Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process by which a web site is optimized to be accurately and effectively indexed by search engines.  This can involve many different activities, which are internal and external to the web site.  SEO is also very popular for PR such as press releases so that reporters can find your news releases. What it isn't, contrary to popular belief, is 'tagging and submitting to the search engines'.

Effective search engine optimization involves a number of different things.  And it is important that the various activities are done in concert, to maximize the visibility and ranking of the website content to the search engines.  There are typically 5 components to ethical search engine optimization:

1. keyword research and positioning
2. credible keyword oriented content that is indexed thoroughly
3. web site optimization, including inserting tags and removing indexing barriers
4. hand-submitted submissions to key search engines and directories
5. link popularity and other offsite activities to increase credibility.

Ethical Means Effective 

Trying to fool the search engines, using unethical search optimization techniques, such as cloaking, duplicating websites, link farms, constant submissions etc. can get your website banned.  Good and ethical search engine optimization is a matter of presenting good content to a search engine crawler, in the format that it prefers.

Even though this does not guarantee a high ranking for a web site, the major advantage of search engine optimization over 'pay for placement' is that the traffic is free and higher than for similar pay for click campaigns.  You will also get many more keywords indexed than any pay per click campaign can provide.  An added feature is that natural search results has higher credibility than a pay-per-click result.