Social bookmarking has been on the rise, and people are beginning to take notice. More marketers are learning to harness the power of blog search engines, blog directories, and social bookmarking services to bring more targeted visitors to their websites, and so can you.

One of the techniques used to lure visitors to these sites is tagging. Tagging is a way of labeling a website (or web page) with descriptive keywords so the page can be easily found. When people look for these specific keyword or phrase, they’re presented with a list of all the sites or pages labeled with it — your site can be in that list. The key to using this to your advantage is tagging properly and for the most exposure.

Tip #1 - Combine keywords to create key phrases

The more specific your tag is, the more targeted the traffic. Whenever possible, combine your tags into 3 or 4 word phrases. Most blog search engines and bookmarking sites are smart enough to break the words apart and apply your page to the individual word searches as well.

As an example, instead of using “one, two, three” (commas separating each tag), you could use “one two three, four five six”. Not only will your page show up when people search specifically for “one two three”, in most cases, it will also show up when people search for one, two, or three individually.

Tip #2 - Use proper names and places (i.e. nouns)

This comes back to being as specific as possible. People searching for information on a particular person or location will most likely do so using the name or name of the location. Scan your page and see if you offer information about an individual or place, then make sure to add them as tags.

Tip #3 - Avoid tagitis and stay on topic

Tagitis is the use of excessive tags that have no relevance to the website or page being tagged. The idea is that the more tags you use, the more listings the page will show up in and the more people will visit the page. There’s just one small problem with this method — it doesn’t bring in targeted traffic. The people who visit the page will most likely be frustrated when it doesn’t contain the information they’re looking for.

This method is also known as tag spam and may end up getting your website permanently banned from the services you’re using if enough people complain. So, make sure you tag responsibly, stay on topic, and use only the tags that directly apply to your page.

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