Getting a ranking in search engine queries for highly competitive categories is becoming more and more difficult. The most important factor in getting a high ranking is to build a site that truly deserves to get a top ranking; a site that provides much useful information about the subject that is being searched for. However, in addition to providing relevant content, it is the presentation of the content that plays an important part in separating sites that reach the top of search engine queries and those that are buried on page 25. One factor in presentation and optimization that is often underestimated is the naming of files and directories.
Make a search for a keyword that is important to your site and look at the results that come up in the leading search engines. There is a very good chance that the keyword that you used in your search was contained somewhere in the url of the top sites. The keywords are sometimes contained in the domain name, or in other parts of the file name. One of my new clients has a site dealing with dieting. I made a search for dieting in Google, and found that 8 out of 10 of the top sites listed had the word dieting somewhere in the url, either in the domain name or in other parts of the file name.
So, the first thing to consider is whether it is possible to include your main keyword in your domain name. If you already have an established domain name and website, and the keyword is not included, then it is out of the question to change your domain name. However, in this case you can use some of the tips that follow in this article which will show you how to add your keywords to other parts of the url, and if you later set up any subsidiary domains related to your main domain, then try to work in your keyword or keywords into the new domain name.
Do the keywords have to be hyphenated in the domain names or file names This has been a much contested issue, but if you look at how Google is presently handling queries you can make your own conclusions. If you make a query for a particular keyword in Google, and then pay a close look at the urls of the websites on the search results pages, you will see that the queried keyword appears in bold in the urls and they will be bold even when the keyword is combined with other words without hyphenation. So for Google at least you do not need to make a domain such as www.website-search-engine-optimization-promotion.com (as some people have done!).
Directories and File Names
While a lot of attention is usually paid to including the keyword in the domain names, less attention is paid to including the keyword in the inner files of the site. For example, when I did the query on the dieting, the top three sites did not have the word dieting in the domain name, but in the file names.
If you are in an extremely competitive category then you can experiment and make pages with your keyword in three different parts of the file name. If possible in the domain name, in the directory name and in the individual file name. Lets take an example. Suppose your target keywords are dvd players. You might want to register a domain name such as www.dvdplayers.com and then build a file such as this one http://www.dvdplayers.com/dvdplayers/dvdplayers.html The keywords are repeated three times in the url alone (in the domain name, in the directory name and in the file name)! Suppose you were not able to get the domain www.dvdplayers.com, then dont worry about it just make a file such as www.mydomain.com/dvdplayers/dvdplayers.html. By the way if you dont know the mechanics of directory and file naming, ask your webmaster and she will know what to do.
Dont miss the chance to include your keywords in file names. Instead of making a file name that says about.html it would be better to make it aboutdvdplayers.html. However, dont overdo it. The file names should be short and easy to remember and also easy for you to find when you are editing the site, but there is no need to waste opportunities for optimization by naming your files: page1.html, page2.html and page3.html.
If you do not have relevant content then file naming alone wont save you, however if you have a good site but are having trouble getting a top ranking, then make some experiments. Make a new directory named after your main keyword or keywords, and make a new file with this same keyword or keyword combination in the file name. Repeat these keywords in the title tag, description tag, in the body of the text and in the headers on that page and submit this new page to the search engines and see what happens.
Copyright 2004
Donald Nelson is a web developer, editor, and social worker. He has beenworking on the Internet since 1995 and is the proprietor of A1-Optimization, , a firm providing search engine optimization,copywriting, reciprocal linking, and other web promotion services. Hepublishes a monthly ezine, A1-Web Promotion Tips, available at
During the month of November many website entrepreneurs were shaken when Google made its infamous Florida update, wiping out search positions for several high-ranking websites, which disappeared from the top 100 overnight. While all the details behind the Google changes are still not known, it is possible for website owners to learn something from this experience and take steps which will ensure that they will not be adversely affected by future upheavals of this sort. I have compiled a list of six steps that can be taken to bring about steady, long term success regardless of search engine fluctuations.
1. Stick to the Basics: Instead of trying to outsmart the search engines, build a website that is both search engine friendly and stocked with useful content for your end-users. In the long run, you will be rewarded for such efforts and your website will achieve its best possible position even in the face of changes in search engine algorithms.
2. Dont Over Optimize your site: Write your websites text naturally. Sure, your main keywords have to be included on your site, in your headlines, in your opening paragraph and in some of the links on your site, but dont overdo it. It is thought that Google applied a filter in its latest update which penalized sites for keyword densities that were higher than would be normally expected.
3. Dont Indulge in Linking Frenzy: During the past year, as more people became aware of Googles PageRank system, there was a feverish effort to trade links and get links from sites with high page ranks. The importance of Page Rank in determining search results on Google is uncertain in light of the new updates, and doesnt even figure on other search engines which may come to play a more important role in the future. (Google currently accounts for around 75% of search engine activity, but should Yahoo switch to Inktomi in the coming year Googles share will decline).
As I mentioned in a recent article ( ) pursue link exchanges if these links can generate traffic or if they can provide a valuable resource for your web visitors. Dont worry about Page Rank, and dont rely on linking alone to boost your sites standing in search results. The traffic that you get from good links will make a steady contribution to your websites success.
4. Diversify your promotion efforts: Take a log at your log files and website statistics and see where your traffic is coming from. Instead of trying to compete for a heavilycontested keyword or keyword phrase see if there are variations that you can use to reach your target audience.
Diversification also means not relying on search alone. Participation in forums and online discussions, publishing your articles on other websites and in ezines will also bring steady streams of traffic that will not be affected by search engine updates.
5. Find a Niche: One of the biggest difficulties faced by Internet entrepreneurs is that they are selling products or services that are no different from those of several thousand other competitors. If you sell something that is specialized or unique, then your task of achieving prominence in search results will be eased considerably. Even if you do not have something that is unique, you should consider a niche in which you can market your product. Suppose you are a web designer. If you try to compete for the keyword phrase web design you will find it difficult to get success. But, suppose you compete for Web Design, Iowa (assuming that you live in Iowa!) your chances are much better.
6. Get Ready to Pay for your advertising: Lets face it, if there are thousands of websites competing for a particular search phrase, only 50 of them can make it onto the first five pages of most major search engines. While a building a well optimized site is still one of the most cost effective measures that a web owner can take, in some of the heavily contested fields it may be necessary to sometimes participate in pay-per-click advertising in order to be able to stand out from the crowd.
Take a look at your website and your business activity, and see where you can make modifications that will improve your prospects for long-term success. If you do so, you will not be troubled by the next update of Google or any other search engine.
Copyright 2003
Donald Nelson is a web developer, editor, and social worker. He has beenworking on the Internet since 1995 and is the proprietor of A1-Optimization, , a firm providing search engine optimization,copywriting, reciprocal linking, and other web promotion services. Hepublishes a monthly ezine, A1-Web Promotion Tips, available at