Web Site Search Engine Optimization

Learn what web site search engine optimization is and how you can utilize it to rank higher in the search engines.

Optimizing Your Website for the Search Engines - Part 1

What is Search engine optimization you ask?

It is a collective name for activities directly or indirectly aimed at improving a page’s search engine ranking. Some activities of which we I will touch on in this article.

If you take anything from this article, I want you to remember this:

* Make your website usable for your user and remember that content is KING.

Web usability is such a very important issue in ranking high in the search engines. You have to give your users an enjoyable reason to visit your site with easy download times, informative content and simple navigation so they don’t get lost in it. If you do only this, you will rank well in the search engines. Basically, give the user what they want and the search engines will love you in return. That’s the secret! Remember to always “KISS” each website you develop. In other words, Keep It Simple Stupid.

Understanding the differences between Search Engines & Directories:
Search engines rely on spiders often called robots or crawlers to find webpages on the World Wide Web.

Spiders can only find webpages through a link on a webpage they have already visited or by having the URL submitted to them through a form on the search engines website. A good example of a search engine is Google.com

Directories on the other hand rely on human editors whose job it is to find quality links to add to their directories. A good example of a directory is http://www.dmoz.org/

Ok, I said that search engines rely on spiders but what exactly does a spider do?
A spider is a program that actually “crawls” the web looking for websites and web pages. This program starts at a website, loads the pages, and follows the hyperlinks on each page. In this way, the theory goes, everything on the web will eventually be found, as the spider crawls from one website to another.

Saying that, I want you to think about all those companies that offer to submit your website to the search engines for $29.95 per month. If the spiders will eventually find us anyhow, why waste your money?

So how can I get my website found by a spider?
You can either submit it by hand yourself or just have links on other’s websites pointing to your website. Eventually you will be found. I don’t submit any websites now and just rely on the spiders finding them. If you do wish to submit however, you may, although it is no faster than the spider finding you on its own. I want you to note that there is no harm in resubmitting your website to search engines over and over again once you are in it. There is also no gain and it won’t improve your rankings either.

I want to say a few words about submitting to directories:
You must remember that a human editor will be deciding whether or not your website gets into their directory so always read the directions to submit at each directory first before filling out their form. Things that will cause you grief and not get you submitted are:

• Signs that say “under construction”
• Typos
• Broken links
• Missing images
• Poor or no navigation
• Poor or little content

So make sure you read their instructions before you submit to get you in their directory easily and without a hassle.

Saying that, which search engines and directories should I submit to??
Google is a very dominant search engine and if I had to choose only one, this would be the one this month. I say this month because, Microsoft has some new search engine product up their sleeves that is going to supposedly change search engine history, we can only wait. It’s a full time job keeping up with search engine changes. Anyhow, I’ll explain why Google is important to be listed in…

These are the main search engines and the percentage that people use them are:
Google 33% (33 + 24 + 19 = 76%)
Yahoo 24%
Overture
 AOL 19%
 MSN 12%
Inktomi
Looksmart (directory)
 Overture
Misc 12%
Ask Jeeves
 Altavista
 FAST/Alltheweb

Being that Google supplies search engine results to AOL and Yahoo, that would mean it actually supplies 76%, not 33% of search engine results pages. So you want to be in Google.

So now you know a bit more about search engines than you did yesterday. Stay tuned next month to learn about Keyword Analysis and choosing the right keywords for your webpage. If you don’t have your keywords chosen well and incorporated throughout the page of your website through various SEO techniques, you won’t be found in the search engines when it comes time to promote your wares! Make sure you bring along your list of keyword phrases with you...

SEO Keyword Tips (Part 2)

About the Author:
Tawnya Sutherland is a Certified Internet Marketing Specialist and also a Canadian Certified Virtual Assistant. Founder of the VANF Forum for Virtual Assistants and Author of The VAS System, a business start-up system for virtual assistants.