SEO Basics for eBay Sellers – Getting Found in Google
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Are you familiar with the phrase “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO)?
While it sounds highly technical and arcane, SEO is simply the action anybody with a web presence can take to ensure that Google (1) is aware of a particular web page, (2) correctly recognizes what the main theme or topic of that particular web page is, and (3) ranks that particular page highly for searches related to that particular topic.
Search Engine Optimization centers around three main areas of emphasis including keyword identification, on-page factors such as text and titles, and off-page factors such as inbound links from quality websites.
Although SEO is not normally associated with promoting specific eBay listings, the techniques and examples I describe here can be incredibly effective if implemented with both patience and persistence.
Keyword Research
The first step to getting found in Google is deciding what search terms your want to get found for. This involves a little research and, more than likely, some trial and error.
Your objective here is threefold. The first is to discern the specific keywords that are popular among computer users who use Google to search for information related to your product.
Next, you must decide which of those keywords or keyword phrases are most associated with searches made by consumers who are interested in buying your product.
Finally, it involves selecting the relevant keywords that strike the best balance between search popularity and manageable competition from other web pages contending for high rankings in the Google search results.
This keyword research is necessarily the first step in the process because it provides the basis for both your on-page and off-page optimization efforts.
One of my eBay listings on the 1st page of the Yahoo! search results
On-Page Search Engine Optimization Factors
As the name implies, on-page factors are concerned with getting things right on the page receiving the search engine traffic. When Google and the other major search engines attempt to decide what’s important about a particular web address, their algorithms take cues from several specific elements associated with that page.
These factors include the page title, description, headings, text, and the URL itself. Therefore, it is important to consider and carefully include the keywords you researched earlier in all of these on-page elements. I say carefully because, if over done, the page might trip Google’s SPAM filters and will be buried deep in the search result pages accordingly.
Off-Page Factors
Off page factors are the most significant aspect of any search engine optimization campaign. Specifically, inbound links from numerous different reputable and popular websites.
If you think about it for a minute, inbound links are a terrific measure of reputation. If numerous sites that Google considers credible link to your listing, the search engine will assume that your page is an authoritative resource for your keyword phrase.
The links’ anchor text – the click-able words – are important to help the search engine discern what all the fuss is about. So it’s important to include your keyword phrase in your anchor text when you are carrying out your link building efforts.
Ready to Learn More?
Does this sound like a lot of complicated and difficult work? If so, don’t panic. With the techniques and examples in my new eBook Beyond Best Match, it won’t be long until Google displays a link to your listing on the first page of the search results.
Get started…
http://www.BeyondBestMatch.com