Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

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The Need to Feed

(Continued)

ping a number of services for you). Most likely, your blog creation tool is already configured to con-

tact an updating service (also called a

ping server

) automatically when your blog changes. Check

your blog settings for this option.

Submit

www.yourseoplan.com

, you’ll find links to blog and podcast search engines to

which you should submit your site. Luckily, these submittals are generally quick and easy. There are

no titles and descriptions to carefully craft,just a URL to submit.

Pay special attention to specialty lists.Your weekly sermons should be listed at Godcast.com,

and your deep-sea fishing advice will fit right in at codcast.net. Just kidding…better try

sportsblogs.org.

Tag yourself

Set up accounts with

social bookmarking

systems, searchable sites that allow

members to save and classify, or “tag,” URLs (del.icio.us, digg.com, and BlinkList.com are exam-

ples). Then make sure to tag each of your posts with keywords.

Get in the news

If your website or blog contains regularly updated,unique, original content,it may

qualify to be included on a news search engine such as Google News.Your site will be reviewed by an

editor before inclusion, so don’t waste your time or theirs with a submittal unless your content truly

is news!

Blog your ‘cast

Some podcasting tools include creation of a blog that goes along with your pod-

cast.This is a great opportunity for you to write accompanying text for your audio or video ‘cast

files (by the way,‘cast is just a trendy term for all sorts of podcasts. Every Web technology over

30 minutes old

must

have a nickname,you know). An example is shown here:

Potential subscribers will appreciate being able to read a description before downloading your

podcast, and search engines—chronically allergic to audio and video content—will enjoy the

tasty text treats you throw them in your synopses.

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