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An Introduction To Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Guest post by: Stephanie Ly

Article Overview: Search engine optimization, SEO, is a technique used to enhance a websites ranking in the search engines. Every online business owner's desire is to be able to get their business website onto the first pages within the search engines' search results page. Achieving this allows significant traffic, from the search engines, to be driven to their online business website at no cost.

An Introduction To Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization, SEO, is a technique used to enhance a websites ranking in the search engines. Every online business owner's desire is to be able to get their business website onto the first pages within the search engines' search results page. Achieving this allows significant traffic, from the search engines, to be driven to their online business website at no cost. The fight to be found on the first page of search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN are very competitive, and many factor are involved. There are many different factors that contribute to search engine optimization. These are outlined below:

1. Relevant Keywords

Keywords refer to the words (or phrases of words) that people type into the search box when making a search for their topic of interest. Choosing the right keywords for your business website is very important and a little research and brainstorming is necessary for the optimization of your website. Some tips for you when researching your keywords are:

• Choose keywords that are relevant to your website
• Choose keywords that people are actually searching for
• Choose keywords that are not too highly competitive
• Make use of long-tail keywords

2. The < TITLE > Tag

One of the most important, yet overlooked, factors affecting the optimization of a website is the < title > tag and the use of your keywords in it. The title tag is one of the first and highest priority factors that the search engines look for when scanning your website. This title tag is also displayed in the search engine results page and should therefore be eye-catching, as well as, relevant to your business website.

3. Content

Search engines value information and quality content. They have, what are call "spiders" that crawl your website. Optimizing your website by writing a few paragraphs on your home page, and subpages, using the chosen keywords will help tell the spiders what your website is about. In addition, it is also important for website owners to update their content on a regular basis as search engines prefer fresh information.

4. Easy Site Navigation

The spiders that crawl your website usually do so in an orderly fashion, from top to bottom, left to right. It is therefore important to incorporate a simple design into your business website, which makes navigation for online customers, as well as these search engine spiders, to use. Looks and flashy graphics will not be beneficial in the eyes of the search engines, and may even harm your website optimization.

5. Keyword Density

Keyword density is the percentage of times your chosen keyword or phrase appears on a web page in comparison to the total number of words on the page. It is important to make sure your keywords appear multiple times on your webpage. It is recommended that a keyword density of 2-5 % is adequate. That means, your keyword should appear at least twice per 100 words. Remember though not to repeat your keywords too much as this may be considered spamming.

6. Backlinks

Once your page is optimized you need to create and build as many high quality backlinks to link back to your business website. These links hold greater weight if they are from relevant websites. A good way to provide your business website with backlinks is to approach other businesses in your niche, visit related forums and blogs, or write some articles about your business for other websites to learn more about you.

Overall, Search Engine Optimization is a technique worth learning. Even though it can be time consuming, the results are rewarding and long term. More importantly, search engine optimization provide online home business websites with free targeted traffic.

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Article Tags: internet business, online home business, search engine optimization, seo



Related Forum Posts
What Do You Want To Be Taught? - Hi, My name is Jeff Foster, I will be moderating this new section. I want to get your opinion on topics you would like to discuss & be taught on. I see a great need for small business owners to learn how to perform basic Search Engine Marketing (SEM) which would include the basics about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What do you want to be taught on? Jeff
Re: Search Engine Optimization - If you are interested to get more information about Search Engine Optimization you can visit Search Engine Watch site gives you a great way to keep up with what’s going on in the search engine world. This site provides a ton of information about a very wide range of subjects related not only to search engine optimization, but also the flip side of the coin; subjects related to searching online.
Re: Can someone explain Search engine optimization to me? - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) could be compared to a big popularity contest: A High School Computer Geek and a High School Football Captain who are trying to promote a party. The computer geek tells everyone in school & even hands out 100's of flyers about his party Friday night...what happens? his friends end up showing up and a few new people...even the new people leave right away because it is not what they are looking for. The High School Football Captain ends up just telling a few good buddies, and within hours the entire school not only knows about it, but everyone wants to come, and everyone does come & stay. One defenition of "optimize is "To make as perfect or effective as possibe." How effective are your article marketing campaigns? Could you be distributing content (that is what search engines index) more effectively? In a perfect world, who would you want promoting your website, web pages, and web content? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is determining this perfect & effective way to do this. Jeff
Re: How do I engage seo works to be done for my site? - I read "Search Engine Optimization" for dummies. Gave me a real good foundation on which to build my sites. Really helped a lot.
Re: How to Promote Your Business Online - Apart from using Search Engine Optimization or SEO for promoting websites, I also find Pay per Clicks (PPC) to be a very good way to do. Why? For me it doesn't open only one oppurtunity for you, in fact it opens 2! You can generate your awaited traffic even w/o saying stop, ready and go and gain a maximized profit too.


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