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So you’ve built a downright amazing website. It is compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and even WebTV! But, is it compatible with google search results? Huh, why does this matter? Well it may or may not actually, depending on your site, but if you plan on getting clicks from Google and other search engines, there are a few things you should be putting into practice to maximize your results. Take a look at these two search listing examples shown below.

Listing Number 1:

Atlantic Dominion Solutions

Listing Number 2:

2 Easy Tips that can Make or Break your Google Search Listing

Which one looks more enticing, the first result or the second? Even with a higher ranking, the first result may be getting passed over in favor of the second result which clearly describes its content. If your not setting your title and META tags correctly, you may be missing out on extra clicks. Lets explore how:

• Customize your page title - This often shows up as the search listing title. Look at the effect this has on the two listings! It is so important to have customized page titles which let users immediately know the value your website provides.

• Add a META tag description - This helps the search engine generate a description for your search result listing. These should also be customized per page and go along with the page title. Here is an example of how to set up a META tag with a description:

  <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Tips for making the most of your google search 
  engine listing that everyone interested in search engine optimization should be
  applying.  Examples in Ruby on Rails . . ./>

• While your at it, go ahead and toss in some META tag keywords. Most seo professionals agree the major search engines place little value on these tags, however it certainly cannot hurt as long as their not abused. Also, some of the smaller search engines still rely on these tags to classify results. Here is how to add a META tag for keywords:

  <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="search engine optimization, seo, ruby on rails, 
  META tags"/>

No matter how hard you try, sometimes the META tags just won’t stick in the search listings. More often than not however, they can be used to help better describe your website to potential viewers. This can both attract more visitors to the website, and leave visitors with a more satisfied viewing experience. A win-win situation!

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