Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a multi-step process which is mainly focused around ensuring search engines can find your content, and then fine-tuning that content so the search engines view it as important and relevant for the search terms a surfer is most likely to use to find you. The more relevant the engine believes you are, the higher in the results you should appear for that term. This is commonly referred to as your “ranking”.

All of the major search engines use complex mathematical formulas to determine what to display on the search results page (SERPS), and in what order. SEO considers how those algorithms work, and how people search. The problem is that these algorithms are specific to each search engine, are highly secret, are increasingly complex, and are continually being changed.

Over the years, the engines have become very good at knowing if a website is trying to ‘cheat’ the system through what are known as “Black Hat Tactics” and have a multitude of rules which, if violated, can hurt or penalize you. This is a primary reasons many companies out-source their SEO to professionals who keep abreast on these policies and approved practices. This is also a reason to only deal with a company you know you can trust. There are many scams and unscrupulous companies about, promising ‘miracles’ through SEO.

While there used to be a lot of tactics and tricks to get the search engines to pay more attention to your site, the #1 tip is now this: Because the major search engines primarily only look at (or ‘read’) the text they find on your pages, write human readable content that has real value and relevancy. Make sure that you use the key words and phrases you think people will use to find you, and use them more than once, but don’t go overboard! Appropriate use of bolding and header (H1 – H4) tags will also help.

A side benefit of well-written page content is often having visitors find your site through words and phrases other than the ones you directly targeted.

If there is a downside to SEO it is that there are no guarantees of when a site will be listed, or what pages will be included. Because of this, beware of any company promising you #1 organic rankings, or overnight results. SEO can be a long-term process, but should deliver very positive long-term results. If your business requires more immediate results, consider combining SEO with Paid Search Marketing, which I will explain in detail in Lesson #3.

My approach to implementing SEO involves a 5 Step process:

1. Analyse server configuration and web structure to identify problem areas

2. Research and recommend key words and phrases to target

3. Produce, or optimize website content and the hidden coding

4. Manual submissions to the top search engines and directories

5. Monitoring progress and continual fine-tuning to maximize rankings

There are of course many procedures within each ‘step’ and the requirements and approach for each client site will be different. To learn more about what is involved in each step and how it can benefit your business visit the Snap Technologies website, or contact me, for a customized proposal for optimizing your company’s site.

For more information on Search Engine Optimization I recommend this Wikipedia Article. In my next post I’ll bring some clarity to Search Engine Marketing (SEM), or paid listings.