Beginner's Guide - What is SEO?
SEO is the active practice of optimizing a
web site by improving internal and external aspects in order to
increase the traffic the site receives from search engines.
Firms that practice SEO can vary; some have a highly
specialized focus, while others take a more broad and general
approach. Optimizing a web site for search engines can require
looking at so many unique elements that many practitioners of
SEO (SEOs) consider themselves to be in the broad field of
website optimization (since so many of those elements
intertwine).
This guide is designed to describe all areas
of SEO - from discovery of the terms and phrases that will
generate traffic, to making a site search engine friendly, to
building the links and marketing the unique value of the
site/organization's offerings.
Why does my company/organization/website need SEO?
The majority of web traffic is
driven by the major commercial search engines - Yahoo!, MSN, Google & AskJeeves (although AOL
gets nearly 10% of searches, their engine is powered by
Google's results). If your site cannot be found by search
engines or your content cannot be put into their
databases, you miss out on the incredible opportunities
available to websites provided via search - people who
want what you have visiting your site. Whether your site
provides content, services, products, or information,
search engines are a primary method of navigation for
almost all Internet users.
Search queries, the words that users type
into the search box which contain terms and phrases best suited
to your site, carry extraordinary value. Experience has shown
that search engine traffic can make (or break) an
organization's success. Targeted visitors to a website can
provide publicity, revenue, and exposure like no other.
Investing in SEO, whether through time or finances, can have an
exceptional rate of return.
Why can't the search engines figure out my site without SEO
help?
Search engines are always working towards
improving their technology to crawl the web more deeply and
return increasingly relevant results to users. However, there
is and will always be a limit to how search engines can
operate. Whereas the right moves can net you thousands of
visitors and attention, the wrong moves can hide or bury your
site deep in the search results where visibility is minimal. In
addition to making content available to search engines, SEO can
also help boost rankings so that content that has been found
will be placed where searchers will more readily see it. The
online environment is becoming increasingly competitive, and
those companies who perform SEO will have a decided advantage
in visitors and customers.
See also:
Keywords
Affiliate
Programs
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