Search Engine Optimization - Basics

Most of us have heard that search engine optimization, popularly known as SEO is one of the best ways to drive website traffic. But most of us surprisingly still do not know what SEO means exactly. Let us know these basics of search engine optimization before you would want your website optimized for different search engines.

SEO or search engine optimization is a means by which one can increase the number of people visiting your website. This is done where the different search engines show your website among the search (query) results generated for a specific keyword that the user or the searcher enters.

Search engines normally include algorithms and these algorithms are devised specifically to generate results based on the frequency of appearance of a particular keyword. The search engine crawlers or spiders move through the worldwide web, fishing out for the different websites that satisfy the keyword search and if your website has a generous sprinkling of the required keyword/(s), then your website is said to be 'search engine friendly' or 'search engine optimized' with respect to the keyword.

So one need to make ones respective websites search engine optimized by studying about keywords, the mostly used keywords and need to make sure that the website content (the different web pages) include the hot and the performing keywords. For instance this could be in the headings, in the articles present in a website or even in the links as well. Use the keywords that are relevant for the content whether in the web pages or in the articles and never sprinkle or search engines sake alone.

Additionally, for the website to be indexed in the best search engines, it is always better if your website has a professionally looking design, with of course read worthy and informative content. Spam does not help you at all. Of course, the search engine might show your web site for a while but as soon as your spam gets discovered, the website will be removed from their indexing.

Choose appropriate SEO techniques. White hat technique is always better because it is going to give a website long lasting results than the black hat SEO techniques. A black hat SEO technique is like trapping and cheating a search engine crawler without the website having the credentials.

SEO does have its own drawbacks. It cannot assure you of targeted Traffic although it can help your website get many number of visitors in general.

Also, several of the Internet marketing consultants try and follow deceptive tactics and you need to know these.

You, as a Webmaster, need to know the advantages as well as limitations of SEO and then decide how to use the SEO depending upon your website objectives. Additionally, remember that search engine optimization is not one-stop solution to all drive traffic to your website. It is in fact the website design as well as content that will convert your visitors into sales.