SEO - More of an Art Than a Science

Search engine optimization (SEO) can help a website or business increase internet traffic when properly applied. However, it is impossible for any SEO professional to guarantee positive results because the algorithms used by the search engines are carefully kept secrets and always changing.

To determine a website's rankings, search engines analyze on-page content and the amount of links from other domains that point to the web page. However, not all links are created equally and each search engine uses different techniques to value how the backlink affects overall search position. Search engines consider the text inside of the link itself, compare this data to the information provided on the destination page, and then the engine considers the authority of the site giving the link. To thwart spammers and prevent bots from dominating the results, some domains have been devalued and there is even some hint that multiple links from the same domain tend to reduce the value of each individual link.

Many SEOs and online marketers use Google's page rank metric as a value of a site's optimization level, but even high page rank sites may not rank well for keywords that drive traffic and sales. A good SEO process must involve keyword analysis - and part of this is thinking like a potential customer and making some guesses about exactly what people are looking for. Content must be created to match these keywords, but it needs to expand on the topics at hand without becoming redundant. A truly successful campaign will also take inventory of the audience available at each marketing outlet - and the best content will creatively capture the attention of the target audience and with some luck turn into a viral campaign.

While the general concept of combining links and content may seem like a repeatable formula, it is really the subtle details that make the difference between a major success and a stale campaign with small growth. Experience, creativity, and curiosity are the true elements necessary for SEO success.



More SEO articles are available at WebsiteBuilding.biz. If you're looking to hire an SEO to work on your website's search engine rankings, contact John at Jacksonville SEO.




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