Aida Jolie

Search Engine Results Page Optimization

What Does SERP mean exactly?

SERP is otherwise known as the Search Engine Results Page. This is the page that users see after typing their search query into an engine.

The common misunderstanding is that the higher the PageRank the better results you will have for SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) placement. The truth is that it is only one portion of what is considered during the results page calculation.  

Post title Optimization
One of the most important and simplistic methods you can use to increase SERPs results. When selecting your post title insure that it is keyword(s) rich and accurately fits the post. I use Overture’s keyword selector and generally look at keyword(s) that generate between 2000 – 5000 hits per month.

According to SEO experts it is essential that post titles come first and then the site title. What? Take a look at the top of your browser and take note that the article title appears first. This will also tell search engines to place the post tile first in SERPs. 

Since I use both Wordpress and Blogger (New) I have listed both methods for optimizing your post titles below: 
 

Wordpress Optimized Post Title Change: 

Find this code in presentation > theme editor > header > near top

Default Wordpress title code:

<title><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?> <?php if ( is_single() ) { ?> » Blog Archive <?php } ?> <?php wp_title(); ?></title>

Now replace it with (ardamis):

<title><?php wp_title(”); ?><?php if(wp_title(’ ‘, false)) { echo ‘ | ‘; } ?><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?></title>

Blogger (New) Optimized Post Title Change:

Find this code in settings > template > edit HTML > the edit code section it is near the top.

Default New Blogger Code:

<title><data:blog.pagetitle/></title>

Now replace it with (webtalks):

<!– Start Widget-based: Changing the Blogger Title Tag –>
<b:if cond=’data:blog.pageType == “item”‘>
<b:section id=’titleTag’>
<b:widget id=’Blog2′ locked=’false’ title=’Blog Posts’ type=’Blog’>
<b:includable id=’comments’ var=’post’/>
<b:includable id=’postQuickEdit’ var=’post’/>
<b:includable id=’main’ var=’top’><title><b:loop values=’data:posts’ var=’post’><b:include data=’post’ name=’post’/></b:loop> ~ <data:blog.title /></title></b:includable>
<b:includable id=’backlinkDeleteIcon’ var=’backlink’/>
<b:includable id=’feedLinksBody’ var=’links’/>
<b:includable id=’backlinks’ var=’post’/>
<b:includable id=’status-message’/>
<b:includable id=’feedLinks’/>
<b:includable id=’nextprev’/>
<b:includable id=’commentDeleteIcon’ var=’comment’/>
<b:includable id=’post’ var=’post’><data:post.title/></b:includable>
</b:widget>
</b:section>
<b:else/>
<title><data:blog.pageTitle/></title>
</b:if>
<!– End Widget-based: Changing the Blogger Title Tag –>

Permalinks Dynamic URLs & SEO URLs
This is a mistake that many Wordpress bloggers including myself make in the beginning and it will definitely affect SERPs.  It is somewhat easy to correct depends on your level of computer competence. Details of how to “Turn On SEO URLs”

Description & Keyword Meta-tags
The meta-tag is a somewhat useful tool that when used accurately can prove to be useful for improving your search engine ranking for search results. “Improve Site Ranking for Search Results”

Keyword(s) In Your Domain
When ever possible you should try and purchase a domain for you blog that uses a primary keyword you want to become optimize for.  This is something that I did not give any thought too but have noticed that others that have used this method are more successful for being optimized for a particular keyword.

Domain Age:
When analyzing your competition check their domain age. This is an interesting catch-22 because if you are competing with sites that are say 5-10 years of domain age this is some serious competition you are up against! Domain age represents authority normally resulting in higher SERPs. Luckily Google does take into consideration well written relevant content when determining search results.      

Keywords In Your Post
Use keywords sporadically in your posts; body text, links to posts (deep linking), images, and outbound links. Now identify a keyword(s) that you hope to get indexed by Google.  Keyword(s) should be used though out your article and insure that you use it in the title of the post and it’s within your first two sentences. Remember do not spam your articles with your keywords because it’s off putting to readers.   

Sitemap
A sitemap is a key SEO tool to ensure pages have the best possible chance of being found and indexed by search engine spiders.  After you have a valid sitemap login into (or register) your Google webmaster tools account: enter your URL > click add site > click URL > click sitemaps (right side) > click add sitemap > choose general sitemap > type sitemap name > you will be asked to copy a verification code into your site just follow the directions given. 

Wordpress Sitemap Plugin:  or Blogger Sitemap Directions:

October 29, 2007 | posted in The Net 

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37 Responses to “Search Engine Results Page Optimization”

  1. Arizona Real Estate - Rick on October 30th, 2007

    Those are very useful, and from what I understand, all widely accepted and encouraged SEO methods. We currently utilize most of your suggestions, along with many others, in an attempt to increase our SERP.

    Thanks for the post, and if you have any other ideas.. I’d love to hear them.

  2. Craig on October 31st, 2007

    A lot of people neglect on site seo in the beginning. Wordpress is seo’d pretty well out of the box, but changing the page title, meta tags, and permalinks are neglected by nany wordpress users. Great article.

  3. John Kain on November 1st, 2007

    This reminds me I need to SERP Optimize my blog.

  4. Rice Blogger on November 1st, 2007

    yes..title change is important…but they have a plugin for SEO for wordpress

  5. Paul from NewHomesSection on November 1st, 2007

    Jake,
    I was wondering if you were still offering a PR 5 link in exchange for a recommendation in a Blog? I apologize for asking again, I just haven’t heard back from you. Please let me know either way.

    Thank you

  6. Jason Neuman on November 1st, 2007

    My last batch was 18 on July 13 and have not offered it since. Maybe in the future I will start again.

  7. Paul from NewHomesSection on November 1st, 2007

    Sorry about that. I didn’t pay attention to the date. Thank you for getting back to me on this.

  8. Life is Colourful on November 1st, 2007

    Pretty useful for all new bloggers. I am glad to read it going right into the details. I had changed the URL pattern of my blog reading one of your old posts.

  9. Paul from NewHomesSection on November 2nd, 2007

    Do you think link exchange helps or hurts my ranks? SE ranking and PR

  10. digitalnomad on November 4th, 2007

    I think the best tip here is the title optimization. Sometimes I like to write 5 or 6 headlines, then come back to it maybe an hour or so later.

    I always end up tweaking it. Always seems like it turns out better, Sometimes, the best headline is in your body copy (text).

  11. RJacobsen on November 14th, 2007

    Thanks for the tips! You’ve listed many very useful SEO methods, some of which can be done without the help of professionals.

    I think it’s great that you have taken the time to help your readers on improving their SERP… Thank again!

  12. Patrick Burt on November 14th, 2007

    Good list, you forgot to mention the keywords being used to link to you.

  13. saigon esl on November 17th, 2007

    Definitely a good list of tips for me. I just realized that there is so much more then just making a useful website.

  14. Dallas Office Space on November 18th, 2007

    I never realized that the age of your domain name was important, thanks for the heads up.

  15. Stijn Vogels on November 19th, 2007

    I used to edit these title fields manually, but have since found a better way to automatically optimize naming. For WordPress, there is a great plugin called: All-in-one-SEO. I don’t think I can give it full credit for it, but the next pagerank update just boost me up to PR6 (from 4). You can easily find the plugin on the WordPress website, as it’s one of the most popular plugins around.

  16. Topj on November 21st, 2007

    Post title Optimization - Great! I was asking my self that very same Q.
    Thanks a lot.

  17. Furniture Store on November 23rd, 2007

    Thanks for that very informative post. People like me (technologically challenged people i mean) need this sort of thing to understand the mysteries and complexities of the http://WWW.

  18. Take off zone on November 28th, 2007

    Any website can appear within the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), but very few can have a high SERP position. Your website only needs one link from a page which has been indexed by the search engine to be found in the result. Another important factor required to achieve a high SERP position, which wasn’t mentioned, is the networking or linking factor. Likewise your website needs one link in order to make it into the search engine, it’ll need many good quality links pointing to it in order to achieve a high SERP ranking.

  19. Friendly Web Directory on December 1st, 2007

    That’s a great post… You are improving your SERP(s) with link building, unique content and good PR.

  20. TigerTom on December 3rd, 2007

    Don’t forget posting bland comments in ‘do-follow’ blogs to get backlinks; that’s good too.

    The trick with SEO at the moment is to optimise a site so that it’s fairly obvious what it’s about, but not so much as to be penalised for it.

    Then get as many good backlinks as you can.

  21. sexy & funny DuDe on December 3rd, 2007

    Yeah, just like TigerTom says, you have to find a good balance between those two.

    And getting backlinks via do-follow comments is a great thing but not everyone can do that. First, you really have to know what are you commenting about. And second, it takes a lot of time for that.

  22. Adonis on December 6th, 2007

    Oh I’ve just took note all the details you’ve posted, i think this could help us a lot. Good one.. Keep it up!

  23. Adonis Silud on December 6th, 2007

    Oh I’ve just took note all the details you’ve posted, i’m pretty sure this could help us a lot. Good one.. Keep it up!

    Telluride

  24. Dallas Flat Fee MLS on December 11th, 2007

    Great Post! IMHO I think the most important thing for SEO is having great content.

  25. Utah Search Engine Optimization on December 13th, 2007

    Good Wordpress tips. Wordpress is probably the greatest CMS for search engine optimization

  26. Life is Colourful on December 14th, 2007

    Well I dont agree to this completely @ Utah SEO, I prefer blogger over wordpress for search engine optimization. But it very much depends on for what search engine, you are going to optimize it. If I want to optimize it for Google, I would prefer to use blogger as a blogging platform, I always saw quick results for inclusion in Google index for blogger blogs.

  27. Futon-Matt on December 14th, 2007

    Yeah, I work constantly on improving my serps. PR Means nothing to me.

    Matt

  28. Paul on December 18th, 2007

    Futon,

    What do you do to increase your SERPS just the typical SEO or do you have some helpful tips?

  29. Big Oak SEO Company on December 21st, 2007

    All good advice. I would also recommend for bloggers an incredible tool called “All in One SEO Pack” and you can download it here: http://wp.uberdose.com/2007/03/24/all-in-one-seo-pack/

    It will do a lot of things you have suggested automatically and allow manual manipulation. I use it on my blog with wonderful results.

  30. Chris on December 22nd, 2007

    Very good post. I’m going to have to start putting a little work into my post titles.
    Thanks.

  31. Edward on January 5th, 2008

    Nice list, yet among all of them I would recommend sitemap as the best, once a site get indexed by Google then traffic will come very soon

  32. Linas from SmoothStep Design on January 18th, 2008

    Apart from titles and sitemaps it is very important to set keyword rich headlines, bold and italic text in the content. I have removed h2 tags (simply for experimentation) from the menu and my site had dropped more than 10 positions in Google organic listings.

    You can look at it the other way around, if one put’s those headlines correctly, page will jump up.

  33. Sam on February 13th, 2008

    I think that the keywords elating to the content of the site is much more important. I have a 3 month old site and it ranks in the top 5 for 5 or 6 >5000pm search terms. This is purely because the content and keywords match.

    I also analyze the analytics and webmaster tools to make sure that everything is going right.

  34. Cesar on February 13th, 2008

    I have done some study too in SEO and I really like your method for the wordpress title because I have until now not optimized my wordpress title yet.

  35. pontarae on July 21st, 2008

    Concisely stated! I’ve found more result in optimizing my on-page features, as you suggest, than I have yet had from an extensive off-page campaign.

  36. Edwin on July 30th, 2008

    I’ve just took note all the details you’ve posted, i think this could help us a lot. Good one.. Keep it up!

  37. monavie on August 24th, 2008

    wow. amazing information here. Maybe you should sell a e-book!

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