What is Search Engine Optimization?

Hard to say in a nut shell but I want to share some thoughts about the question, What is SEO?

What is “Search Engine Optimization?”

Robert Wright 10-09-2009

Often I am asked the question, “ What exactly is Search Engine Optimization?” I’ll usually answer, “It is the practice of refining and focusing your Web site for the purpose of improved search engine performance.” Or, I’ve also answered, “SEO is the optimization of a Website for better search findability.”

It is a proven and established fact that good SEO will help a Web site perform better in major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. All fortune 500 companies are now using SEO practices. Search engine optimization addresses visibility, brand and traffic needs from the organic side of search. The organic side is the unpaid search results. The free listings which are not labeled “sponsored,” or paid for, like Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing or MSN’s Overture driven PPC programs.

Search Engine Optimization usually belongs to the Marketing/Internet/Search division of a company but also is used for public relations. Search engine optimization should influence and integrate with your code rehabilitation, site design, programming, keyword forensics, competitive Intelligence, site usability, as well, conversion and analytics. SEO should be considered with all Web development decisions.

“SEO” also refers to the person who executes the practice. It is the title of their position.

The most noticeable effect of good search engine optimization is increased traffic to a Web site. And, as traffic is a huge contributing metric to the rankings and positioning of a site on search results pages, Web sites that deploy good SEO practices, will always enjoy an advantage in organic search results.

Keep in mind that there are even bigger contributing factors to top search engine rankings than optimization, such as links, reputation and importance, which each search engines algorithm calculates. But you can safely assume that good optimization carries about 30% of the weight given to rankings in a search engine like Google.

So identify your keywords with professional tools like Wordtracker or Keyword Discovery and use them in key places on your Web pages. Use known searched for phrases in your page titles, headers, URL’s, body text, and even in your anchor text (text of your links) and any inbound links (IBL’s) you have influence over and you will exploit the constant power of search engine optimization for huge gains in traffic for your Web site, which is your branch office to the world. Remember, “optimization” is about “focus,” therefore it is usually best to treat optimization as a page specific strategy as well as a domain/homepage one.

I strongly caution you to use due diligence when selecting an SEO firm or SEO expert to work with. The industry is wrought with amateurs and charlatans. But there is real help available.

Whatever you do for your business from here forward, it is strongly recommended that you learn more about search engine optimization and how it can be utilized to help your online business reach it true potential.

Optimized regards,

Robert