Search Engine Optimization - SEO Basics

In order to make use of SEO, you need to understand it better. And in order to do that, you need to know a few basic terms commonly used in SEO.

Search engines - a program designed to search for information on the World Wide Web

World Wide Web - an application running on the internet which consists of interconnected documents and other information resources

Internet - a series of interconnected computer networks that contains the World Wide Web

Confusing? To simplify, a group of computers connected to each other comprises a computer network. These computer networks when connected globally, becomes the internet. The World Wide Web on the other hand is the application running on these interconnected computer networks. Contained on this application is a vast resource of documents and information. Because of the huge amount of information contained in the web, search engines were created to make searching and retrieving for information easier.

But how do search engines actually work? How can it retrieve specific information from a resource as vast the World Wide Web, estimated to contain 21.28 billion pages as of this writing?

To understand better, we need to know the following:

Web Crawling - web crawling is done by a computer program called a web crawler which goes through the World Wide Web methodically and automatically. Other names given to web crawlers are: spiders, robots (bots), automatic indexers, ants, and worms. Think of web crawling as systematically reading through everything stored in the web.

Indexing - once a page in the web is crawled by spiders, it will be indexed and data collected and parsed from that page is stored in an index database.

Search Query - this is what users enter into search engines' search box to search for certain information

Search engines typically work in this manner. The World Wide Web is crawled, indexed, and the data collected stored in a database. Then, when users enter a query into the search engine, the engine would search its index for web pages that best matches the search criteria provided by the user. It then provides a listing of these matches, known as the search results. Search results provided contain a short summary of the page, the document's title, and some part of the document's text.

A search engine's reliability and authority depends on its ability to give the user results which is relevant to the user's search or query. A business' online visibility and profitability on the other hand depends on ranking high on search results. SEO works on both ends of the field. Making web pages appear on relevant searches, and making those web pages rank high in search engines. Search engines rank web pages differently, varying from one engine to another. While all search engines' algorithms are kept secret (to curb attempts to manipulate it), there are some standards all search engines stick to when ranking web pages according to its relevance on a given topic, keyword, or search query.

The role of SEO in increasing online profits

As mentioned in the first article, SEO does and is capable of increasing online profits. SEO, when used correctly, can and will bring more traffic to a website. As discussed earlier, SEO is just another form of advertising, albeit one that isn't intrusive, and works in reverse of most targeted advertising. Since SEO is just another form of advertising, it will of course net results that all advertising gives; which is to bring in more customers or potential customers.

While an increase in traffic means the consuming public is now aware of your site's existence, that doesn't automatically translate into immediate profit. Remember that hooking audiences in is just part of the sales process. You still need to convert those visitors into paying customers or consumers of your product or services. However, as a rule of thumb, attracting more visitors to your website will of course mean a larger number of possible customers. And this is exactly the role that SEO performs - to bring more traffic to your site.

Starting SEO from scratch

To start with your website's optimization, you first need to identify the most common keywords being used by searchers to look for products and services related to your business.

For example, as a furniture seller, you will need to identify what keywords searchers use to look for products and services related to furniture. A search in Google will turn up the following keywords most commonly used for searches with the word "furniture."

bedroom furniture, home furniture, modern furniture, office furniture, furniture design wood furniture, indian furniture, ikea.

A search in Yahoo on the other hand will turn up the following keywords:

ashley furniture, furniture stores, value city furniture, office furniture, ikea furniture, bedroom furniture, patio furniture, thomasville furniture, wickes furniture, bassett furniture.

Now, let's say your store's name is Furniture World and your website address: furnitureworld.com

In addition to conducting keyword research for the word "furniture," you will also have to conduct a separate keyword research for the words "furniture world" as well as the derivation furnitureworld. Also, in order to make your website copy rank higher in search engines and also be more readable for visitors, you will want to conduct keyword research on words related or similar to "furniture." A look into a thesaurus will net you these words as synonyms to the word "furniture."

appliance, bed, bookcase, cabinet, chair, chest, couch, counter, cupboard, desk, dresser, equipment, furnishing, sofa, stool, table, wardrobe

So, aside from your website copy containing keywords or key phrases with the word "furniture," you will also need to insert an occasional synonym for furniture. This is to avoid keyword stuffing, which as will be mentioned later on, is heavily frowned upon by most search engine algorithms, and will most likely result in your website getting banned or being stricken from a search engine's index.

Once you have determined which exact keywords and phrases are heavily used for "furniture" searches, you can start altering your website copy so that it contains those keywords or key phrases you have identified.



Ivan Franich is currently participating in a SEO contest MMA Pound for Pound [http://mmapound.org/mma-pound-for-pound/]




Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ivan_Franich