HotDoodle | Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing your website or a web page so that it appears higher in the results presented by a search engine.

Why is SEO Important?

The higher (i.e. earlier) your website appears in the search results, higher the likelihood that it will get clicked and receive more traffic. Traffic, or better relevant traffic, to your website is very important. If visitors can discover your website, you will have the opportunity to tell them about your products and services.

The Basics - How Search Engines Work

Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing use computer programs that automatically browse websites out there on the web and index them (an activity called crawling or spidering). So, during times unknown to you, the search engines come crawling through your website with a fine tooth comb and index your web pages into their system. Later, when a person will type certain keywords (e.g. dentist, Chinese food, beauty salon) into a search engine box, the search engine will look through its index and serve up a listing of the web pages, which are ranked in order of relevance.

HotDoodle Features for Search Engine Optimization

HotDoodle's built-in features make it easy for you to do search engine optimization without having to know computer programming or making changes to your website’s HTML code. Your SEO efforts may be divided in two categories: (1) select keywords, and (2) insert keywords into your website.

1. Select Keywords

First, you need to select keywords that you will like to get a high score (or rank) from search engines. You must carefully choose keywords that are relevant, but also winnable where the competition is not insurmountable. For example, it can be extremely difficult for you to get a high search score for keyword “dentist”. Easier will be “dentist in San Francisco”. Much easier will be “Spanish speaking dentist in San Francisco” or “dentist in zip 94102”. If you are doing the SEO yourself, you may find keyword research tools helpful. For example, wordtracker.com, or other keywords research tools packaged with Yahoo, Bing, and Google Ad Tools. If a HotDoodle PenPal is doing the SEO for you, the PenPal will select keywords relevant to your website.

It’s helpful to understand how people search. There’s a conversation taking place in a person’s head as they type keywords into a search engine. They type something, see the search results, go back and try some variations to narrow down to what they are looking for.

2. Insert Keywords into your Website

Keywords should be used throughout the text of your website. However, there are specific areas designated within every website for inserting keywords. HotDoodle gives you an easy way to edit these areas listed below:

Website Meta Tags

Meta tags are one of the most essential parts of your website. These tags include your Site Title, Keywords, and Description. You will need to add keywords to these tags so search engines can index your website and people can find your website easier in search engines. Without meta tags, many may not even find your website on the web.

To add website meta tags, login to your website as an administrator and go to the HotDoodle Toolbar. Click the Administration tab > Configure Site > Site Identification. On the Site Identification page, you will be able to set a default Website Title, Meta Tag Keywords, and Meta Tag Description for all pages in your website.

Page Titles and Meta Tags

Beyond defining default meta tags for all pages on your website, you also have the option to override this default setting and define web page specific meta tags. The more relevant your web pages are, the higher in search results your website or pages will be. To put it in perspective, this could be the difference between a number spot and a number two spot on a search result page. With page specific meta tags, you have the option to get very specific with certain keyword phrases and convey to search engines your degree of relevancy for certain keyword phrases.

To add Web Page Meta Tags, login to your website as an administrator and visit the page for which you want to edit the page specific meta tags. After arriving at the page, go to the HotDoodle Toolbar. Click the Pages tab > Edit Page Properties > Advanced Fields. In the Advanced Fields of the Edit Page Properties page, you will be able to set a page specific Meta Title, Meta Tag Keywords, and Meta Tag Description for each page in your website.

Web Page URL Aliases

When you browse certain websites, you will notice the url for the specific web pages have a link ending in random variables (e.g. www.your-site.com/?section=546ab34), or have a clear description of which page you have landed on (e.g. www.your-site.com/?section=about-us). Links with random variables are often the default links assigned to pages generated within a website. The links with clear description are known as url aliases. The ranking of your web pages can be boosted if it the web page URL contains a keyword used in the search engines. HotDoodle web page names can have web page URL aliases and they are easy to add and modify.

To add a Web Page URL Alias, login to your website as an administrator and visit the page for which you want to edit the web page url alias. After arriving at the page, go to the HotDoodle Toolbar. Click the Pages tab > Edit Page Properties. On the Edit Page Properties page, you will be able to set the Web Page URL Alias.

What to Expect

Your website is in competition with other websites for getting selected to be presented in search results. Like any competitive activity, more effort you put into it, better results you will get. You can write articles on your website, get other websites to link to pages on your website, get multiple domain names, and the list of possible activities goes on. HotDoodle gives you the capabilities to implement an effective SEO strategy yourself without having to know HTML or computer programming or hire a PenPal to affordably do it for you.