Archive for the 'SEO Basics' Category
Back to the Basics SEO
Alright, since I’m just starting out, I might as well start at the beginning. I’m sure most anyone reading this blog will know most of these things, but maybe some of you don’t and some of you need a refresher course.
What is SEO?
According to me it is the art of sculpting a webpage to be soaked up by the search engines, and more importatly soaked up by the users experiencing the site.
Beyond the HTML, fancy Javascript, and other forms of website coding manipulation, first and formost, the site needs to be about something. These days, all the hype is around niche products, and for good reason. Unless you are the master of the SEO universe, know some gnarly exploits, or have deep pockets, you’re not going to take over any top categories any time soon. Not to say it can’t be done, but lets keep it simple.
Choosing a Niche
You need to pick a topic that is managable, and if possible something you know about or at least have intesest in. This is not absolutly necessary, but can help with content writing or properly marketing to your audience.
One of the best ways I find to locate a niche is to look through some affiliate programs. Hit up COPEAC for example and browse through all the programs there until you find a program that both pays well, and is not something impossible to obtain.
I’m going to choose for the sake of this lesson “Home Decorating”. There are affiliates on there that sell furniture, kitchen decorations and products like that. You want to stay away from affiliate programs like Home Loans or Web Hosting. They pay alot, but the market is flooded, and is more than most people can handle.
Choosing a Domain
Now that you have your niche all picked out, you’re gonna wanna get a domain name. You can of course use a blog if you’re poor, but I don’t think heading to GO DADDY and buying a $6.95 (ZINE3 - Promo Code) domain is too much to ask. I prefer using a “.com” for my domains, but it’s not absolutly necessary. I think it’s better for the longevity and validity of the site. People seem to trust “.com” names more than .info or .ws domains.
Aged Domains and Domain Auctions
You can also head over to a place like SEDO and get an aged domain, or a domain that already has traffic and rankings. This will cost a little extra coin, but can be worth it. There are plenty of domains expiring all the time that you can pick up for cheap. It’ll take a little patients, a little research, and a little money, but it can yield some good results for someone who is just starting a new webpage. Sites that are already indexed by google or already have traffic/links to them can be very benefitial.
Web Hosting
If you don’t have one already, a hosting account is highly recommended. You can of course take the cheep route and use a free blog. If you are in the market for a hosting company, I recommend from years of experience HOST GATOR. You can get the smallest account, which can host unlimited domain names and has enough space and bandwidth for a beginner. You could also get the reseller account which costs a little more but I feel is easier to maintain. You get a new login for each site along with a seperate cpanel. You could also sell your webspace to other if you wanted to.
I’ve used many hosting companies over the years, and I highly recommend host gator. They actually have a phone number, and someone will answer. Their online tech support is also very good.
Ready to Roll
Now that you’ve chosen a niche, located an affiliate program, got a hosting company and got your domain you’re about 0.05% done. I’ll be following on what to do next in my “next” blog post.
Recap
- Join an affiliate program like COPEAC and find a Niche you enjoy
- Buy a domain from a site like GODADDY or SEDO.
- Sign up for a web hosting company like HOST GATOR
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