500 SEO Tips

May 2014 Update: we made this list up as a total joke last year over the course of a few months basically to mock all of the generic “top X lists”

Hope you enjoy. 🙂

write Good Content
use a CMS like WordPress
use Facebook
integrate Facebook to your website, somehow
engage Readers
attract Fans
use keyword rich Title Tags
don’t forget Yahoo
or Bing
use images in blog posts
site load speed is key
ahrefs.com is a good tool
be humble
read other peoples blogs
attend conferences
learn programming
learn HTML & CSS
write good code
minify stuff
image spriting
have a fast server (host)
use Google Webmaster Tools
drink redbull
work all day and all night
contribute to the community
write guest posts
don’t participate in link exchanges
don’t use automated tools
don’t buy links
it won’t happen overnight
don’t choose keywords, let keywords choose you
use robots.txt smartly
.htaccess is your friend
meta keywords is still relephant, just not with Googz
learn how to spell Canonicalization
don’t get hung up on EMD’s
duplicate anything is bad
cite accordingly
watch your OBLs
learn your acronyms
duplicate metas and titles = bad
know your audience
use analytics
optimize your most popular pages
review your content
sitewide links can be dangerous
use keyword in title and meta tags
title tags should never exceed 70 characters
meta descriptions should never exceed 140 characters
use brandable anchor text for inbound links
ask for a link from affiliations you are a member of
ask your mom for a link from her social club
edu links are good, but so are .com and .net links
gov links are also good, but so are others
get links from high PR sites
get links from high page authority sites
get links from high domain authority sites
get links from social media profiles that are active and engaging
make sure your site is a consistent theme
image links are great
create viral content
get links from your friends
network with colleagues about links
keep content up to date
don’t use Flash
google likes WordPress
watch your file sizes
use image alt tags
describe your images
you can also caption your images
please, don’t ever use frames
web 2.0 properties can be amazing assets
just don’t ever “buy” them in “packs of 20”
don’t listen to anyone who uses the word “link pyramid”
join SEO forums
contribute to SEO forums
only use 301s for permanent redirects
get as many links as possible (as long as they are legit)
use h1 tags
also use h2 h3 h4 etc tags
stick your keyword in them from time to time
only “target” a few keywords per page
don’t target all of your keywords on every page
use rich content (bold, italic, etc)
use videos within your content
make your own videos
use other people’s videos
write PDF’s and submit them to slideshare.net
inner-link your site for better PR
learn and love Page Rank
check your OBLs for SPAM and low PR etc
don’t get links from porn sites (unless you are a porn site)
don’t use the “f” word (or other bad language)
moderate your comments
approve good comments
always respond to comments, when warranted
use breadcrumbs
keep your site simple
popular pages go in the nav bar
stick keywords in the URL
use Google+
rich snippets help increase conversion
verify authorship for your site
use Tumblr to get some great niche visits
use Piwik
be humble, ask questions
always have a backup plan
register a second domain
update social profiles often
tweet your brains out
get tweets from celebrities
use text transcripts of your videos
ego = uptime
check your grammar
always splel thinkgs write
don’t over use your keyword
don’t use prepositions, conjunctions in your URL
learn about open graph
implement open graph for better conversion and linking
stay away from too many url parameters
do not ever use a link farm
do not use link directories (unless it is a specialized and moderated niche)
never respond to an email asking for a link
never send an email asking for a link (unless maybe you were referenced)
do send emails asking to contribute on relevant topics
don’t hide links (Google reads code, not text)
don’t hide anything
don’t cloak
don’t use doorway pages
don’t use pop-ups
don’t use pop-unders
use Pinterest.com
don’t give up
write meaningful content
write content that your readers like
ask your readers what content they want
don’t be a stiff blog author (have fun!)
google+ communities are trending (stay tuned)
put your address in your footer
put your phone number and company name in footer
standardize your name, address and phone number
make sure your name, address and phone number are the same on all sites
earn links
verify your site in Google Maps
social signals are good for SEO
remove bad links
disavow only when all else is lost
reconsider only when you have failed
get a mobile version of your website
get a responsive theme
long tail keywords can bring in lots of visitors
get creative with title tags
write a description that people can’t resist clicking
create a flat site architecture
have a clean url structure
check your Page Rank often
know your popular exit pages
know your bounce rate
facebook Edgerank
know your most popular referring domains
learn where type in traffic is coming from
stay away from adsense schemes
use SEOmoz tools
read Distilled blog
know your most popular entry pages
block bad IP’s
use good infographics
donate your time to get a link
learn the difference between page and site seo
don’t worry about your SERPs
track your SERPs, don’t obsess over them
don’t focus on Page Rank
don’t ever use article directories, ever
don’t buy links by the 100, just don’t buy links
don’t use keywords over and over and over to get better ranking
tell Google if your site moves
make sure your content is REALLY unique
check your sites indexation with site:yoursite.com
talk about SEO with people that want to learn
post on Google+ every day
memorize the Google Webmaster Tools Guidelines
study why Penguin happened
learn from mistakes of those who were penalyzed
study why Panda happened
build a community
social proof = conversions = low bounce = rankings
learn and love Microsoft Excel
use Majestic SEO
blog about what’s going on
make an EPIC blog post
blog about “evergreen” subjects
learn something new every day
learn data analysis
write things on a white board and discuss
go to meetups
find real life SEO friends
don’t offer cheap affiliate products on your site
check links in Google Webmaster Tools
verify your site in Bing
use Bing Webmaster tools (seriously)
collect emails
make URLs friendlt in .htaccess with files magic
use a kml file
submit your xml sitemap to webmaster tools
install social apps on your phone
don’t use a MAC
learn to type using the asdf qwerty method
use Linux
use a comfortable desk
have your site on its on IP
keep bad sites off your server
don’t sell links on your site
watch out for 403 errors
keep images in a folder and not a subdomain
optimize your images for Google Images
embed keywords in your conent
each page should have unique content
use robots.txt file to block admin sections of your site
use robots.txt to block other parts of your site
fix 404’s by redirecting them to the home page
use URL shortening sites
include your keyword in the product URL
have team meetings
use Public Relations as part of your SEO strategy
nofollow your terms and conditions pages
nofollow your privacy page
you can nofollow other pages that don’t get a lot of traffic
don’t use CommentLuv – it will kill your OBLs
encourage discussion on your social media
combine SEO with branding
validate your code using wc3 checker
validate your HTML and CSS
check for broken links daily
make slide presentations using PowerPoint and upload to slideshare.net
get links from PDF documents
get links from different peoples web 2.0 properties relevant to your site
use keywords in your about us section
use a great CTA in your theme
link your Facebook and Twitter accounts
link your Facebook and Tumblr accounts
link all your social media accounts
be careful you don’t double post linked social media accounts
use RSS graffiti to post WordPress > Facebook
put the most important links at the top
create catchy titles
each page should be reachable from at least one static link
use iwebtool.com
customize your 404 page
don’t use a ton of images per page
engage in social sharing
don’t complicate your header
submit your sitemap to Bing
diversify your anchor texts
make sure your page renders correctly in Internet Explorer
don’t use image maps
stay away from javascript drop down menus
post fresh content daily…more often if possible
design your site with SEO in mind
read SEOBook
AJAX can pose problems for SEO be sure to consult
if you can’t update your site often, add a blog
make your whois information private
get an active blog
make your marketing team do 1 blog post per week
make everyone in your organization blog about something relevant
use nofollow if you don’t want to pass link juice
nofollow all comment links
don’t experiment on your “money site”
don’t experiment with shady tactics
check your analytics for search terms you didn’t know about
optimize your site for search terms you did not know about
don’t beg for links
optimize your RSS feed
don’t ping
don’t use “indexing tools”
for faster indexing – tweet your page
for faster indexing – G+ share your page
create a video sitemap
use the hReview plugin for WordPress
have a hacker look at your server and site for security
follow wc3 standardization
get links from Wikipedia
quality over quantity
be patient with SEO it could take months
don’t jump for joy if you get ranked right away
the Google Dance means your site is fluctuating in the results pages
if one page has 2 links to the same domain, Google only counts one of them
if you sell actual products, add them to places like Amazon
use a separate domain for your CRM
set up a separate subdomain for a support system for customers
get links from as many referring IP’s as possible (always with quality in mind)
get links from as many Class C subnets as possible (while keeping quality)
check your domain authority using SEOmoz
check your page authority using SEOmoz
check your “lost” links using ahrefs or majestic SEO
acquire page likes for your site
acquire page twitter shares for your site
acquire G+ shares and other social signals
know your link profile like you do your bank profile
get links from the same country as you want to target
if you target internationally, install a language translation plugin
get links from all countries
comment on relevant blogs
if you don’t have a logo, get one from fiverr
make sure your site has a legit contact us page with all information
use top xx lists and howtos
don’t list your site on flippa
use press releases, but use them wisely
an aged domain is a good domain
if buying a new domain, make sure it is clean from penalties
create a free mobile app
read Cashvertising
don’t read ebooks with long sales pages from gurus
don’t listen to gurus
learn to write persuasively
when writing sales copy, write short sentences using simple words
include your link in your signature on forums
post your link on forums
include your link in your Youtube description
don’t listen to blackhat advice
don’t automatically listen to “whitehat advice” (wolf in sheeps clothing)
don’t copy videos and use as your own
watermark your images and videos
learn PHP, PERL or Python
check competition using Adwords Keyword Tool
make sure your domain name is pronounceable
use serpIQ
check your competitors back links and see if their are any opportunities
use something like dlvr.it or scoop.it
don’t buy content
Use Google Analytics
Create your own images
Take your own photography (and use it)
Attend local seminars
Get links from accrediting organizations (BBB and licensing institutes)
Get certified by Google
read up on website security
verify your listings
test your rich snippets
don’t use fake PO boxes for Google Maps
update Twitter often
attend web seminars or “webinars” on SEO and similar industries
supplement your SEO with adwords until you are where you want to be
be patient – organic doesn’t happen overnight
get reviews from your Customers on G+
incentivize your customers to join and review your business
use Google Trends and write about it
offer discounts on Facebook and G+
be a part of forums that are relevant to your industry
take a photo of your company (we call them class photos)
find people who blog in your niche and get friendly with them
use SEO ultimate for WordPress
check your anchor text ratio for signs of spam
always monitor your back links for signs of spam
fix your broken links (and ask the host to give you better anchor text)
have local magazines do a write-up on you
give your web developer a daily tip on SEO
www or no www – pick one
learn when to use a subdomain
use copyscape
learn Google search operators and use them
use Oracle Virtual box
change your search location to see how you look from other locations
always keep your customers happy
negative reviews will murder your PR
design your site with SEO in mind
find out why visitors are not converting (CRO)
don’t keep coming soon pages up
thin landing pages aren’t a great idea
stay away from Ad Sense only sites
use short domain names
use easy to remember domain pages
company’s use .coms
organizations use .orgs (lots of non-profits)
.nets are for places like ISPs and other networks
use your country code TLD if you want to get ranked there
use filezilla
use notepad++
don’t try to rank multiple domains (for the same company)
fill out online profiles completely
learn from your enemy
look at similar sites as link opportunities
use keywords in your image captions
learn when to use tables
tables are no substitute for divs
use Pinterest
find great board covers for Pinterest
optimize your website for most common screen resolutions
read Search Engine Journal
you can learn from the blackhatters, just don’t do what they do
use the simplest checkout process for ecommerce
use Connect with Facebook (etc) whenever possible
harvest email addresses anyway you can
create a gravatar
accessibility
optimize your RSS feeds
encourage users to subscribe to your RSS feeds
keep a simple design (different than responsive)
when writing, just write – don’t criticize yourself
ask your brother/sister/mother/drycleaner to write for your blog
if you have a good site, give it a good home on a dedicated server
you can keep small sites on shared servers
test your site for virii
infographics are dead
SEO is dead (are you kidding?) as long as there is search, there will be SEO
get links from your friends blogs
be sneaky, you can troll comments if you are smart enough
interview experts in your field/niche
write ebooks and promote them
if you have a product, sell them on Amazon and Ebay and make a store
if you need to delete your places listing, learn the proper way to do it
link velocity is now more important than ever (and faster does not mean better all the time)
recency – e.g sites that report on recent topics will be rewarded
don’t buy links from fiver
do buy cool content (videos etc) from fiver
Be careful your “innovative” blog doesn’t already exist
don’t look like a spammer (learn what they look like)
learn how to leverage rich snippets in your category
take screenshots and save them for blog case studies
get links from billboards
shove links into your image description
social influence – how much your content will influence social activity
get links from TV
learn about taxonomy (not the act of stuffing animals)
properly categorize your posts
tag your posts with relevant snap phrases
read Matt Cutt’s blog
get links from radio
read Google Webmaster Blog
post the Google Webmaster Guidelines next to your desk
put your link in your voice mail greeting (Hi, this is Rick from www.rickswebsite.com)
don’t use “my” before your products (like “MY yahoo”) its soooo 2004
choose an ergonomic position when working – you don’t want to strain yourself
check for how many pages are indexed on your domain
always check average time on site
use Pingdom tools to check site speed
be sure to take EVERYTHING into consideration before migrating your site to a new domain/server
find an expert in your field and do an interview
follow the experts on Twitter
build a Facebook Page for your business
watch distilled link building seminars
put your website in your infomercial
identify who your audience is (it might be different on the internet than who it is IRL)
learn SEO acronyms
ask questions on your blog to initiate comments
use short sentences and short paragraphs
highlight/bold keywords from time to time (as well as anchors)
learn the video sitemap protocol
use a Basecamp project for your site to organize your information
any website related expense is pretty much a business writeoff (ask your accountant)
If you want your video indexed, make sure that the page that it is on is strong
use linux hosting or whatever *nix
don’t use Windows hosting
make howto videos
get 2 monitors
don’t rewrite articles
use ccleaner often
first rule of SEO, don’t talk about SEO
learn about the EMD update
build a Google+ page for your business
read blogs related to your niche
get links from your city/state
nofollow comment links on your site
be sure to moderate comments on your blog
create a blog with proper categories
learn about proper taxonomy in your site structure
submit your site to citation sources such as manta and Yelp
use Google Drive to share information
use large font sizes to increase usability
use caffeine to stimulate productivity
don’t abuse drugs, they will end your career
get a good camera to take great pictures
take whiteboard how-to videos on your niche
take before and after pictures of your work
communicate with project managers/workers on Skype
use Scrapebox link checker to check for live links
don’t use Scrapebox to build links
get links from your friends
the meta keyword tag is still relevant in smaller search engines
make sure to use the robots tag inside the page
don’t create a family of sites or “blog networks”
open external links in a new window
videos will help time on site and bounce rate
attend Google Analytics certification programs
learn about adwords – it will help you with organic CTR
use strong instead of bold
use em instead of italic
use keywords in lists
try to keep images on the small side
don’t be the person that uses all hx tags on every page – be normal
folders, pages and images should all contain keywords
manually check your ranking from different locations
if starting out, choose a niche you are comfortable with
don’t 301 a penalized domain to a new domain
social signals, learn about them
be weary of SEO plugins
learn about new frameworks all the time
use a lean theme for your site
be excellent to each other
do no harm

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Frank Fitton

Content Marketer at Elite Strategies

Frank currently resides in West Palm Beach, FL and attends Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. He previously attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. He has covered sports for both schools newspapers and written for numerous websites on a variety of topics. Frank has been active in social media for businesses for the past 6 years running the accounts of everything from a debt management company to an adult nightclub. In his free time he enjoys college football, golf, art, and films.

@GatorFrank

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02.07.2013

11 COMMENTS

Written by: Alex Kevin

Good to read these tips, if we learn these 500 tips then surely we will become SEO expert thanks for sharing Sir Patrick!!

Written by: Patrick Coombe
Reply

haha thank you very much Alex 🙂

Written by: Justin Temple

Sweet list for SEO tips. A simple list and easy to read. Lots to learn from this post and refreshers. Thanks Bruce, have a great day.

Written by: Jay Patel

Whoa. A big list. Many of them are more of an etiquette than a pure SEO tips. But thanks a lot for compiling such a long list.

Written by: Patrick Coombe
Reply

hey thanks Jay 🙂 it was a fun little project we did but yes agree a lot of them are “good practice” and etiquette others are just plain ridiculous!

Written by: Sara

WOW. I’m amazed that you did it;) Thanks for sharing!

Written by: Patrick Coombe
Reply

it was a long road hahah 🙂

Written by: Michael Monturo

Wow… just wow. LOL ;p

Written by: Kristina Roy

First time I came through such long list of SEO tips. It would be good if these tips listed category wise.

Written by: Charles Floate

This is THE best formatting I have ever seen… In my entire life. 😛

Written by: Patrick Coombe
Reply

bahahahah oh yea top notch 🙂