subject: Visibility of a website: SEO [print this page] Visibility of a website: SEO Visibility of a website: SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search. Other forms of search engine marketing (SEM) target paid listings.
SEO may target different kinds of search, including image, local, video, news and industry-specific vertical search engines. This gives a website web presence.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work, what people search for, the actual search terms typed into search engines and which search engines are preferred by their targeted audience.
Optimizing a website may involve editing its content and Html and associated coding to specific keywords and to remove barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.
SEO is a term adopted by an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO services in house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a standalone service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require changes to the Html source code of a site and site content, SEO tactics may be incorporated into website development and design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe website designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, shopping carts, and other elements that have been optimized for the purpose of search engine exposure.
Another class of techniques uses methods such as link farms, keyword stuffing and article spinning that degrade both the relevance of search results and the quality of user-experience with search engines. Search engines look for sites that employ these techniques in order to remove them from their indices.
SEO is not necessarily an appropriate strategy for every website, and other Internet marketing strategies can be much more effective, depending on the site operator's goals. This includes paid search advertising which has its own version of SEO called ATO (Ad Text Optimization).
SEO may generate a return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic, their algorithms change, and there are no guarantees of continued referrals. Due to this lack of guarantees and certainty, a business that relies heavily on search engine traffic can suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending visitors.
