Search engine optimization: -
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process or processes required to make Web pages and Websites more
visible in search engines, by improving their positioning ("rank") in results retrieved by the search engines
(SERP = Search Engine Results Pages). Some aspects of search engine optimization like getting people to link to your
pages, using e-mail newsletters to popularize your site and writing attractive content require marketing skills.
However, Search Engine Optimization is really an engineering discipline. That doesn't mean you need to be an
engineer to do it.
Search engine optimization requires choice of competitive and attractive (frequently used) search terms (keywords)
that are to be used in the Web pages, correct deployment of those keywords, and obtaining external
links
to the Web site and pages. Search engine optimization is not related to Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which is
promotion of products or Web sites through search engine advertisements, though some of the tools and jargon are
common to both. Search engine optimization does not depend on the appearance of sites to visitors or on navigability
or user friendliness.
There are three major aspects to Search Engine Optimization design:
On Page Optimization - Design issues and changes
you make in the code and content of a particular Web page that will make that page get a better listing for any searches
or for specific searches in a search engine. To optimize a page so it gets a lot of visitors, you need to choose
keywords with a high search frequency, for which there are comparatively few pages on the web. That is your
Niche.
Then you need to use the keywords in the page correctly as explained under On Page Optimization.
Off Page Optimization - A misnomer for off-site
optimization, since it is usually concerned with getting links from other Websites. The links should have relevant
keywords in their Anchor Text.
Website SEO design -
This refers to characteristics and design features of the Website as a whole that affect the optimization of the site
and of individual pages. Chiefly, it is related to the link structure of the site, creation of portal pages and site
maps.
Good search engine optimization ensures that your pages are not buried by mistakes in coding or organization, that
they have been submitted to appropriate search engines and directories and linked from relevant pages, and
that they are designed keeping in mind the limitations of search engines and the ways in which search engines extract
information about Web page content. There are also a number of unethical Black Hat SEO
techniques that are different forms of deception and Webspamming.
Choosing an SEO firm
Search engine optimization really does work. If you cannot do it yourself, you can hire a firm to do it. You can also
hire a consultant who gives recommendations, but doesn't do the work. Of course, if your organization doesn't implement
the recommendations, there will not be an improvement. SEO is not a "one time" job but a continuous effort, and you may
not see results for many weeks and months.
Before you engage an SEO firm find out what other Web sites the company has built. If they have their own Web site
see how well it rates in the search engines. Check the content of the site. If it is full of jargon and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Superstitions
avoid the them. If they want to delete existing pages or change the domain name of an established site, these are sure
signs that person really doesn't know anything about search engine optimization and is probably going to damage your
site rather than helping it.
A frequent claim of optimizers is that they "guarantee" #1 or top 10 placement in Google
or another search engine. They mean position #1 or first 10 search engine results for a given keyword. Beware of
such claims. The only way to guarantee that a page or site will be number 1 for a keyword is to convince you to use a
long keyword that nobody is searching for. It is easy to be number 1 for "Pretty blue Website designers" but that
doesn't help you much. You need to be among the first 10 sites listed for "Web design" but that is going to take years
and years of continuous effort. If someone has gotten top positioning for single word keywords or popular combinations,
they know what they are doing. If they got top positioning for "Pretty blue website designers" and similar phrases and
they boast about it, they aren't going to help you much.
[Computer Software} is a good keyword as there are about two million searches for it each month currently (October
2008). But there are 114 million pages retrieved for that keyword. If you have a 500 page Web site it may take a while
(like a few years) to get to the first ten listings for Computer Software.
Search Engine Optimization is not a substitute for good quality websites and pages. It is group of techniques for
ensuring that whatever content you have, it gets the maximum possible visibility and visitors in search engines, and
doesn't get buried in search engines because of design mistakes.
Google has a good guide explaining
how to vet a search engine
optimization firm.
Learn more about SEO -
SEO Basics
The SEO Book.
On Page Optimization, On Page Optimization, Website SEO design
