The Most Important Factor in SEO

The Most Important Factor in SEO The Most Important Factor in SEO The Most Important Factor in SEO By Mark Nichol If you, or the business or organization you work for, want people to visit your (or its) website, you should know the most important factor in search engine optimization. As you probably know, SEO is any set of strategies designed to improve your website’s ranking in an online search. Various sources ascribe varying values to such strategies, but most SEO experts agree that the following approaches are important: Content should be well written, relevant, engaging, and frequently updated. Title, meta description, and header tags should contain terms that accurately reflect site content. URLs, or website addresses, should be short and should contain relevant keywords. A website’s longevity, and its reputation among popular websites with related content (indicated by shared content, links to your site, and references to your site), are also beneficial factors. There are additional techniques, but these are the basics that content producers should be aware of. You should also be alert to one of the factors that causes a website to be penalized in search engine rankings: Content that lacks depth and substance and that uses keywords excessively. Most website administrators, webmasters, and content producers are aware that search engines companies are constantly refining their products to reward websites with high-quality content and penalize those that ignore these simple, self-evident principles. However, it’s surprising how often one still comes across densely keyword-laden, awkward content that is designed for search engines, not human beings, to read. This approach to SEO is akin to that of a retail establishment that temporarily offers free products or services or that stations attractive, scantily clad models at the store entrance for a particular promotion. These techniques certainly encourage customers (I know both of them get my attention), but they have nothing to do with the quality of the products or services; once the freebies and the hotties go away, will customers come back? By the same token, if you want people to return to your website, give them what they want and what they want should be what you have to offer, not distracting diversions. The quantity of content varies widely depending on what that is, but quality is constant: Website content should be clear, concise, and informative. Compare the following paragraph from the About page for Daily Writing Tips with the one after that, which reflects what I would probably write if I were unfortunate enough to be an SEO content creator rather than a writer: â€Å"Whether you are an attorney, manager, or student, writing skills are essential to your success. The rise of the information age with the proliferation of e-mails, blogs, and social networks makes the ability to write clear, correct English more important than ever.† â€Å"Daily Writing Tips knows that English-writing skills are essential to your success. Whether you are an attorney, manager, or student, you need to write English well. Read tips about how to write English better at Daily Writing Tips. At Daily Writing Tips, we will show you how to write English well, use correct English spelling and proper English punctuation, and use the right English words. Bookmark Daily Writing Tips now for the best English-writing tips.† One paragraph tells you what you need to know. The other makes you want to scream. It isn’t content. It’s data. It is designed to be read by a machine. Design your content to be read by people. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical WordsBest Websites to Learn EnglishA Yes-and-No Answer About Hyphenating Phrases

Native American Dance Regalia in the Powwow

Native American Dance Regalia in the Powwow The making of dance regalia is for Native American people a tradition. It is a distinctly indigenous activity that is illustrative of the reality that for indigenous people there is no separation between art and everyday life, between culture and creativity, or the sacred from secular. All styles of regalia are remarkably elaborate, and while the degree of beauty of an outfit doesnt necessarily equate to dancing talent, it does say something about a persons commitment to dancing. They all have stories as historical categories and as individual creations. The making of powwow dance outfits is an art form all its own. Powwow History Powwows are intertribal social gatherings that began roughly in the 1880s. This was at a time when Indians were experiencing great upheavals in their communities. Those were the years of the assimilation era when tribes were being forced onto reservations, into more sedentary lifestyles, and families were being broken up due to the boarding school policy. By the 1960s the federal governments relocation policy led to large populations of Native Americans in urban centers, and powwows became an important way for Indians to stay connected to their tribal cultures and identities. Native American Beliefs For Native people, everything is imbued with spiritual meaning even in the context of the modern world, and especially when it comes to the expression of culture and identity. For dancers, not only is the act of dancing that expression, but the wearing of dance regalia is the visible manifestation of ones heritage. A dancers regalia is one of the most powerful symbols of her Native identity and in that regard, it can be considered sacred. This is one reason why it is incorrect to refer to dance regalia as a costume. Many of the elements that make up a dance outfit are items often associated with the ceremonial function, such as eagle feathers and parts, animal hides, items that have been handed down through generations, as well as designs that may have been handed down or were given in dreams and visions. How Outfits are Acquired In todays world not everybody in Native societies possesses the skills required to construct dance regalia, and, in fact, most simply do not. Often dance outfits or elements of outfits are passed down; grandmas moccasins, dads dance fan or bustle, or moms buckskin and beadwork. More often outfits are made by family members, purchased in the marketplace, or custom made by professional artists. Far less commonly are outfits actually made by the dancer her or himself. No matter which way a dancer acquires their dance regalia, it typically takes many years to build a wardrobe of dance outfits (most dancers own more than one outfit) and is very expensive. Skills It takes a variety of skills to put together a dance outfit. First, it takes the knowledge of different dance styles which will guide the vision for an outfits design. An eye for design is imperative so that all elements of the outfit will be consistent. Sewing is one necessary skill, but not just the ability to sew fabric. The ability to sew leather is also necessary which means a person must have leather smithing skills as well. They must also have certain crafting abilities, like knowledge about how to make feather fans, moccasins, and beadwork. This is such a wide variety of skills and because very few people possess all of them, most dance outfits come from several different sources. Dance Styles There are a number of different dance techniques that are divided into mens and womens in the categories of northern and southern styles. Men and women both have a style of fancy dancing (which is considered a northern style), and both have styles of traditional dance within the northern and southern genre. Other styles include grass dancing, the chicken dance, southern straight, jingle dress, and gourd dancing.