Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization or SEO is critical to the success of most web sites. Large companies with deep pockets can afford to build a brand through the use of TV and magazine ads. On the other hand, small and medium-sized companies can get a better return on their marketing dollars by providing relevant content on their web sites and then fine-tuning that content. The goal of this fine-tuning is to appear in the first top 10 results of a search when a user searches Google, Yahoo, AOL, or MSN.

Not convinced that SEO is of any value? Take a look at the following graph. Several months after this web site was first created, I started to focus my efforts on SEO. The traffic to this site has significantly increased since then and has yet to plateau.

And in case you're worried that I might be a little biased, read how SEO Outperforms Overture for another real-life story about how SEO can have better results than paying for advertising.

Where to Start

This first step is getting a handle on the terms used by SEO "industry". The Glossary of Search Engine Ranking Terms is a good place start. If you're considering hiring someone else to do your web site's SEO then you should read Google's discussion about Search Engine Optimizers which will provide a few guidelines for picking the right company for the job. Once you've enlisted the help of another company it's important to let them do their job (Letting Your Search Engine Optimization Expert Do Their Job).

Doing Your Own SEO

For those of you looking to do your own SEO and are trying to figure out where to start, it's important to convince yourself that Copy Sells, Flash Doesn't. Only once you're truly convinced of this will the rest of the articles described here be of any value.

There's a lot of information about selecting and making the most of key words and phrases. Here are some articles about this topic:

• Which keywords should you optimize your site for?
• Creating Keyword Rich Pages
• Making Key Phrases Work for You

When you've got your site ready and you've done your first round or two of optimization, you should consider Submitting Your Site to the Open Directory. Once you've done that, I would recommend you find some sites with content related to your sites and then
exchange links. Exchanging links has the effect of ensuring that search engines find your site while also helping your site to rank highly in search results. Read more about how to Improve the Link Popularity of Your Site.

Advanced SEO Topics

If you've done all the things that the above articles suggest and you're ready to delve in to more advanced topics, you'll want to start by reading the WebmasterWorld Google Knowledgebase v2. Google is currently the leading search engine and so focusing your efforts on ranking well with Google will yield the best results for your site.

• SEO Quotes - Round 3
• Actively Manage Your Reputation in Search Engines
• Google Universal is Messing Up My Ranking Reports
• SEO Checklist
• Wikipedia Steals the Short Head of Search