Now that you have stretched. Are you ready for a twelve-week plan to increase your search engine ranking?

Your task is to learn how search engine optimization works and then successfully increase your website search ranking. Use the Process section and the online resources in the Resource section of this Webquest to achieve the twelve steps listed below.

You will not finish this task over night. After three months of using the skills and processes you learn here, you will be able to determine your rate of success. Use this evaluation chart to determin your performace.

Twelve actions to achieve your task:

1. Learn how the big four search engines/directories (Google, Yahoo, MSN, AOL) prioritize for ranking in the Resource section.

2. Make a list of keywords you want your site to be known for. Research the words your audience and demographic use for searches!

3. Write a Title for each page with keywords included in your title.

4. Design your web page, or re-write the existing text content to include your key words.

5. Build out your meta-tags for all HTML pages.

6. Link a Site Map to your home page.

7. Make a Links page to similar sites. Preferably with sites that link back to you.

8. Submit your URL(s).

9. Build link popularity:

a. Find out what sites link to competitive sites and get a link to your site on them. b. Find sites with similar content and ask for a link.

10. Set up an account at a tracking service (see reference section) or watch your web logs. Take note of the referring URL’s and actual keywords people are finding you with. Consider adding these keywords to your site.

11. Use the tools in the Process section to check your status, publish more relative content, and learn from successful competing sites.

12. Rate your success from the evaluation chart and repeat.