What is SEO?
SEO or Search Engine Optimization gets web pages ranked highly in Search Engine Report Pages (SERPs). These pages are what you see when you do a keyword query using one of the search engines. The three major search engines are Google, Yahoo! and MSN Search, now more often called Live Search. SEO is critically important for business websites since more than 70% of visitors to a website will have got there by a keyword search using a search engine, most often Google.
How Do You Do SEO?
SEO is best done initially as the website architecture is being determined and as the individual pages are being constructed. There are a number of steps involved:
- Keyword analysis in terms of the website objectives and the competition
- Keyword and Key Phrase Selection for SEO
- Design of the website architecture and every web page for strong SEO rankings
- Development of appropriate inlinks (or backlinks as Google calls them) from other authoritative websites
Depending on the online competition, such a program will ensure high rankings for appropriate web pages. Over time, web pages can be further ‘tweaked’ to reflect changes in the market place and what is learned from the ways traffic reaches the website. Google provides a Webmaster Tools website, which can help to analyze ways of making the website more Google-friendly.
Beyond SEO
SEO gets visitors to the web page. The web page must then convert a casual visitor into a prospect. To do this, the web page must not appear stilted or lack credibility. Also Web pages must not contravene the Terms of Service of each search engine. A contravention might trigger permanent removal from the search engine database and thus result in zero traffic. This largely means that the search engine spider or robot sees what the human visitor sees.
Conclusion
The Search Engine field is complex. Simple oversights and errors may reduce search engine traffic by a factor of ten or more. It is also in continual evolution so rules change in importance. Be prepared to invest significant time in becoming an expert and in staying on top of changes. Alternatively work with someone who can provide that up-to-date expertise.
