A very important part of implementing an SEO strategy into a website is URL rewriting. Basically, URL rewriting transforms an incoming URL (usually a non-existent one) to a different URL (an existing one). Not only can URL rewriting achieve keyword rich URLs for dynamic, database driven sites, but it can also help the transition from an older site to a newer one, as well as alleviate duplicate content issues (by ensuring that spiders do not index multiple sub-domains of the same domain all with the same content or index the same page under different old URLs).

That being said, ASP.NET provides little native support for URL rewriting. The built-in functionality only boils down to one single method. The good news is that the functionality they do provide is quite extendable and there are several third party products that will help you achieve all of your SEO related goals.

The first and most flexible way to approach URL rewriting is to use an ISAPI (Internet Server Application Program Interface) filter, which does not rely on .NET and its currently-limited rewriting support. The major benefit of using an ISAPI filter is that the URL gets rewritten when the initial page request hits the web server, before the page is even passed along to the ASP.NET extension. Because ISAPI filters work at the web server level, you do not have to add any special code in your ASP.NET application. All your rewriting rules are handled in a separate configuration file. Another advantage of using an ISAPI filter is that you can write requests for any type of resource and not just a webpage, such as an image or PDF.

If your webhost has a URL rewriting ISAPI filter available to use, I strongly suggest taking advantage of it, as they’re easy to implement and perform a lot faster than the alternatives. There are several products that have been created using ISAPI filters, one most notable is Helicon’s ISAPI_Rewrite, which as of now costs $99 for a one server license. In my next post, I will explain other ways to implement URL rewriting into your web applications.

When the Search Engine Optimization process begins, keyword research is the first thing that happens. Many people will go after the very obvious keywords. They take the logical approach to finding keywords that fit their products and services. Guess what? So does the competition. The competition will use the same logic and will turn up the same busy keywords that you will be optimizing for. You now have my permission to think illogically.

Illogical thinking can turn up some interesting long-tail keywords, or as we call it in the industry, low hanging fruit. Try to look at your products or services from a different point of view to discover some keywords that you previously haven’t thought of. What do your customers call your services? Is there another name for your product? Research those types of phrases and see what you can come up with.

Low hanging fruit often times has low search traffic volume, but the positive side is that it is not as competitive. If you can harness these long tail keywords and optimize some of your interior pages for them, you will be surprised at how your conversions can increase.

Some ways to harness this low hanging fruit include optimizing for very specific product names and longer versions of your main keyword phrases. You can also think about the market you are trying to reach. Is your service area all across the United States, or do you only do business in Bangor, Maine? If you only do business in Bangor Maine, Optimize your page for Bangor Maine Lawn Service instead of Lawn Service. The search volume won’t be as high, but it is very specific and highly targeted to your target audience. Optimizing for a specific product type can be as easy as adding the color, model number or both. When you do this you are catering to a very specific crowd and when they find exactly what they are looking for, they are more likely to buy from you.

Practice this technique and you will be on your way to having a more optimized website.