Is your XSite at peak performance? Tips for optimizing your site for search engines

You control every aspect of your Mortgage XSite website from your listings to the number of content pages appearing on your homepage. In fact, being in command is one of the reasons you purchased your XSite in the first place, right? But did you know you also control your website's destiny with search engines?

Of course, we at a la mode submit your XSite domain with the top search engines when you purchase your XSite, but that won't guarantee people can find your site when they're searching online for a mortgage broker. You need to make sure your site is optimized for search engines.

Many of us flinch when we hear the words "search engine optimization" and regard it as mysterious and technologically-intensive work for which we don't have time. But with 74 percent of home buyers starting their search online – a number that is expected to jump in 2005 – shouldn't understanding the basics of SEO strategies become one of your New Year's resolutions?

Here are some tips and things to remember to make sure your XSite is optimized for search engines and operating at its peak performance:

Link up with other websites. To rank well in search engines, your XSite needs the help of others … other websites. After all, following links between websites is the second most common way people find information on the Internet. Getting other sites to create links to your XSite increases your "link popularity" and generates more traffic to your site. Plus, posting links to other relevant sites provides your visitors with additional, useful content.

There are a few things to keep in mind when linking with other websites. While the number of links pointing to your site will influence your search engine rankings, it doesn't mean that you should try to get every conceivable site to link to yours. Quality counts here and having your web address on good, popular sites will be far more valuable to your business than linking to hundreds of unknown sites. You're also more likely to attract visitors from the larger amount of people visiting a well-known site. Links from websites that complement yours are also preferable. They target a similar audience and are more likely to send people your way who already have an interest in your services.

Search engines look at pages, not websites. And each page is considered its own entity. The text should also include specific keywords or phrases – the word or words a person types into the search box on a search engine to look up subject matter on the Internet.

Keep the title tag simple. The title tag on each page must include the keyword or phrase you want prospects to type in to find your site. It's also what the search engines usually use for the title of your listing in the search results so keeping it simple is important. Try to make your title tag five words or less such as "Raytown Home Loans – Missouri Mortgage." That's because most people using search engines use three or four word phrases to search. Therefore, "Raytown Home Loans" is the phrase the searcher may use but you may want your company name "Missouri Mortgage" as part of the title.

Write keyword-rich content. Your pages must be written cleverly to use your keywords or phrase to appeal to the search engine without being confusing or redundant to site visitors. A phrase used more than three or four times could cause that page to be devalued as the search engine will realize that the author is trying to increase his or her ranking. For pages with 300 words or less, a good rule of thumb is to use your keywords or phrase at least twice in a page's text – and no more than three times. For pages with more than 300 words, you might add another occurrence of your phrase where it makes sense to the reader.

Narrow your focus. Keep in mind that it's not possible to target every conceivable phrase related to mortgages or loans on your site. Your time will be better spent focusing on two to three web pages, targeting one to two keywords or phrases. Get into the searcher's mind. What would your average client search for to try to find you? You might even ask the next few customers you do business with.

Also, make sure you make use of your geographic settings to narrow your focus. It's not going to do you much good to go up against the 30,100,000 other pages in Google's database that compete for one phrase. With a little bit of thinking and some quality links to your site, you should notice the results in about four to six weeks.

Get your name out there. Your URL, that is. Include your web address (URL) on business cards, postcards, letterhead, flyers, in the tag line of your e-mails, on the coffee cups you send to your clients for Christmas – any piece of marketing you send out. Having your site pop up in a web search will certainly bring in new leads, but why not send them directly to your site in the first place?

Start fresh. As we head into New Year, now is a good time to take a look at your website and evaluate what is working and what isn't when it comes to search engine optimization. We also resolve to bring you more tips like these to help you better understand your XSite and its capabilities to bring you more visitors that turn into customers.

to help you better understand your XSite and its capabilities to bring you more visitors that turn into customers.