The naïve entrepreneur hops onto the internet with a smile and an idea and expects to receive PayPal payments by six o’clock. But, as every experienced webmaster can tell, the internet can be a black abyss for the unprepared and ignorant. Enter search engine optimization. SEO is a methodological process that makes a website and its content more findable by internet users. Without SEO, a website is easily dismissed to the dank catacombs of online obscurity. How to search engine optimize a website? Here are five simple ways to check if your website has been search engine optimized.

Got Links?

Search engines send spiders to sneak out websites and gather information. Spiders travel along links. Websites require both internal links (partnering pages within a site) and external links (linking one site to another). Links can be inbound (linking to your site) or outbound (leading to an affiliate’s site). Many links are text-based and use a clickable anchor text. Some webmasters may purchase back links from a broker. Most search engines frown upon this behavior and may flag these links as spam.

Content Is Crucial

Major search engines place precedence on web pages with a minimum of 300 words. While images and Flash-based content are useful, nothing beats articles for captivating an audience. Each article should address one main topic and have its own page. Each page should not address more than one main topic. Most importantly, the content must be relevant, well-written, and fascinating. This is the prime method to search engine optimize a website.

Keywords are King

All articles should always contain keywords. Keywords are words and phrases that search engine users will likely search for. Phrases can be short-tail (less than three words) or long-tail (three or more words). Insignificant words like noun markers and short prepositions are ignored by search engines. Keywords should be thematically specific but not exclude the broader audience. Primary keyword phrases must not exceed 5-8% of the entire text, or else search engines may flag the content for keyword spamming. Keywords are a tried-and-true method to search engine optimize a website.

Technical Tags & Titles

Keywords should also be integrated into URLs, Meta tags, image captions, and page titles. Not only do search engines place precedence on URL keywords, but it also makes a URL easier for a customer to remember. After reading text-based links, spiders usually examine HTML Meta tags and image captions for keywords. Use the “ALT” tag to assign keywords to images without readable captions. Page titles should also be optimized with engaging keywords for readability.

Deficit Design

Any site with a cluttered home page, befuddling navigation bar and unattractive design theme is obviously not search engine optimized. Usability and functionality are the most important aspects of a professional, optimized website. A website should effortlessly waft from one page to another. That is the best way how to search engine optimize a website. After all, what’s the use of SEO if the customer just returns to the search engine?