SEO Tools - 20 Factors that Affect Your Search Engine Ranking

SEO Tools. First, a warning. These tips are not all inclusive, but rather intended as a means to get you going down the right path when dealing with Search Engine Optimization! This article has 20 tips to get your started optimizing your freelance articles and/or website for Search Engines. If you have been freelance writing for any given length of time, then you have likely run across some or many of these tips, but hopefully you gain something from the article! If you would like to contribute additional factors, please go to my freelance writing blog and leave comments on the subject!

SEO Key Word Factors that Affect Search Engine Rankings

#1 SEO Key Word Factor - Keywords in the Web Site Title Tag

This is probably one of the most important places you need to have your keywords/phrases. The title tag shouldn't be more than five to eight words, and you should make sure one of the first two words is a key word.

#2 SEO Key Word Factor - Keywords in the URL

Including keywords in your article URL's that appear throughout the document will help you rank higher in the search engines. If your own blog, setting the link naming conventions to include the blog article name is a must. Many of the freelance article web sites you write for will do this as well.

#3 SEO Key Word Factor - Keyword Density in the Text

The Key word / phrase density in your article is another big factor for the Search Engines. This percentage has varied over the last few years, but 1.5-4.5 % is one range you can shoot for and tweak from there.

#4 SEO Key Word Factor Keywords in Anchor Text

For inbound article links, you should ensure that the anchor text includes some of your key words or phrases so that the link is seen as being 'stronger' by the search engines.

#5 SEO Key Word Factor Keywords in Headings

Just another place to make sure you include your article key words and phrases within your website, blog, or freelance article.

#6 SEO Key Word Factor Keywords in the Beginning of an Article

Besides having in your title, using your key words or phrases in the introduction paragraph of an article isn't just a must for SEO, but should be in your thoughts for just making good content for others to read on the Internet!

#7 SEO Key Word Factor Keywords in Image Tags

When Search Engines crawl your content, they can't see the image, but they can read the text that you include in the Image Alt tag. So, besides being fully compliant with W3C Web Standards, get a SEO bonus for including the Alt text on all pictures that you use!

#8 SEO Key Word Factor Keywords in Metatags

Although the importance of Metatags could be debated on how each search engine actually uses them, why not fill them out properly! Many SEO tools on the market now will do this for you...or at least make it easy to do.

#9 SEO Key Word Factor Keyword Proximity

Keyword proximity has started to play a larger role in recent years for SEO ranking with the tracking of multiple-word key phrases.

#10 SEO Key Word Factor Keyword Dilution

Keyword dillution within an article can negatively impact both the readabililty of your work as well as the SEO. If you are trying to focus on too many words of importance in your work, then you run the risk of losing the reader's focus!

SEO Link Factors that Affect Search Engine Rankings

#1 SEO Link Factor - Anchor Text of Your Inbound Links

Just like for your outgoing links, you get more credit if the anchor text of sites linking to you are relevant keywords for your website!

#2 SEO Link Factor - Inbound Links Origin

In addition to the anchor text of the inbound site, the greater the Google Page Rank of the site, the more reputable they are considered, and better for your ranking!

#3 SEO Link Factor - Links from Similar Web Sites or Blogs

Getting links from the same niche of your website indicates that your site is strong in its area and plays well for getting ranked higher. If you run a tech blog, getting multiple links from sports related blogs may not play so well for you.

#4 SEO Link Factor - Age of Inbound Links

You get more credit for the links coming in to your site being older. Especially with the current trend of Google looking to combat sites going for high PR on the speed of building links, this will become more and more of a factor.

#5 SEO Link Factor - Number of Backlinks

The more quality backlinks you have the better. Age and anchor text matter for all. Getting one site link with a decent PR is always better than a bunch of PR 0 site links of potentially un-reputable site owners.

#6 SEO Link Factor - Anchor Text of Internal Links

Although not as big of a factor as the anchor text of external links, it still gets measured as a factor so why not make your internal link's anchor text be the keywords of the article!

#7 SEO Link Factor - Context Around Your Anchor Text

This is becoming more and more of a factor as we migrate towards a more 'Semantic Web.' Just make sure that you put up good, quality content and link from key phrases that make sense in the context of the article!

#8 SEO Link Factor - Outgoing Links to Link Farms or Other "Spammy" Sites

Linking out to a bad neighbor can adversely impact your performance with the search engines. Always make it a practice to check the sites you link to and remove those that appear to be going 'bad' or 'Spammy'!

#9 SEO Link Factor - Too Many Outgoing Links on One Page

Google has not like pages that have had more than 100 links to other sites on them. Be careful how many you permit on each page of your site!

#10 SEO Link Factor - The Number of Outgoing Links on a Page Linking to Your Site

Basically, the fewer the better for your website! If you're on a site that has over 100 links and you are one of them it could look like you are being friendly with "Spammy" sites, and you could inadvertently get yourself penalized!
Refs:
http://www.javanx3d.com/2009/04/seo-tools-10-link-factors-that-affect-search-engine-ranking/
http://www.javanx3d.com/2009/04/seo-tools-11-key-word-factors-that-affect-search-engine-ranking/
http://www.seomoz.org/
http://www.dotsauce.com/backlink-seo-tool/
http://activerain.com/blogsview/116814/SEO-Factors-Keyword-Use