What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the course of action taken to make your web site and pages search engine friendly. Changes to optimize a web page to further the positioning of that page with one or more search engines. It is the means of helping prospective customers to find your website. Optimization includes web architecture, design, layout, content, meta-tags, images and keyword usage - and that is just scratching the surface.

Using Search Optimization techniques enhances the probability of a website being ranked in the top results of a search engine where an appropriate search that has been carried out. This article summarizes some of the main areas of site optimization.

Working your Optimization into Web Architecture and Design

This is where the launch of your SEO campaign should begin. The architecture should be well thought out and logical. This will make it much easier for the spiders and robots to index your site for the search engines. Use sub-folders to arrange your site's information into logical areas (/images, /products etc).

The next area to concentrate on for optimization is the design of the site. You want your customers to stay on your site to learn more or purchase a product from your company. And most importantly you want them to come back.

The design itself should persuade users to stay and have a look. Concentrate on your colour selection, size of images, speed of the site, screen resolution, browser compatibility, usability and navigation. Be conscious of design elements that can either hinder or help your site's ranking in search engines. Avoid using lots of Flash, frames and iframes. Do use meta-tags, keywords and phrases, titles, descriptions and rich content. Use text (H1-H6 tags) for headings, instead of images, which spiders and crawlers can't read. This may mean a compromise on the font selection, but well worth it.

If you are able to optimize a site from the moment of inception it will make your job much easier. However this is not always the case.

Site Optimization and CONTENT

It has been said over and over again - Content is King! Not just over and over - read this article that Bill Gates wrote (in 1996) about how important content is for the Internet. This is still true and content is still one of the most important aspects of search engine optimization. It is more than just about having text on your page. It must be relevant, rich, make good use of keywords and phrases, correct in grammer and spelling and updated regularly. It is also a good idea to not only use spell checkers but also get a friend or colleague to proof read it for you.

Your Keywords and Keyword Phrases

Keywords and phrases that you select are significantly important in optimization so you want to make sure you choose wisely. Each page should be treated individually. Concentrate on keyword phrases that users (target audience) type in to find your business. There are many free keyword research tools available on the Internet to assist in this process.

You can also go to the web sites of your competitors to get more inspiration of how to target your audience appropriately.

Title Tag

This is one of the more important tags available in HTML when it comes to SEO. This tag should contain one to two of your most important keyword phrases. See (Title tags and site optimization) for information on the tile tag including proper placement.

Meta-tags

These tags were created to help search engines find out information about a web page. They include the title tag, as discussed above, as well as the description and keywords tags. Other meta tags are becoming irrelevant and are no longer necessary. However, just having good meta-tags will not be enough to achieve good listings. Using the meta-tags with other elements of search engine optimization is what will improve your rankings. The meta-tags should include the previously mentioned title tag as well as the description and keywords tags.

30 April 2005