What is search engine optimisation?
Most search engines display several kinds of listings on their results pages, including:
- pay-per-click advertisements
- paid inclusion listings
- actual search results.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process or method used to increase the chance of your site being listed at (or near) the top of the actual search results listing – i.e. SEO is used to improve the search engine ranking for your web site.
SEO also helps users quickly find the information they are looking for and can increase the quality of the visitors to your web site – high quality visitors are those that follow through and purchase your product or sign up for your service.
Most modern search engines are what is known as ‘organic’ search engines – they rank a web page based on hundreds of different but interrelated factors. Therefore, there is no set equation/recipe for optimising a given web site. SEO is becoming more of an art as the search engines continue to modify and improve the algorithms they use to rank pages. However, the best guideline to follow is to ensure the content of your web site is kept up-to-date and relevant – this is what the users of your site want and it is what the search engines are looking for.
Since search engines index and catalogue the text on a web page, many of the methods used to make web sites more accessible are also good for SEO.
Do not be tempted to employ a ‘black hat’ or ‘spamming’ approach to SEO – it might get good results in the short term but this will not last – search engines are likely to take action against any web site discovered to be using unethical SEO methods. For example: in February 2006, Google removed both BMW Germany and Ricoh Germany from its search listings (see ramping up on international webspam for more information).
If you would like more information about SEO, or help with optimising your own web site, please contact m’khala.