Google SEO Starter Guide in 1 Minute

I just went over Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.  It’s a solid foundation to have if you’re just starting out in SEO.  The PDF file provided by Google is only 22 pages long, but I decided to make it even shorter.

1.   Create unique, accurate page titles
       a.   Accurately describe the page’s content
       b.   Create unique title tags for each page
       c.   Use brief, but descriptive titles

2.   Make use of the “description” meta tag
       a.   Accurately summarize the page’s content
       b.   Use unique descriptions for each page

3.   Improve the structure of your URLs
       a.   Use words in URLs
       b.   Create a simple directory structure
       c.   Provide one version of a URL to reach a document

4.   Make your site easier to navigate
       a.   Create a naturally flowing hierarchy
       b.   Use mostly text for navigation
       c.   Use “breadcrumb” navigation
       d.   Put an HTML sitemap page on your site, and use an XML Sitemap file
       e.   Consider what happens when a user removes part of your URL
       f.   Have a useful 404 page

5.   Offer quality content and services
       a.   Write easy-to-read text
       b.   Stay organized around the topic
       c.   Use relevant language
       d.   Create fresh, unique content
       e.   Offer exclusive content or services
       f.    Create content primarily for your users, not search engines

6.   Write better anchor text
       a.   Choose descriptive text
       b.   Write concise text
       c.   Format links so they’re easy to spot
       d.   Think about anchor text for internal links too

7.   Use heading tags appropriately
       a.   Imagine you’re writing an outline
       b.   Use headings sparingly across the page

8.   Optimize your use of images
       a.   Use brief, but descriptive filenames and alt text
       b.   Supply alt text when using images as links
       c.   Store images in a directory of their own
       d.   Use commonly supported filetypes

9.   Make effective use of robots.txt
       a.   Use more secure methods for sensitive content

10.   Be aware of rel=”nofollow” for links

11.   Promote your website in the right ways
         a.   Blog about new content or services
         b.   Don’t forget about offline promotion
         c.   Know about social media sites
         d.   Add your business to Google’s Local Business Center
         e.   Reach out to those in your site’s related community

12.   Make use of free webmaster tools

13.   Take advantage of web analytics services

You should keep these things in mind whenever you decide to develop a new website.  It’s easier/better to launch a website having all these things already implemented vs. fixing any issues later down the line.