Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization or SEO refers to the art and science of tuning your site so that search engines such as Google bring up your site when a potential visitor enters information into their search engine relevant to your site. For example if you are running a coffee shop in the west Chicago neighborhood of Venice, you would want Google and other search engines to bring your site up whenever a person searches for "Venice Coffee Shop". The closer you are to the top of the first page of search listings
There are good ways to do SEO and there are bad ways. Google and others refer to these different types of techniques as "white hat" (good) seo and "black hat" seo. Black hat (bad) seo practices often produce quick results because they are based on "gaming" the system. SEO companies that promise get you quickly to the "top" of Google or claim to have some "secret"knowledge that will get you quick results are usual signs of black hat SEO. While black hat methods often produce quick results eventually Google and others will recognize what is being done and you will be banned.
Please note this is very different from paid search engine marketing plans like Google Adwords in which companies pay Google to be listed at the top of the search results for certain search words and phrases.
Search engine optimization or SEO refers to the art and science of tuning your site so that search engines such as Google bring up your site when a potential visitor enters information into their search engine relevant to your site. For example if you are running a coffee shop in the west Chicago neighborhood of Venice, you would want Google and other search engines to bring your site up whenever a person searches for "Venice Coffee Shop". The closer you are to the top of the first page of search listings
There are good ways to do SEO and there are bad ways. Google and others refer to these different types of techniques as "white hat" (good) seo and "black hat" seo. Black hat (bad) seo practices often produce quick results because they are based on "gaming" the system. SEO companies that promise get you quickly to the "top" of Google or claim to have some "secret"knowledge that will get you quick results are usual signs of black hat SEO. While black hat methods often produce quick results eventually Google and others will recognize what is being done and you will be banned.
Please note this is very different from paid search engine marketing plans like Google Adwords in which companies pay Google to be listed at the top of the search results for certain search words and phrases.
SEO Done Right
White hat SEO on the other hand is slower, but produces lasting results. In white hat SEO there is no secret knowledge and there are no instant results. SEO takes time and work. Here is a general overview of SEO principles
White hat SEO on the other hand is slower, but produces lasting results. In white hat SEO there is no secret knowledge and there are no instant results. SEO takes time and work. Here is a general overview of SEO principles
Its Mostly About Your Site Content
You can see from this chart the relative importance of the three main areas of SEO
The majority of the work of SEO is done by your content. For content to be SEO friendly means that it should be written is a way that the keywords you are hoping Google will associate with your site are placed in your content. Returning to our coffee shop example if you hope Google brings up your site when people search for "Venice Coffee Shop" these words should appear as often as is natural in your text and headings. But your content should not be "stuffed" with your keywords. Google can see right through this and will not be impressed. Keyword "stuffing is a sign of Black Hat SEO. Search Engines also value the age of your content. The older your content grows but continues to be visited the more "trusted" that content will appear. But at the same time Google values freshness in content. A site that is never updated with new content will eventually appear stale to Google. Balance here is the key. Finally your content must be unique - simply copying and pasting information from other sites will not help you.
You can see from this chart the relative importance of the three main areas of SEO
The majority of the work of SEO is done by your content. For content to be SEO friendly means that it should be written is a way that the keywords you are hoping Google will associate with your site are placed in your content. Returning to our coffee shop example if you hope Google brings up your site when people search for "Venice Coffee Shop" these words should appear as often as is natural in your text and headings. But your content should not be "stuffed" with your keywords. Google can see right through this and will not be impressed. Keyword "stuffing is a sign of Black Hat SEO. Search Engines also value the age of your content. The older your content grows but continues to be visited the more "trusted" that content will appear. But at the same time Google values freshness in content. A site that is never updated with new content will eventually appear stale to Google. Balance here is the key. Finally your content must be unique - simply copying and pasting information from other sites will not help you.
And Its About Who Links To Your Site
The second area of White Hat SEO are External links. This is when another site links to you from their site. But not just any link will benefit you. Google (and other search engines) understand what your site is about. It also understands what the sites linking to your site is all about. Links from sites that have nothing to do with your site are almost worthless. Purposely building links this way is often called "link farming" or "link exchanges" and is a Black Hat SEO method. Finally Google ranks pages by popularity. Links from very popular sites relevant to your sites topic. So what your goal should be is to build a quality set of links from sites relevant to your content and popular in that category. Thinking about our Coffee Shop example links to your shop from a well known coffee review site would be valuable, but a link from a web design blog would not.
The second area of White Hat SEO are External links. This is when another site links to you from their site. But not just any link will benefit you. Google (and other search engines) understand what your site is about. It also understands what the sites linking to your site is all about. Links from sites that have nothing to do with your site are almost worthless. Purposely building links this way is often called "link farming" or "link exchanges" and is a Black Hat SEO method. Finally Google ranks pages by popularity. Links from very popular sites relevant to your sites topic. So what your goal should be is to build a quality set of links from sites relevant to your content and popular in that category. Thinking about our Coffee Shop example links to your shop from a well known coffee review site would be valuable, but a link from a web design blog would not.
Community Community Community
Links from social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook are also valuable. The best way to build links is to have quality content and to actively engage the broader online community around your topic or business. The quality of your links will improve naturally over time and with the quality of your content. Links from popular community sites and business directories are often very useful for SEO as well as getting your site some community publicity. If your business is not l locally focused, links from popular online communities related to your site or business directories is great - and don't forget to add your business to Google Maps!
Links from social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook are also valuable. The best way to build links is to have quality content and to actively engage the broader online community around your topic or business. The quality of your links will improve naturally over time and with the quality of your content. Links from popular community sites and business directories are often very useful for SEO as well as getting your site some community publicity. If your business is not l locally focused, links from popular online communities related to your site or business directories is great - and don't forget to add your business to Google Maps!
Finally Its About Your Website Structure
The final part of White Hat SEO is having a search engine "friendly" site. This is the most straightforward part of SEO and the easiest to accomplish. It consists of:
The final part of White Hat SEO is having a search engine "friendly" site. This is the most straightforward part of SEO and the easiest to accomplish. It consists of:
- A site structure created with well structured, valid, semantic HTML markup that has its visual presentation and behaviors separated from the content and structure. This is critical and is where a web design professional can assist you the most.
- Correctly constructed folder, page names, and unique titles using your keywords where appropriate. While less important today, adding the correct metadata information for each page should also be added.
- Use the correct semantic markup such as heading and strong tags in your content.
- Using both alternative text and text image replacement methods on visual images.
- Correctly structuring links text and titles.
- Google generally "trusts" sites more that have contact information pages with e-mail, telephone and physical business address. Google cross checks this against Google maps and telephone directories to weed out fake addresses and phone numbers.
- Creating a search engine site map and submitting your site to the major search engines and and location or industry specific directories. If your business has a physical location don't forget to add yourself to Google maps when you add yourself to the Google, Yahoo and Bing business directories. Free listings in local and national online phone directories will also provide quality links.
Remember there are no special tricks or secrets.
Great Content + Quality Design + Community Engagement = Search Results.
Great Content + Quality Design + Community Engagement = Search Results.