Optimizing for Multiple Search Engines

I hear a lot about search engine optimization and I've recently subscribed to your newsletter. I would like to know whether I should apply general search engine optimization techniques or should I target a particular search engine in my attempt to boost traffic ?

Richard Andrade

Hi Richard,

This is an evergreen topic for discussion in search engine circles, as both amateurs and experts often find themselves in the tricky situation of having to decide whether the next website they optimize should be geared towards a single or multiple search engines.

The short and simple answer, Richard, in my personal opinion, is that you should apply the general search engine optimization techniques you talked about rather than target your website for high rankings on just a particular search engine.

There may exist certain scenarios when it is better to optimize a website for just one search engine. A case in point would be when a local company in the business of renting musical instruments and equipment, would like to be ranked in the top results for just the regional search engine. Since this regional search engine would be used by the majority of internet surfers in the locality which would match the company's target audience, it therefore would be very appropriate to optimize the company's website primarily for just this one search engine.

Practically, however, the situation at most times is different from the one illustrated above. Dotcoms are opening online to improve business and to capture a larger market share. They are ready to sell to online consumers with credit cards, irrespective of their creed, color or nationality. Who would like to refuse customers coming in through the leading search engines that are generating the maximum traffic?

It therefore is a much wiser strategy to apply fundamental optimization techniques that would be favorable to all or most search engines rather than to work your website up just for any single search engine. Without going into full details, you must make sure you are using the techniques that I have discussed in previous issues of this newsletter.

Title tag - Begin your Title tag with the keyword you are optimizing for and keep this tag short and meaningful.

Meta Description - Very similar to the Title tag, however, the description can be a little lengthier and more descriptive.

Meta Keywords - Include some keywords that you are targeting. Remember though, you should not fill this tag with too many keywords nor should you write similar keywords one beside the other.

Next, use the keyword phrase as the heading in an H1 tag on your webpage. Then proceed to write down well thought keyword-rich content on the page in the Body of the document. Remember the 1st few lines (approximately 50-150 words) will be crucial as sometimes this content is used instead of the Meta Description tag that some search engines have stopped using. Create original content of acceptable quality that should go to at least 250-300 words per page. Last but not least, link to the internal pages of your website from all other pages with the keywords used as the link text. Start exchanging links with other websites that fall within the same theme or category. Again use your keyword phrase in those links that other webmasters will have on their websites. If properly done, you should be in the top results of several search engines very soon.

Contrary to what is often believed by novice search engine optimizers, you don't need to create different pages with different techniques in order to get top rankings in different engines. Although the algorithms employed by different search engines are different, done correctly, it is quite possible to get good rankings in all the engines by following the same basis optimization procedures.

- Sumantra Roy
May 27, 2003