New sites 'should use niche keywords for SEO success'

01/08/2008

It can be difficult for new websites to hold their own against bigger competitors when it comes to search engines, but there are ways in which small sites can see success, an expert has said.

One of the most important factors for new websites to consider when building their search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies is keywords, Aaron Wall, author of the SEO Book, said on the Search Engine Land blog.

He advised businesses to look at popular keywords and seek out and use the less obvious terms related to these. It can also be useful to add plenty of keyword modifiers and avoid commercial terms, Mr Wall added.

Furthermore, buying traffic and utilising different key phrases across a page's titles and headings may provide an SEO boost, according to the expert.

He added: "If you build high quality niche content and it does not rank as well as you would like it to then you need to actively market it.

"Mention it to a couple [of] popular bloggers in your space and ask them what they think of it."

Search engine marketing accounts for about 50 per cent of all online marketing expenditure worldwide, according to a recent MarketingSherpa report.