SEO Basics| WebCEO

Building a Keyword List
Assemble a smart list of relevant search words (aka, keywords) that your target audience is using to locate your products and services.
Use the Keyword Suggestion Tool to expand your keyword list with related phrases.
Spy on your competition to get more suggestions on related keywords.
Localize your keywords to target a local audience.
Refine the list of keywords based on their effectiveness.
Select the most valuable pages of your site that you will optimize for the targeted keywords.
Basic SEO Milestones
Create Google and Bing Webmaster Tools accounts.
Optimize the TITLEs of your pages for the targeted keywords.
Create a unique and relevant META Description tag for each optimized page.
Optimize the headings of your pages for the targeted keywords.
Optimize the BODY area of your website’s pages.
Create search engine friendly URLs, File Names, Subdomains, etc.
Carefully optimize the anchor text of your incoming links for your targeted keywords.
Evaluate the quality of your incoming links.
Optimize image ALT tags and the Titles of your images for your targeted keywords.
Site Structure Optimization
Choose the preferred domain (WWW vs. Non-WWW).
Avoid duplicate content issues.
Optimize the internal linking structure of your site.
Use SEO-friendly 301 redirects when you change your website’s structure.
Each page needs to have a moderate number of links pointing to external sites.
Rewrite dynamic URLs to make them search-engine-friendly.
Inspect your site for broken links, missing TITLEs and keywords.
Optimize your site’s speed. The faster the better!
Avoid excessive ads above the fold. This will get you penalized!
Use Google rich snippets to attract more visitors.
Black-Hat SEO Control
Remove all signs of Black-Hat from your site if you detect any.
Local Search Optimization
Include the local information you want customers to know on the main pages of your site.
Use Google Webmaster tools to associate a geographic location with your site.
Add Rich Snippet markups for local search.
Social Media Optimization
Prepare your site pages and blog posts for sharing via social media.
Connect your site and/or blog to social media channels.
Add social networking features to your site or blog.
Search Engine and Directory Submission
Create an XML sitemap to let search engines know about pages of your site.
Create a robots.txt file to restrict search engines from crawling the web pages that should not be indexed.
Submit your XML sitemap to the search engines.
Submit your pages to the search engines that accept automatic submissions.
Submit your pages to the search engines that only accept manual submissions.
Submit your site to high quality directories and thematic resources.
Submit your products to shopping search engines.
Submit your site to Google Merchant Center.
Submit your software to software download sites.
Submit your site to the Yellow Pages and search engines that provide local search.
Submit your pages to the local directories and Yellow pages.
Article Marketing
Write a good article on your topic and submit it to article directories.
Press Release Submission
Write a press release and submit it to press release distribution services
One-Way Link Building
When starting link building be sure you’re structuring your URLs for top rankings.
Ask for a link from those who mention your name but don’t yet link to you.
Ask your clients for a link from their site.
Connect your own sites.
Ask your web design company to link to your site.
Create a virtual business card and include a link to your site.
Write a testimonial on someone’s product and have it posted on their site.
Ask someone to review your product.
Order a sponsored post from a prominent blogger.
Find beta-testers on special forums and sites to test your software.
Ask tech-bloggers to use your software and review it.
Donate to a charity that links back to their donors on their site.
Donate your skills to non-profit sites in exchange for a link.
Sponsor an event with an organization that links out to their Sponsors.
Post comments on the blogs related to your niche.
Join forum discussions.
Create a thread about your business on a local forum.
Make an offer of free samples.
Get a link from your local chamber of commerce.
Check if your local business partners might be willing to link to your site.
Generate citations to supplement your local listings.
Link Baiting & Social Marketing
Propose a demo version or a free trial of your software on your site.
Create the type of content that makes people really want to share it with others.
Create a helpful widget and make it available for download.
Offer free downloadable templates, skins or themes on your site.
Create a helpful online tool that others would bookmark and share on the Web.
Offer an interactive game on your site.
Post a free downloadable online report, chart or whitepaper on your site.
Create a quiz and offer it on your site.
Give promotional offers on your site.
Write a free e-book on a topic in your niche, and offer it for download.
Collect a list of useful resources and post it on your site.
Create a list of experts in your niche and make the list available on your site.
Test something new and post a review on your site.
Offer awards in your niche.
Apply for awards.
Hold a webinar or teleconference and spread the news about it using social media channels.
Create a volunteer program.
Link Building with Social Media
Spike your engagement and sales with social referral marketing
Create your page on Wikipedia.
Create a Squidoo Lens and promote your site.
Create an Amazon.com product list.
Ask your clients to review your product on Yahoo! Local.
Blogging Activities
Study what’s popular in the blogosphere and choose the right topic for your blog.
Research the keywords that you will use for your blog optimization.
Set up a blog account with a blogging service, or install a blog CMS on your domain.
Invest in blog design to make it look appealing.
Optimize your blog and add SEO plug-ins to make your blog search-engine friendly.
Install Web Analytics on your blog to track visitor activity.
Publish your first blog post.
Claim Google authorship for articles you have written.
Mention your blog post in microblogging and social network updates.
Connect with social media power users.
Write a blog post about the latest news in your niche.
Post controversial content on your blog to initiate hot discussion.
Do some research and post the results on your blog.
Use sites that provide statistics to get new ideas for posts.
Expose someone or something in your blog post.
Interlink blog posts using keywords in anchor text.
Submit your blog to the blog search engines, directories and communities.
Optimize your blog RSS feed and submit it to RSS directories.
Write a press release announcing your blog.
Automate your content creation and distribution with a content calendar.
Post funny or ridiculous content and circulate it on the Web.
Get an interview with a blogger or a person who is popular.
Hold a contest, sweepstakes or giveaway on your blog.
Offer a special discount to your readers.
Ask for a guest post from a popular blogger.
Write a guest post for a blog related to your topic.
Communicate with your readers: ask questions and suggest topics for discussion.
Use a poll option on your blog.
Interact with the other bloggers in your niche.
Join a blog carnival.
Join forums in your niche and insert a link to your blog in the signature.
Add a Blog RSS Feed Reader application to your Facebook page.
Add a customized map for business to your blog using Google Maps.
Add a podcast to your blog and submit the feed to the podcast directories.
Add the WordPress Blog Application to your LinkedIn Profile.
Create a poll in any social network and post results on your blog.
Write about a company that has a lot of authority hoping to get a link from them on their “See Us in the Press” page.
Place a link to your blog from your company site.
Ask for a link from your friends or partners.
Get a link from Squidoo.
Use PPC to bring more visitor traffic to your blog.
Track the results of your blogging activity.
Assistant: Web Analytics
Microblogging
Create a Twitter account.
Start posting Twitter updates.
Follow quality Twitter accounts.
Embed your Twitter feed in your websites.
Participate in Twitter debates and discussions.
Check the @ replies tab.
Participate in Twitter groups.
Brush up your Following list.
Use external applications and mobile devices to tweet from any location.
Post weekly summaries.
Run a Twitter Hashtag Campaign
Social Networking on Facebook
Create a Facebook Business page and build a network of contacts.
Create a Facebook Group and start a discussion.
Join Facebook Groups related to your niche.
Build up your Facebook Likes and Social Engagement.
Create a Facebook Place Page.
Social Networking on LinkedIn
Create a LinkedIn profile and build a network of professional contacts.
Create a LinkedIn Group and build a community.
Join LinkedIn Groups related to your niche.
Promote your event using the LinkedIn Events Application.
Social Networking on Google+
Create a Google+ profile and build your circles of contacts.
Use “Circles” to provide your readers with the content they are interested in.
Conduct market research and ask questions.
Social Networking on Pinterest
Create your business Pinterest account.
Verify your business Pinterest account.
Start networking and building contacts.
Add Pin It buttons to your website.
Participating in Community Answers
Ask or answer a question related to your niche in the Facebook Questions section.
Ask or answer a question related to your niche on Yahoo! Answers.
Ask or answer a question related to your niche on Answers.com.
Ask or answer a LinkedIn question related to your niche.
Ask or answer a question related to your niche on Quora.
Social Bookmarking
Do social bookmarking for your site pages and blog posts.
Social News Sharing
Submit a story to social news and social recommendation sites.
Media Sharing
Take photos of your products or the things related to your niche and upload them to the photo sharing sites.
Promote your images on Pinterest.
Create a video on your topic and upload it to the video sharing sites.
Create a presentation and upload it on slideshow sharing sites.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Create a Google AdWords account and launch a search advertising campaign.
Launch a Google AdSense campaign within your Google AdWords account.
Create a BingAds account and launch a search advertising campaign.
On-Site and On-Network Advertising
Run a textual advertising campaign on well-trafficked sites or a partner network related to your niche.
Run a banner campaign on a well-trafficked resource or a partner network.
Mobile Advertising
Advertise your product on all kinds of mobile devices with Google Mobile Ads.
Advertise your product on all kinds of mobile devices with Microsoft Mobile Ads.
Launch an ad campaign with iAd to showcase your products on Apple mobile devices.
Email Advertising
Compile your own email base, and send a weekly or monthly newsletter to your readers.
Order a text or banner ad in relevant third-party mailing lists.
Affiliate Marketing
Choose an affiliate tracking method.
Submit your affiliate program to affiliate programs directories.
Assistant: Submission Tool
Tell your existing clients about your new affiliate program.
Give your affiliates creatives that may be easily crafted to their needs.
Social Media Advertising
Advertise on Facebook.
Advertise on Twitter
Advertise on LinkedIn.
Advertise on YouTube.