Search Engine Optimization is an important part of getting your web site found online. Network Solutions’ Website Builder Tool provides you an easy way to get your Web site added to the indexes of major Search engines like Google®, Yahoo®, MSN® and many more.

What are the basics to make my Web site search engine friendly?
Search engines want the results they present to their users to be highly relevant to the keywords entered by the users. Search engines explore or “crawl” Web sites looking for this relevancy and “index” the Web sites accordingly. You can help the search engines to find and index your Web site by making it “search engine friendly”, also known as “search engine optimization” or SEO. There are professional SEO experts who can help you achieve higher search engine rankings, but here are a basic few things you can do on your own.

Make use of keywords that people can use to search for your site, by adding them to image names, page names etc.

• Put relevant keywords in the title, description and body text of all your pages.
• Link all your pages from the home page.
• Have a header for every page that summarizes the contents of the page the same as a chapter heading in a book.
• Spread the content over several pages. Each page should not have more than 250 to 300 words. If you have more content, add it to another page.
• When using images in your Website Builder Tool make sure you include the “alt text” in your images. You will be given the option to add this when selecting an image to add to your page.

Make it easy for search engines to index your pages

Before publishing your Web site, make sure add page titles, descriptions and keywords to your Web site by completing the “Attract Visitors to Your Web Site” form. See http://Websiteuserguide.com/07-meta-tags.htm .

Use the “Attract Site Visitors” form to fill in the page title, description, and keywords for your Web site pages. Search engines such as Google® send “robots” or “spiders” to “crawl” (explore) your Web site for keywords and descriptions. Click on the “Search Engine Keywords” link under “Free Web Site Tools” on the right of your Control Center.
 
OR
 
If you are on the “Edit Your Web Pages” screen

1. Click on the page name and then click “Change Search Engine Keywords”.
2. Select the title for this page. This title will appear in the bar at the top of your user's Web browser.
3. Enter a concise description of your site in 200 characters or less, including spaces.
4. Finally, enter the keywords and keyword phrases that best describe your Web site.

You can also edit, refine or change your keywords any time through “Web Site Pages”. Just select the page you want and then click the “Change Search Engine Keywords” link.
 
Tip: Developing very precise keywords will help improve the position of your Web site in search engine results. For example, if you are a real estate agent, using keywords such as “Real Estate” is too broad and will reduce the likelihood of your Web site appearing early in search results. Instead, use a more precise phrase, like Northern Virginia Commercial Real Estate. Also, make sure your most important keyword is in the title of your Web site. For example, use Northern Virginia Real Estate as your title to help increase your ranking.

You should repeat this process for each page on your Web site.

How do I add footer text on each page?
If you own a brick and mortar business that services walk-in customers, we recommend you use the footer to display your location, phone, etc. on all your pages. The inclusion of your address on your Web site will also help you with local search engine results when a customer is looking for a product or service in a local area.

1. Click on the “Web Site Pages” icon in the top menu bar.
2. Click on a page name and on the “edit page” link.
3. Click the “add footer” button that appears at the bottom of the page.
4. Enter your footer information in the text editor box, format it for size, font, etc., and then click “Continue”.

Use our Free SubmitWizard tool after you have fully built your Web site and published it. Details of using Submit Wizard can be found at http://Websiteuserguide.com/07-submit-wizard.htm. To access this tool:
 
Under “Free Web Site Tools” on your Website Builder Tool Control Center, click the “Submit to Search Engines” link.
 
OR
 
If you are on the “Edit Web Pages” screen:

1. Click on the page name.
2. Click “Change Search Engine Keywords”.
3. Complete all the sections of the page.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen to the section “Submit to Search Engines”.
5. Click on the link “Submit Information to Search Engines

It’s as easy as that to get started! If you need additional help on more advanced Search Engine Optimization techniques, Network Solutions offers a free white paper called “SEO Guide to Getting Found Online.”