The basics of SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a foreign process to many people. Rarely a day passes when I do not get asked questions on the topic. So I decided to publish this article in the FAQ hopes it will help people to understand the basics, and make them a little more comfortable with the whole area.
Q: Why Search Engine important to me?
A: 85% of all website traffic is driven by search engines. The only online activity more popular than research is messaging services. 79.2% of American users do not go to page 2 of the results. 42% of users click on the no.1 result. For the under-40s, the Internet will become the most used media in the next 2-3 years.
Q: How do search engines decide their ranking?
A: You can not pay a search engine in exchange for a high ranking in the natural results. You can get a high if your content is deemed relevant by the search engines. The search engines identify content for their search results by sending spiders robots exploration (analysis) and index your site details. Complex algorithms are then used to determine if your site is useful and should be included in the search engines search results.
Q: Can I simply not pay for a result?
A: No. The biggest concern for companies like Google and Yahoo is to find the content that will bring them more traffic (and thus more advertising revenue). In other words, their results must be relevant. Irrelevant results allow for short-lived search engines.
Most search engines these days have two kinds of results, whenever you click Search:
> Natural / Organic is the real search results. Results that most users are looking for and which form the largest part of the window. For most searches, the search engine displays a long list of links to sites with content that is related to the word you searched. These results are ranked according to their relevance and importance.
> Pure Paid advertising. This is how search engines make their money. Advertisers pay the search engines to display their ad whenever someone is looking for a word that is related to their product or service. These ads are similar to that of search results, but are usually labeled Sponsored and normally take a small portion of the window.
Q: How can I get a good ranking?
A: You will need very good SEO consultants. There are four stages:
Step 1 – Use the right words on your site
Step 2 – Get lots of relevant sites to link to yours
Step 3 – Use the right words in these links
Step 4 – Have a lot of content and update regularly
Q: What is search engine optimisation (SEO)?
A: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art of creating a web site that is search engine friendly. That means:
1. using the right words in your copy
2. using the right words in your HTML
3. structuring your site correctly
4. design your site
Q: What is the link popularity?
A: Think of the search engines as a big election. All sites in the world are candidates. The backlinks are votes. The more votes (links) a candidate (website) has, the more important it is, the higher its ranking. Link popularity is all about the number of links you have, and how you can get more.
Links to your site tell search engines how important your site is. They assume that if it is important enough to many other sites to link to it is important enough for them to appear at the top of the ranking. Links are the most important factor in the ranking. In general, the more you link to your site from other sites, the higher your ranking.
Q: Are there any links better than others?
A: Yes!
1. Links from relevant sites (sites that use the same keywords);
2. Links from important sites (have a good ranking);
3. Links which include your keyword within the text link;
4. Links which include various link text (not the same link text each time), and
5. Links which come from a page that contains links to several other sites.
When a search engine sees a link that meets most or all of these conditions, it says, hey, this site must be credible and important, because others in the same sector are pointing towards it.
Q: How long does it take to get a high rank in search engines?
A: It is impossible to say how long you will need to spend generating links, but you can be sure it will be a while, whatever the method you are using. You just have to keep at it until you have achieved a high ranking. Even then, you will still have to devote some time to the task, otherwise your ranking declines.
Q: What is keyword analysis?
A: The first thing you need to do when you begin go after a good search engine ranking is decide which words you want to rank well. This is called conducting a keyword analysis. The keyword analysis involves a bit of research and a good understanding of your business and the benefits you offer your customers.
Q: Should I submit my site to search engines?
A: Theoretically, no. But I do not want to risk saying not to do so – especially since it’s free. As soon as you register your domain name, submit it to Google! Even if you haven’t built your site, or thought about your content, submit your domain name to Google. In fact, even if you have not fully articulated your business plan and marketing plan, submit your domain name to Google.
Q: Should I submit my site to search engines more than once?
A: No need. Although some search engines let you do this, there is really no need.
Q: What are the directories and do I submit my site to them?
A: Directories are sites (or Web pages), which lists sites and give a brief description of the site. Some are free and some require you to pay for an ad. Free directories are useful because you get a free link. However, the links are not worth much. Paid directories can be good if they are relevant, but can be expensive in the long run, so choose carefully.