be very effective but it is also important to remember that the cost can quickly add up so it is also worth working on search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques which can be implemented at the design level of the website. There are many different design techniques you can use to try and enhance you sites search ranking and there is no set rule book or a one size fits all solution because of the number of variables involved in a websites design, construction, intended market, search engine competition, etc...

However, there are some simple things you can do when building your site that will help increase your chances of having good results. In no particular order, below are 10 of these items that I try to consistently use at Alpine Web Design...

1. Title Tag - It’s important to include a keyword or two in the title tag.

2. Meta Tags - Most noteably the description tag and keywords tag, although keywords is becoming less important due to keyword stuffing.

3. Proper Use Of Heading Tags - Use of heading tags helps users, web browsers and search engines alike know where the major key points of your copy are.

4. Alt Attributes On All Images - Enhances both SEO and accessability of your site.

5. Relevant Content - You can put all the keywords you want in the meta tags and alt image tags, etc — but if the actual readable text on the page is not relevant to the target keywords, it ends up basically being a futile attempt.

6. Social Media - Although technically not SEO, Social Media is such a growing factor in getting your web site noticed, that it’s an important element to include in your plan.

These are just a few of the many avaialable techniques you can use to try an implement a good amount of SEO on a design level. If you are interested in improving your sites ranking or just interested in finding out more about SEO drop me a line and I will be happy to answer any questions.