Abstract: Whether you just want to optimize your own
site only or your customers' ones too, you need to know which tools are
useful for your job. Just as a carpenter needs a hammer and a
screwdriver, you, as a seo, need a certain equipment.
Human requirements and technical skills:
Also known as "what money cannot buy" or "what
cannot be downloaded from the Net".
1. Good HTML coding. This is required
because you'll need to modify the code of webpages; simplify it, edit
it, analyze it. You'll also need to handle some important tags such as
TITLE, Heading tags (H1, H2), links. Even if you have always created
webpages using Dreamweaver or Go!Live, you MUST know how to create a
page with a simple text editor.
Remember that Google loves simply-coded webpages.
In addiction, you may also consider a basic
knowledge of CSS.
2. Google's advanced search options
aknowledgement. Plus, a good experience in searching documents
and files using Google (you cannot be a good seo if you are not a good
user).
3. Php aknowledgement. You are not
required to be a Php guru; a good consultant is not supposed to be a
good programmer too. Anyway, since you are going to use some
applications which have been developed in Php language, you'll need to
know some basic Php concepts, such as: "how to install a php script?".
It's not that difficult. All php softwares come with extensive
documentation that include installation explainations.
 First
rule when handling a php script is: Don't be afraid of
it.
4. English Language. If you're
reading this page, maybe this is not a problem for you. This ebook is a
good point to start from but you may need some more detailed
informations when optimizing your website. Well, 99% of the
informations you may need are written in English. Most of all, since we
suggest to buy a web hosting in United States (with unique DNS, of
course) you'll need English language to manage it or to discuss
technical issues with your U.s. ISP.
5. Patience. A lot of patience.
Server / Server side software:
1. Whether you are about to buy a server of your own,
or a virtual hosting, this must be: 1) FAST - Google
has the ability to check server speed; websites on faster servers are
preferred; 2) Unix operative system; 3) Your ISP
should be located in United States; 4) Unique
DNS - if you're planning to have more than one site, choose
those Isp that allow you to handle DNS. Therefore: NO shared DNS (which
is the default option when you buy a web hosting)
 White Fly
says...
Another important feature your server must have is a
stable server uptime,
which MUST be greater than 99,9%. This issue has been reported as
the common cause a website is dropped from Google archives.
2. Web logger / tracker (software).
It's a professional hits/visits counter. We're not talking about those
tiny numbers you find on thousands of web pages ("Eva's personal page
has been visited 568.929 times since 1970"), but REAL traffic analyzers
that give you useful informations such as: IP of your visitors, agents,
downloaded KBs etc. This software should base data on server log files.
Since you should have a Unix server you'll install Perl or Php
software. Commonly, they're commercial softwares, you'll be required to
pay to download and install them. We think this is a necessary purchase
(maybe the most important!)
3. Optional softwares.
a. Doorway pages generator. The best
ones can be installed directly on your server, so the generated pages
are published on your website with no need of a ftp session. Always
choose scripts (or software, if you want to instal them on your local
machine) that do NOT add any headers or footers to your pages, such as
copyright notices, pop-up, banner, and so on. Keep 100% control of your
optimization.
b. Search engine friendly publisher.
This will ease you when adding unique contents to your website: you use
them as you were using a dynamic form but obtain a 100% html output.
c. A blog software. Google loves
blogs. You may consider running one of your own. There are many free
scripts (in php or Perl) that allow you to maintain a blog on your
hosting. Choose them wisely.
CLIENT software/hardware
Don't mind about the operative system. If you want to
optimize a website there's not actually a Os which is better than
another. Windows, Linux, Mac Os. Choose what you like.
a. Browser: We suggest Mozilla based browsers
such as Firefox (while waiting for Google branded mozilla
browser...). You are also required to install a textual
browser such as Lynx, and an alternative browser like Opera.
b. Toolbars: Google Toolbar (to check
Pagerank's values either of the pages you visit or your own pages); Alexa
Toolbar (to check your website popularity, your server speed
-important issue!- Traffic details.
c. An advanced text editor such as UltraEdit,
with HTML and PHP coding add-ons (they will color different part of the
code and work as debuggers of your pages/programming). Anyway, your
operative system default text editor (like Windows Block notes) can be
good to start coding.
d. A FTP client to upload your files
onto your server/hosting. We don't recommend one particular software.
There are some free programs, and some commercial ones. Choose what you
like most.
e. Optionally, you may want to install a Css
editor or validator.
f. Optionally, you may want to install a wysiwyg html
editor like Dreamweaver (from Macromedia) but remember that a manual
editing of the code is often required, at last.
g. Dial-Up Modem. In a broadband era
can seem anachronistic but this will be useful to check out what will
it take to download your pages. Keep in mind that your pages (or your
customers' ones) should be fastly downloaded from any user. What is
good for a slow modem is good for Google. You can find either external
or internal dial-up modems at a very low price.
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