Search Engine Optimization - SEO Explained
Dallas SEO Firm - Website Promotion - DFW Search Engine Optimization Company
Search engine optimization (SEO), also called Search Engine Marketing (SEM), is the process of building your web site to achieve high rankings in search engine results. Search is now the number one way people find products and services online and off. Ranking on the first page of search results for your top keywords can mean more business for you with less effort.
Not every Web site is search engine friendly. In fact, some of the most fancy, pricey web sites online are invisible to search engines. Search engine optimization starts before you choose your domain name. It may be tempting to build a site you like first, then think about search engine optimization later--but that can lead to wasted money. You must consider the search engine optimization from day one if you are really serious about getting to the top of Google, Yahoo, MSN and the other popular search engines.
Search engine optimization takes an investment in terms of time, effort and money. It's not a way to "get rich quick," but rather a solid business-building technique that gets more and more effective as time passes. It's not something you do one day and forget about the next. Your web site can replace all other advertising venues that you are currently using, and generate more qualified leads for your business than any yellow page ad ever could.
Factors Contributing to SEO & High Search Rankings
There are over a hundred factors contributing to the search engine optimization of a web site. The overall theme is this: Make your web site welcoming to search engine "crawlers." Then, by providing a steady diet of relevant web content, keep those crawlers coming back for more info.
The Battle Between Humans and Computers
Build your web site in a language that search engines understand: pure text. Steer clear of fancy, slow-loading technology that search engines can't read such as heavy Javascript, Flash or animation. Keep it simple, light and irresistible to search engine spiders.
Human web site visitors and search engine web site visitors don't always have the same taste. Some human visitors like to see flashy animation and artsy graphics. Crawlers can't digest those things. Search engines comb your site (if you're lucky) looking for text. T-E-X-T. They want to satisfy the human searchers who type TEXT into the search engine query box. Wise is the small business web marketing professional who creates web sites that are palatable for search engines and humans alike.
Search Engine Optimization Effect on Web Design
A web site designed to be a lead generating tool via search engine optimization is entirely different structurally from the average web site created by the typical artistic graphic design expert. Since search engines read pages in particular ways, it becomes necessary to sacrifice some design elements in favor of having a site that people can find because it's structure is search engine friendly. You will note that the top ranked web sites are not always the most beautiful, but often are most packed with valuable information. The key is creating a web site that is effective and search engine friendly at the same time.
National, International and Local Search Engine Optimization
Depending upon your market range, you may choose to optimize your web site worldwide, nationwide, statewide or city-wide. Generally, sought after national search terms are more competitive, while winning the search engine battle locally is much easier. It all depends, of course, on the web savvy nature of your genre and the popularity of the product.
Why Optimize Your Web site? Why Not Just Pay Per Click?
The question comes to bare that perhaps it is better to simply pay for placement on the major search results. Granted, this is an option for getting to the top of the search engines quickly. Studies show, however, that most searchers disregard pay-per-click advertisements and prefer instead to click on the non-sponsored search engine results. It seems most find the non-sponsored results to be less reliable than their counterparts. It is best to show up in both places. Exposure is doubled, and your chances for being clicked are multiplied.
Guaranteed Search Engine Optimization
It is impossible for any search engine optimization firm to guarantee the results of it's search ranking services. The success of various search engine optimization techniques depends on myriad underlying factors including:
- Your competitors' SEO Strategies;
- Your willingness to make investments that are sure to increase your site's exposure;
- The search engine algorithms of the hour;
- The level of communication you give your SEO Specialist regarding your market, your competitors and your products or services;
- The amount of follow-up and maintenance you choose after the initial search engine optimization strategies are set in motionl
- Your risk tolerance level and subsequent faith in the internet as a marketing tool.
The conclusion? No matter how savvy your search engine optimization specialist, your role plays a major factor in the Search Engine Optimization of your web site.
