The Three Simple Steps to Search Optimization
by Aquil Bryant
Search engine optimization is the art and science of making web pages appear attractive to the search engines. The better optimized a website is, the higher the ranking it will receive from a search engine's web crawlers. The higher your site ranks, the more traffic it will have and the more profit it will generate. The key is good Internet search engine optimization.
Why is receiving a high ranking so important to the future success of your online business? Studies have shown that consumers seldom look at websites that don't rank on the first two pages the search engines displays. Websites that receive a ranking that places them on the third page (or any pages after that) see a significantly lower amount of traffic at their websites than those that are ranked on the second page. There is even a staggering difference in the numbers between websites on the first page versus the second page. In the world of e-commerce, ranking and strong search engine optimization is everything.
For most, just the term 'search engine optimization' is a pretty big pill to swallow. Add to that such phrases as algorithms, page rank, web crawlers and Meta tags and you'll definitely feel overwhelmed! Unless you're a mathematics professor, an Internet search for the word "algorithm' won't help, as all you'll see are weird symbols and mind boggling equations. Don't let this intimidate you, as search engine optimization is much simpler than you know. Now that you're in a better frame of mind, let's go over these terms.
Algorithms really are every bit as complicated as they look. Simply defined, they are a finite set of carefully defined instructions. Most, if not all, computer programs are designed with strict algorithms. Page rank is simply the program Google designed to search, index, and rank its registered web pages. Page rank operates on a link analysis algorithm and is credited for Google's incredible success. Web crawlers are tools search engines use to browse the World Wide Web in a methodical, automated manner. When web crawlers are browsing websites, they are looking for algorithms. Meta tags are special HTML tags that provide information to us about a web page. They are written directly into the title tag and are only visible to the search engine.
The reality of search engine optimization is that you can start to optimize your website without any knowledge at all of the technical stuff involved. Granted, for those who plan to maintain their sites among the elite in terms of high rankings, a solid layman's concept of the ins and outs of optimization wouldn't hurt. But suffice it to say those who have their respective sites ranked on the first page of the search engines didn't get them there by scoring high on a search engine optimization aptitude exam. Among other things, the key to their success was that they were able to utilize the three basic steps of search engine optimization better than their competition.
Developing a content rich webpage is the first basic step to search engine optimization. Essentially, you're going to provide as much information as possible onto your webpage on your service or product that is considered valuable to your target audience. Think outside the box and locate informative, useful and educational material that your traffic will appreciate. Once people find that your site is loaded with rich content, they'll return to it again and again. Concentrate on loading your site with information from sources similar to your webpage's theme. You need to also be proactive in consistently modifying your page with new rich content sources like reviews, articles and newsletters.
Once you've satisfied your audience with content, you'll now want to focus your attention on coming up with the right keywords for the search engine web crawlers. Please keep in mind that web crawlers sniff out words, not images. You'll want to do a good job of clearly presenting exactly what you want your audience feel, think and do by choosing the best keywords possible. Since your goal in this step is to lure the web crawler to your site, use your keywords as much as you can. It also wouldn't hurt to take a peek at similar web pages that are currently in the top positions on the search engines (where you want your site to be), studying their keyword usage and then make your site even better.
Last but not least, you need to select the best search engine(s) to apply for your site's inclusion to ensure maximum optimization. You've done everything possible to produce the best website possible, now you want your potential customers to find it. Do your homework and find the search engines from which your target traffic is using to find the products and services similar to your own. This shouldn't be too hard, as chances are you'll find that search engines like MSN, Google Yahoo!, and AOL are getting the lion's share of web surfers. Together, people go to these four search engines 90% of the time to find what there are looking for. It doesn't take a scholar to conclude that it would be in your best interest to have your site listed at the top of the pile within these engines.
Aquil Bryant conducted over three years of comprehensive research on the work from home option for creating wealth. His web site features the top
work from home opportunities with free
work from home articles on the net today. Get your own completely
unique content version of this article.
