Search Engine Optimization – What is it?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website to improve its ranking and results location by online search engines. SEO is a key component to successful Internet Marketing platforms like IgnitionWeb.
Why is SEO important?
Approximately 80% of every website’s external referrers (where websites are accessed from) are from search engines, and Google is by far the most important.
Keywords
SEO is done for specific keywords that users submit to search engines when looking for information on the Internet. In order for a website to have the best chance of being located, keywords need to be chosen carefully and then SEO techniques applied using these keywords. Selecting the best keywords is the first step in the SEO process, and then comes the optimization for the selected keywords. Keywords should be selected very carefully; they should aim at the "golden middle" meaning that the keywords should be popular amongst Internet users, but there should not be numerous other sites competing for them.
“Allowed” SEO
“Allowed” SEO (a.k.a. white hat SEO) are SEO techniques that are accepted by search engines. Other SEO techniques, for example using hidden text to cheat search engines, contain the risk that the search engine spider (a computer program that locates information for the search engine) will catch them and ban the site from its database. “SE spam” refers to the overuse of SEO techniques and if caught, results in penalties such as exile from the search engine. Techniques, such as the Search Engine spam and the use of hidden texts are examples of the so called "black hat SEO" and should be avoided.
Forms of SEO
Search engines constantly change their algorithms in order to serve their customers with the best and most relevant search results. That’s why SEO techniques follow these changes and change accordingly. There were techniques in the past that don’t work anymore, like using meta keywords, meta description, etc.
Today the following techniques are considered “allowed SEO”:
1. Use of keywords in page’s title, headings, body, preferably once in bold and once in italics.
2. Use of keywords on images’ ALT tags and hyperlinks’ TITLE tags.
3. Having as many pages linking to the page being optimized as possible. These referrers are preferably relevant to the content and contain the same keywords.
4. Linking to similar pages. Incoming and outgoing links form your website's neighbourhood – something that is of great importance to search engines.
5. Use of keywords in the URLs of the pages.
This article was created by High-Touch Communications, creators of IgnitionWeb, the easy-to-use Internet Marketing Platform. If you would like to read more articles like these, please visit www.ignitionweb.com.
Do you have something to add to this article? Have another idea relating to best practices in Web Content and Communication Management? Send an email to press@ignitionweb.com. If selected, we will post your article along with your name on www.ignitionweb.com.
Approximately 80% of every website’s external referrers (where websites are accessed from) are from search engines, and Google is by far the most important.
Keywords
SEO is done for specific keywords that users submit to search engines when looking for information on the Internet. In order for a website to have the best chance of being located, keywords need to be chosen carefully and then SEO techniques applied using these keywords. Selecting the best keywords is the first step in the SEO process, and then comes the optimization for the selected keywords. Keywords should be selected very carefully; they should aim at the "golden middle" meaning that the keywords should be popular amongst Internet users, but there should not be numerous other sites competing for them.
“Allowed” SEO
“Allowed” SEO (a.k.a. white hat SEO) are SEO techniques that are accepted by search engines. Other SEO techniques, for example using hidden text to cheat search engines, contain the risk that the search engine spider (a computer program that locates information for the search engine) will catch them and ban the site from its database. “SE spam” refers to the overuse of SEO techniques and if caught, results in penalties such as exile from the search engine. Techniques, such as the Search Engine spam and the use of hidden texts are examples of the so called "black hat SEO" and should be avoided.
Forms of SEO
Search engines constantly change their algorithms in order to serve their customers with the best and most relevant search results. That’s why SEO techniques follow these changes and change accordingly. There were techniques in the past that don’t work anymore, like using meta keywords, meta description, etc.
Today the following techniques are considered “allowed SEO”:
1. Use of keywords in page’s title, headings, body, preferably once in bold and once in italics.
2. Use of keywords on images’ ALT tags and hyperlinks’ TITLE tags.
3. Having as many pages linking to the page being optimized as possible. These referrers are preferably relevant to the content and contain the same keywords.
4. Linking to similar pages. Incoming and outgoing links form your website's neighbourhood – something that is of great importance to search engines.
5. Use of keywords in the URLs of the pages.
This article was created by High-Touch Communications, creators of IgnitionWeb, the easy-to-use Internet Marketing Platform. If you would like to read more articles like these, please visit www.ignitionweb.com.
Do you have something to add to this article? Have another idea relating to best practices in Web Content and Communication Management? Send an email to press@ignitionweb.com. If selected, we will post your article along with your name on www.ignitionweb.com.
