What is SEO and how important is it to my business

SEO. Search Engine Optimization. This term is most commonly defined as "the method of modifying a site, it's code, and it's content, to achieve higher rankings in the search engines." This definition is a bit vague, but put simply it is just that. With regard to SEO, you would make changes to your site based on factors proven to work in the past, so as to rank your site in the search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN for your desired search terms. If you're not familiar with the search engines, or the Internet in general, this can all sound a little confusing at first. It's really a lot more obvious than it sounds. Before you delve into the subtle, yet complex nuances of SEO, let's take a look at some numbers to show you why SEO can be so important to a website's success.

Internet World Stats estimated that 69.5% of the total population of North America makes use of the Internet in one form or another. The people that make up that 69.5% spent $146.4 billion in 2006. This number was an increase from the year prior by 29%, and is expected to rise 19.1% to $174.5 billion in 2007, according to CNNMoney.com. That's a whole lot of money if you ask me (and you're reading this, so you did). So how do these people find the sites they use to spend all that money? Search Engines.

A search engine is an information retrieval program used to provide a list websites when a query is passed. Basically, you can navigate to a search engine online, type in a term you would like to know more about, and the search engine will provide a listing of websites for you to select. You don't even have to use the Internet without hearing about a search engine. I hear the Yahoo! commercials on the radio on the way to work every morning. In some cities, you can see the Ask.com billboards or T.V. commercials boasting "the most powerful algorithm." And there is of course the almighty Google. With all those people online, and all the notoriety of the search engines, it's pretty safe to say that these search engines all see a great deal of traffic from the curious public. But how does SEO come into play?

The Internet did a pretty good job of making information, services, and products more convenient. People love convenience. It's nature. If I go to my favorite search engine, provide a search for that hard-to-find, super expensive antique lamp I can't seem to locate in the "real world," I'm going to likely (and proven time and time again with test after test) look through 2, maybe 3 pages before I give up and refine my search. On the other hand, if I'm the owner of a website that sells said lamp, and my site isn't on the first few pages (most desired would be somewhere in the top of page 1 of any given search engine), then I missed out on that potential sale. Gaining those page one rankings is no easy task though. It takes a lot of work, a little finesse, and a touch of luck.

A lot of the methods used to optimize a website are not an exact science. We SEO's (Search Engine Optimizers) make changes or additions based on past experiences. Much in the same way life in the real world works, things change. So it's important to keep up to date with what's working to rank sites, and what has lost it's effectiveness. So, when something isn't working like it used to, we, and you if you're tackling this task yourself, have to turn a researching eye to catch the element needed. Before we end this introduction to SEO, and you get started on the details of optimization, I would like to leave you with one more thought.

In discussing SEO, we often talk in a fashion that makes it sound like we are attempting to "trick" the search engines. This is not the case. A lot of the "white hat" optimization involves modifying a site so that it is actually worthy of ranking in the search engine's eyes due to it's quality. Though there are some methods that do indeed promise immediate and fantastic results, these methods are almost always in direct violation of a search engine's guidelines. These methods are usually deemed "black hat," and if caught, could get a site banned from the search engine all together. Instead, focus on creating a site for with the user in mind, and make sure that it is optimized to play nice with the search engines. It's a good idea to ask yourself, "would I fully disclose what I am doing to my site to the search engines if they asked?" This will usually keep you safe.

I hope that this gives you an understanding of What SEO is, and how it can help your business' website.

What is SEO and how important is it to my business - To learn more about this author, visit Josh Garner's Website.

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