What Is Search Engine Optimization?
June 7, 2009 at 4:05 pm , by admin
We are asked this question often, so it seems appropriate to provide a quick overview to what “SEO” actually is…
Contrary to popular belief, search engine optimization is not all that complicated…as long as you know what you’re doing! (When I once responded with this answer to a colleague – his response was; “well, neither is brain surgery…if you know what you’re doing!”)
In simplest terms, Search Engine Optimization is a process of choosing the most appropriate targeted keyword phrases and fine-tuning the content on your website. Along with the correct HTML and Meta tags, an appropriate link building process should also be implemented to ensure that your site ranks highly in the search engines. The goal, of course, is so that when someone searches for specific phrases it returns your site at a favorable position.
Search engines keep their methods and ranking algorithms secret in order to get credit for finding the most valuable search-results, and to deter s*pa_m pages from clogging those results. A search engine may use hundreds of factors while ranking the listings. However, to complicate things even more – the factors themselves, and the weight each carries, often change continually. Algorithms can differ so widely that a webpage that ranks #1 in a particular search engine could rank #200 in another search engine. It can take a few days to even weeks for all the main search engine spiders to commence visiting and indexing a new website.
Search engine marketing should begin with the initial planning of your website. Keyword research, proper coding, meta tags, and back link strategies all need to be incorporated into your website design from the beginning in order to reap the highest benefits of proper SEO.
An important note for those who are in the beginning stages of website design: Search engine optimization is generally NOT included in website design quotes provided by ‘website designers.’ This is an entirely separate process, and requires a completely different skill set. Not all web designers are knowledgeable of SEO techniques, and the same is true of many SEO companies – they are generally not web designers.
When considering a new website, or a website re-design, be sure to ask about ‘Search Engine Optimization’ and whether it is included within the design quote.
*NOTE: Basic SEO is included in all
MassNet Marketing design quotes. ;->
Category Search Engine Optimization / Tags: Tags: Website Marketing, /
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