Search engine placement question for you web geniuses...

[bowhuntermac]

If I want to improve or optimize my search engine placement, specifially as it would associate to searches involving some of the hunts we offer (New Zealand, Colorado in particular), what would be a good place to start or find insite to see what I can do better?

When I search for say, New Zealand hunting, my site does not come up within the first couple hundred listed. How do I improve on that?

Any feedback would be 'preciated!

[Jaspro]

Add hot topics like Brittany Spears and Lindsey Lohan naked into your key words.

[bowhuntermac]

If it were that simple, heck, I would include some of the pics I took of Brit back when we were partying together...

[Mark44]

google closely guards how they derive their search listings so rule 1 is don't listen to/pay money to anyone who says "my firm can move you up." and you'll disappoint $7.2 million in my account from your Nigerian bacnk account too, won't you?

moving up in search listings generates a lot of ink but in the end it comes down to traffic. people go to your site a lot? google moves you up.

so you have to attract folks to your site. that means giving people a reason to go there - like a forum like this one, or great articles on hunting, or having Oprah give your site a shout out so about a bazillion people all go to your site in ten minutes.

traffic = higher rankings.

[bowhuntermac]

Thanks.
I thought about adding a forum to the sight, but what would happen is basically my buddies from other sites that I already have web-homes would pop in some, but that would be about it, so I have not messed with it. Plus, I am a hunter, not a tech guy.

[Mark44]

Thanks.
I thought about adding a forum to the sight, but what would happen is basically my buddies from other sites that I already have web-homes would pop in some, but that would be about it, so I have not messed with it. Plus, I am a hunter, not a tech guy.

forum isn't the only way. a fishing guide some buddies of mine use posts fishing pics EVERY DAY without fail of his clients. I've never search engined him but I'll bet he does okay because everyone goes home and looks at their pics and then emails the link to everybody they know so we can all see grinning fisherman with a boatload of sand bass. pretty smart!

I don't know what kind of guiding you do but how about some articles - "How to get Ready to Hunt ____ in Colorado" or "Better Bow Hunting for ____" etc.

and you can always go the hard way - just sponsor an ad and people will click it. when you google soemthing look in the column in the right - that's google adwords. you can pay google to put you there. you put in a bid of so much per click - say a nickel, maybe a quarter - and everytime google displays you and someone clicks your account gets dinged. for many people where the link comes up doesn't matter. if they see what they want they'll click it. and yes, google lets you put a limit on how much you'll pay so you don't end up owing a million if a lot of people click your ad!

[tkuehn5410]

I used to do Search Engine Optimization several years ago. The goal is to link your sites to others and also have as many sites pointing to yours as possible, using online databases, registries, etc. Lots of times you can make some phone calls to other webmasters and trade out a link on your site for theirs. Basically, your site is spider-webbed and the larger the web that you have online, then the higher the ranking you will have.

[westexasagent]

My wife does just this (Search Engine Optimization). She has for years and has some big accounts. You can email her at provenmarketing@aol.com and she guarantees her work. Her name is Jo

[westexasagent]

It can drastically bring you more clients.i will say that. They will find you in the first page of all the search engines.

[bowhuntermac]

Thanks guys. I am looking at doing a face lift and adding video. As far as stories, between my newsletter and a publishing agreement, there is not a lot that I write that is free for me to put on there. I may start putting some of the key articles from the monthly newsletter in there. Unfortunately, my South Pacific stories from my slam quest are already under a publishing agreement, so the stuff that would ATTRACT people is not free for me to use.

[BigL]

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291

[PERK]

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