[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3740″ size=”small” align=”left” autoHeight=”true” quality=”90″]

Helpful Sites To Maximize Your Search Engine Optimization

It goes without saying Search Engine Optimization(SEO) is an essential web business tool. Want to check out how your website fares?  Here are some free tools and tutorials to get you started, or to evaluate your current status.  Be aware that while some are entirely free, generally the goal is to upgrade your status. Nevertheless, there are some really useful links to help you assess your website’s level of optimization.

As an overview, Google’s PDF called Search Engine Optimization is a very handy treatment of SEO Basics. You’ll find it here in the right hand column under Help Resources.  There is also a half-hour or so video tutorial should you be so inclined.

SEO Tools

• Google Webmaster Central.  This is a jumping off point for Webmaster Tools.  For starters, improve your site’s visibility by adding it to be indexed.  The tools assist you in diagnosing issues, rankings and website speeds to name a few.  Very handy and very useful!  A video on the home page illustrates in a simple, straightforward manner how the tools work.
• Google Analytics.  This is an enterprise-class web analytics solution that lets you monitor your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. According to Google, its “Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way.”  Features include segmentation analysis, flexible customization, e-commerce tracking, sales to goal and conversion tracking, mobile tracking and much more.   
• Google Insights.  See what’s popular in searching patterns by categories, seasonality, geographic distribution and much more!
• Google Trends  This tool provides the most popular topics and searched queries . This tool could be a great help for bloggers who are confused about what topic they should write on .
• Mozbar Toolbar A SEO toolbar available to download for Firefox and Chrome with powerful SEO tools that let you analyze metrics while you surf, create custom searches, compare metrics for Google, Yahoo and Bing – plus much more. Download is free.  Upgrades and other options are not.
• Microsoft Bing Webmaster Tools While most of us think Google (and for good reason) Bing and Yahoo still command about a 30% market share.  With the Bing Webmaster Tools you can view crawl activity, index coverage, traffic stats, optimize and validate your website and more.
• Yahoo Web Analytics Yahoo Web Analytics is a highly customizable web analytic tool, with the caveat that to use it you either have to be an advertiser, or know someone who is a member of the Yahoo Consultant Network.

We Can Help

If you find SEO overwhelming, or simply don’t have the time to deal with it, please call or contact us about our fee-based SEO Services.