The belief that an expensive-looking website on the internet will draw traffic by its own merits is less commonly accepted these days. Most savvy businesses have accepted the fact that
without online advertising, external links, or good search engine rankings, a website will be denied online business opportunities simply because potential customers will be unable to find
the site. The process of Search Engine Optimisation aims to place the website as high as possible in the list of search engine results for relevant search terms. The good news about SEO is
that it is not simply a result of luck or gained only through spending large amounts of money on SEO companies. There are steps that can be taken to improve SEO during and after the
design process of the website. SEO gives its best results through regular site monitoring and the act of updating keywords and site content. To get the best from SEO, it is necessary to
understand how it works and endeavour to fine-tune what has been implemented over time.
In the world of SEO, the search engines rule. They provide the grounds for connectivity between web users and the sites themselves. Since the majority of hits to any public site result
through the use of search engines, it makes sense that a knowledge of how search engines index websites is necessary to understand SEO. Search engines are endeavouring to find new way
ways to filter spam, which means that building a better quality website may soon hold more weight than websites that have used to spam techniques to position themselves in high page
rankings. Ranking well in one search engine does not necessarily mean a site will be ranked highly in another. In general terms, whilst the number and quality of incoming links mattered the
most to Google, site content was the factor with the most weight for indexing sites on Yahoo. It should also be remembered that search engines will modify their algorithms when they deem
it necessary for providing relevant and quality Search Engine Result Pages for a given query. Another interesting fact to bear in mind is that geographical differences play a role in search
engines. Different SERPs may be generated from the same query in Google.com.au compared with another localised instance of Google.
Due mainly to its 65% of market share, Google stands out as the search engine of choice to be ranked highly with. Therefore a understanding of how the Google engine spider operates
is definitely beneficial. The Google spider is basically a program that crawls the web for web pages and content to index. Google has developed a complex algorithm for indexing the findings
of the spider, so that search results can be accurate in light of the search terms used to instantiate an online search. The variables used as input for Google's algorithm are the factors that
can be leveraged to improve page ranking. The most easily controlled factors to enhance SEO are the elements within the pages of a website that the Google spider looks at with the view
of rank placement.
Since a search query is based upon keywords, it follows that the presence of these keywords within a site's content will increase the chance of it being returned within the list of search
results. Understanding a business's target market, and the keywords that are used to search for products or services offered by the business, will influence the use of keywords within the site.
It is important to understand that SEO techniques, such as the use of researched keywords, will more than likely have already have been used by the competitor sites of almost any business
online. It is therefore a favoured practice to approach the selection of keywords with a somewhat narrowed or specific comprehension of a business's target market. For example, a catering
business that operates only within a particular area, would benefit more from the use of keywords that not only described its services, or nature of business, but also specified the area in which
it operated, such as "Sydney Coast Caterers". The chance of attaining a high page rank against the multitude of catering businesses already vying for a top Google index is less than the chance
of a attaining a good listing for results when web users search for a caterer in their area.
Focusing on just one set of keywords is not the best approach when optimising keywords for a website. Web users key in a myriad of phrase variations when they search for a specific type
of business, or subject. The use of many keyword phrases will only improve SEO. This approach can lead to well thought out site navigation where generic keywords are used as main menu
items that lead to more specific keywords in sub-pages. This technique can occur more easily when short keywords are used, and can be particularly useful in matching search terms since web
users generally type in short search phrases.
A good understanding and use of HTML tags is also essential to SEO. A good web developer will appreciate the importance the Google spider places on title tags, header tags, lists and other
HTML elements. The title element appears in the title bar of the browser window and is also the text that will appear in large blue letters in the SERPs. The title is a key factor in drawing traffic
to a site because of its visibility, and must contain targeted keywords. Many search engines will limit the number of characters of a title and will give less weight to titles that contain too many
keywords. It may be more optimal to promote a title comprising of simply the business name and a single brief phrase with the most descriptive keywords relating to the business.
Meta tags were once very important for SEO. The brief descriptions of the site content, which are not visible to web users, but which were used for search engine spiders, are no longer highly
regarded due to the ways in which web masters abused their usefuleness with misleading keywords. The meta description tag is really the only necessary tag since it is displayed beneath the title
in the SERPs. A succint, grammatically correct sentence should be used. Keywords do not matter in the meta description tag.
Header tags are given a lot of weight by search engine spiders, and also are meant to stand out to readers as important headings within the content. Header tags should use (not over-use)
keywords. The Google spider is smart enough to recognise keywords used with formatting that is designed to emphasise certain words and will take them into account when indexing the site
content. A good method can be to use the h1 tag as the main heading and then the h2 tag as a sub-heading. Use different keywords in the header tags of different pages.
Using lists is a great way to quickly outline important points in the content of a site. They are easy to read and should also contain keywords since they are highly regarded by spiders. Avoiding
using tables too much, and placing content within paragraph tags also characterises clean HTML that is easier for spiders to index.
Semantic HTML content that embraces keyword usage has to be completely hand-coded. WYSIWYG editors will generally produce unnecessary tags and obscure code. The use of clean HTML
plays its role in SEO since the Google spider, with its principal interest in site content, gives a lot of regard to subheadings within the content, the first paragraph or sentence of any articles, and
descriptions of non-text content. Keywords selected for SEO should be integrated into these page elements. Clean HTML, without a cumbersome over-use of images and non-text content, will
also mean the page will load quickly, making it more likely that users will take a further interest in the site.
The number of keywords used in a site's content divided by the number of words in the content is an equation for the keyword content ratio of a website. The higher the keyword content ratio,
the higher the relevancy to topics searched for pertaining to the keywords used. The Google spider may, however, be wary of pages with a keyword content ratio exceeding 10%. Deception and tricks
used to make the spider rate a site far above its actual worth run the risk of not being ranked at all. Pages that hide keywords within the design will probably be disregarded. Google goes to a lot of
effort to operate a spider that is quite smart and will avoid such tactics that are designed to produce a high ranking whilst offering very little in substance or original content.
It is important to remember that whilst the spider may crawl the page with the intention of ranking it, it is human web users who will be accessing the site in order to see if it can meet their needs.
Poorly written content or badly designed pages will not result in an expansion of business, even if the number of hits to the site does increase. Website content that is not unique or is replicated from
other sites will hold very little relevance to the spider. Similarly, pages that contain a minimal amount of textural content, and instead focus on a heavy use of javascript or flash will be disadvantaged
when it comes to SEO. On the other hand, sites that have their content updated regularly will stand up better against those that don't since Google prioritises new material over old in the belief that
it is more relevant. However, updating only a small amount of the content for the sake of being seen as making a change may result in the penalisation of search indexing. An increase in site content
will also lend itself to an increase in keyword usage and a higher keyword content ratio.
The next step in keyword use is semantic optimisation. The Google spider can recognise associations between many keywords, and by using keyword variations instead of just repeating the same
phrases throughout the site's content, the latent semantic indexing will be increased and the site will be regarded as more relevant. The investigation of which search terms lead users to a website will
help determine which keywords and word relationships to use. A myriad of Google tools can be of help here. These programs are free and offer information such as the country the user was based, how long
they spent at the website page they reached, and which pages they leave from. An investigation over time may entail the modification of content, page re-design, or the introduction of different
keywords, in an effort to improve SEO.
The name of the domain of a website is another contributing factor to SEO. A domain name that is made up of keywords is a lot more useful than one that consists of the company name.
Incorporating some keywords into the URL of a site is another option if the domain name is named after the business. Older domain names generally hold more SEO weight than newer ones, because
they are believed to be more reputable.
Remove as much javascript and CSS as possible from web pages into external files which can then be referenced by the pages of a site in order to keep the source of the page relatively clean for the
Google spider. Ensuring that the website URLs represent a path pertaining to the site means that the spider can distinguish folder names and establish a relationship to the keywords. Avoid the use of
URLs with extended query strings. The Google spider dislikes name-value pairs in URLs. A good alternative can be found in programs that employ the technique of URL-rewriting. This also creates more
user-friendly URLs.
Site navigation should be organised and uncluttered with the most important pages being held in the root directory. The structure of larger sites should be organised into themes where similar
content is grouped together under separate menus (and submenus). Internal linking should be used to refer the user to other relevant pages within the site, not just to the home page. The use of a
sitemap not only offers a clear indication to users a way to navigate throughout the site, it also means it can be submitted to Google and therefore increases the chance of having pages of the site
indexed that may not have been reached by the spider. A sitemap format that is used by Google is naturally highly regarded. Google.com offers many resources and information on SEO and is worth
investigating by anyone serious about SEO.
Attention should be paid to the use of internal links within a website. No links should exist on a website that go to the wrong page. Keywords should be used as anchor text, instead of generic directions such as "more info". In addition, the keyword
used as anchor text should be different to the keyword that would ideally be associated with the page. External links do very little for a site's SEO. Linking to, or from, an unrelated site, especially one
whose content may be regarded as dubious, will only decrease the page ranking.
One of the most important factors in improving SEO is a site being linked to from another site, especially a highly regarded one with many links pointing to it, and one that is relevant in content.
Convincing other owners of prestigious sites to link to another site is not always easy, but can be helped by ensuring they can only really describe the site in a certain way - by using keywords in their link.
Elements that could increase the chance of linking to a site include great content, offering visitors a place to leave a comment, contribute, or interact in the site in some way. Forums are very useful in this
sense and will also promote the site to an audience more likely to engage in the business. Any RSS feeds consumed by other web users will also count as links to that site. Promoting a website inappropriately
is regarded as spamming and will have a detrimental effect on the site's SEO. Common techniques that are used to enhance site content with the view of promoting links to the site include the use of
articles or news items being available on the site, or on other directory sites. Exchanging links with another site or posting content on public sites can offer a way of enhancing the marketing strategy of a
business site.
Submitting the URL of a website to a directory listing website is often a valid way to increase links back to the site. Some directories, such as DMOZ, will offer the link for free, some will ask a fee, or an
exchange of reciprical linking between both sites. Attention should be paid to which category the site is being listed in on the directory site. Links back to a site work best when they are from a quality site
and where the source of the link is embedded within content that is relevant to the site in question.
Social bookmarking websites may also provide an inexpensive way of building up links or hits to a particular site. Often social networking sites allow members to store, and access URLs of websites which
they find useful. Other users can view these links by category, or sometimes just randomly.
Blog sites that allow an author to include a link back to their own site can also prove extremely valuable for back links and site exposure. Visitors to the blog can view the latest entries at the top of the
page and can also leave a comment. This interaction which takes place on most blog sites means that there is a potential for a fair amount of traffic passing through.
Posting articles on a business site, or on another site acting as an article directory can also draw in interested visitors through the means of a back link associated with the article. Again, relevancy with
content that is unique and well-composed enhance the likelihood of increased traffic.
Really Simple Syndicate documents, known as RSS feeds, are a way of delivering content from one source on the web to another. RSS feeds are normally updated regularly, so a user who links to a web
feed has a means of receiving the latest information related to that feed without having to browse to the source of the feed. Content contained within a feed can be made up of news headlines, articles, blog
entries, related announcements, or product launchs.
Press release sites may also offer another way to make an announcement concerning a website's updated content and simultaneously offer a link to the site. Offering a method of bookmarking the site
will also increase the likelihood of returning traffic, so will the offer of a free service or sample.
Web marketing and business exposure is not just entirely dependent upon SEO. Pay Per Click campaigns such as Google AdWords can also be employed to increase the exposure of a website. Advertisng
costs with PPC are incurred only when someone clicks on the ad and visits the site responsible for placing the advertisement. These ads are normally located in relevant SERPs or on websites which bear a
relationship to the site in question through its targeted keywords. PPC advertising can give a boost to a site's marketing campaign, the expense of which can be controlled through daily limits for each ad.
It is also worth mentioning that while a lot of emphasis is placed upon SEO, it should not be forgotten that online marketing and business growth in the medium of the web is also dependent upon
website design as well as many human factors such as user experience, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Branding and successful communication are essential. Coded web pages must embody a balance
between being spider-friendly and being easily digested by humans. A poorly constructed website may rank number one for many relevant search queries, and it may receive an enormous amount of traffic,
but if the users making hits on the site are not interested in what it has to offer, the site, and its SEO, will have little worth and the potential for business will suffer.