The Importance of Search Engine Optimization
If you use the Internet to run or promote a business, nothing is more important to your success than being listed with the search engines. They are your customer's tool of choice for locating web sites - outranking banner advertising and all other forms of media.
Search engines are also an invaluable tool for reaching your target market. The people visiting your web site as a result of a search engine query are specifically interested in the product or service you provide.
Studies show that comsumers are 5 times more likely to purchase goods or services as a result of finding a site through a search engine listing rather than a banner advertisement. (Source)
Unfortunately, simply being listed with the search engines is not enough to guarantee success. If people have not found what they want on the first or second page of a search result query, they will simply type in a new search phrase. Consequently, competition for position near the top of the search results is fierce.
With that in mind, teaching you how to gain top ranking with the search engines is what this site is all about. In about an hour of your time I'm going to cover the techniques that search optimization specialists use to get professional results.
First, however, there are a few things you should know.
The Magical Formula
Despite some of the claims you may have heard, nobody has a magic formula to guarantee you top ranking with the engines all the time.
All of the search engines are different, and what may work well on one this week, might not work well the next. This can be related to any one of several reasons. New sites may have been added to the index. one of your competitors may have resubmitted with a new blend of 'spider food.' The search engine may have changed it's programming. Or perhaps your site came to the end of it's cycle and was simply dropped.
Additionally, the people who run the search engines don't divulge their secrets. They will only give you a general idea of how they actually rank sites. As a result, the field of search engine optimization is very fluid and dynamic. It is a constant process of hypothesizing, submitting, monitoring, and fine tuning. There are very few absolutes.
The key to successful ranking is in learning to think like a spider. If you can learn what kind of things spiders like, and build your web pages to that standard, you'll quickly be on your way to high ranking.
