To increase website traffic with SEO in the Bay Area, there are ways to ensure you are using the best possible search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.

The first thing you should do is make sure that your site is search engine friendly, which is the whole point of search engine optimization. Make sure that it is easy to find each of the pages. Good navigation is important, not only for your visitors, but also for the search engines to index your site. A site map may be helpful. Make sure that there are no broken links on your site. It is a good idea to check all the links from your site regularly.

Optimize your images by using descriptive filenames and alt text. If your site is selling books, for instance, and you have a book cover for “Stories about Horses” as an image, the filename should be storiesabouthorses.jpg or something similar, to help the search engines to know what the image shows. This is because search engines only see text. The alt text inside the image tag will also help, and keywords can be used here. If your bookstore, for instance, is called “The Book Store” and is in the Bay Area, you might have alt text for that image that says, “Purchase Stories about Horses at The Book Store in the Bay Area.” This gives the search engines the data they need to show your site to people who are searching for a bookstore in the Bay Area. This technique can be used for any type of product or service in any area.

The title and description meta tags should also be filled in with good information, including keywords when possible. Keywords should always be used as naturally as possible. If it is awkward and looks out of place to a visitor, most search engines will find it seems out of place, as well, with the new algorithms that are being released.

The most important thing to remember about keywords is that you want to be specific, but you want to use keywords people will use to find you. Choose three or four phrases that apply to your business, and use them in moderation. Keyword density should be between 3% and 10% to be the most efficient. Keep in mind your target audience when selecting keywords. Adding your location when your product or service is primarily local is usually a good plan.

As always, keep your content fresh and unique. This will keep visitors returning to your site, and it will also keep the search engines coming back to re-index the new content. You might consider offering your articles in multiple languages, if you are able. This will extend your reach.

There are tools to help you see your SEO status, including Analytics, Webmaster tools, WebCEO, and IBP. Using these can help optimize your SEO efforts, although it may be easier to hire a company that specializes in SEO in the Bay Area to optimize your site for you.