Quick Facts About Search Engine Optimization

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization or SEO is the process of expanding and improving the visibility or market share of a web page or website in search engines via a series of un-paid search results. The ability to generate hits without paying or using a variety of advertising techniques is referred to as generating organic hits. The key principle of SEO is that the user or owner of the website does not pay to generate hits; such a practice is referred to as the broader strategy known as search engine marketing.

In most cases, the earlier or higher on the page a website appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. Search engine optimization may target different forms of search, including image searches, video searches, local searches and industry-specific vertical search engines. Through all of these searches, a website can gain increased presence and visibility through the use of search engine optimization.

As an Internet marketing strategy or philosophy search engine optimization will consider how search engines work and what users search for. Optimizing a web page or a website will typically involve editing the content on the site and HTML and any coding associated to both increase the sites relevance and specific keywords as well as to remove barriers to the indexing activities of the specific search engines in question.

Search engine optimization also requires the owner or operators of the site to promote the webpage to increase the number of backlinks and inbound links. This is another prevalent tactic of search engine optimization and a viable means to increase a site’s presence on the Internet.

Search engine optimization includes a specific sector of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of their clients. Search engine optimizers offer SEO as a stand-alone service or as a portion of a broader marketing campaign. An effective search engine optimization consultant will require changes to the HTML source code of a webpage and the content on the site itself; because of this, SEO tactics are typically incorporated into website design and development.

Another specific class of search engine optimization techniques, referred to as black hat SEO or spamdexing, will use methods such as keyword stuffing and link farms and article spinning that degrade both the relevance of search results and the user-experience of search engines.