“After reading this article, I couldn’t think of a better way to explain SEO”

-Editor

The fact is every search engine has a different formula to accord ranking for a Web page. Keyword-rich copy that the search engines favor may not ideally form the text -especially not on the front page! Using flash animation and of graphics may make the site appealing, but as the search engines can not index these well, one has to inevitably use gateway pages.

Some business owners may argue that their sites need to be one up on the others and would want liberal use of flash animation and lots of graphics, They may be somewhat disinclined to change this attitude just to satisfy the search engines.

There are many web developers who burn the midnight oil examining search engine results and trying to figure out each search engine’s methodology or algorithm for high rankings. As a matter of fact, there have been scores of software programs written over the years to unravel the algorithms to generate high-ranking pages for each engine. The problem is like a musical chair – by the time you arrive at a formula for an algorithm, the algorithm will change and the new algorithm must be cracked again. It is best this type of time-consuming method is avoided.

Notwithstanding the fact that search engines have slightly different algorithms which they keep changing, all search engines accord priority to the same set of things that real visitors look for in a Web site.

You do not need any technical expertise to know what parameters are needed for SEO. Sheer commonsense should suffice. What all search engines will uniformly expect in web pages are – an easy neatly coded design, an imaginative straightforward navigation, crisp yet well drafted copy, titles / meta tags that facilitate easy identification of relevant keyword and phrases and links that exactly describe what can be found at the site.

Writing Keyword-rich content does not necessarily mean one has to compromise on providing correct and appropriate information to the visitor. Good content can be written in a way that will fully drive home the benefits to the user while suitably utilizing keyword phrases. It may be seemingly difficult but possible by a competent content writer. The advice is to engage a professional content writer and not somebody obsessed with SEO.

It is once again an act born of common sense. Web with skillfully written keyword rich content have the potential to achieve high rankings for many years regardless of search engines changing algorithms. Still more importantly, they will also be a runaway success with the site visitors.

Most web developers are excessively fond of flash animation and graphics and willing to even forego appropriate content. Clients who want high rankings and lots of traffic also refuse to forfeit the avoidable graphics and flash animation. Now, it is to an extent true that some search engines have started reading the content of flash files.

A flash presentation on a site may appear exciting the first couple of times one views it, but thereafter it will be irksome when the visitor is not able to get the precise information he or she wants. And Why not have your cake and eat it too? – By using permissible amounts of flash in select places along with justifiable content. At the end of the day, most people are looking for exact information on the types of products or services in concise language, preferably on the main page of the site. Let us not forget that is exactly what the search engines also want to provide higher rankings.

The heartening fact is, as the Web matures, more and more business site owners are realizing that their fanciful sites do not fetch much traffic as the competitor’s site that provides strictly business information bereft of all ostentation. Thus there is the new trend of creating a couple of additional sites purely for SEO purposes.

It is said, and rightly too, that the single most important part of optimizing a site and getting it rank well in the search engines is content. Write a new page of content for your site at regular intervals and your website will climb the ranks. With irrelevant or inadequate content, the website will soon become a disaster whatever its other merits.

Of course, content need not be mistaken for pages of mere text. It may include a shopping cart filled with products and product descriptions as also downloadable gadgets and gimmicks. There are some imaginative developers who add jokes, anecdotes, and stories of success associated with their products. As long the written material is relevant to one’s business, website can legitimately aspire for better rankings.

Guided by commonsense, let us take following steps for higher rankings by search engines:

Provide simple straightforward and easily comprehensible information.

* Avoid too many technical jargons as it is not the place to display one’s expertise but to remain user-friendly.

* Try not to employ some clever tricks. Search engines are any day smarter than you. The whole effort will prove counter-productive as the search engines may even penalize you for these antics.

Make the URL for the site clear and relevant and acceptable to crawlers

Put yourself into the shoes of a random visitor and ask the question – is this page well-structured and offers me right and adequate information about what I am seeking?

* Reliability of information is of paramount importance. You will have an easier time ranking highly if your site offers established and trustworthy information ant the content is devoid of too many hollow superlatives.

There is no denying that it takes time to achieve SEO. Much of SEO is based on other sites that link back to your page, but then you have no direct control over that aspect. All you can do is to focus on what you have control over, which is making your page as compelling as possible.

About the Author: Search Engine Genie is a Leading SEO Company and SEO Consulting Services to its US, Canada, and UK clients.Search Engine Genie is a Great resource with 75 plus Free webmaster tools, forums, SEO Articles, SEO Blog and more. Contact us at support@searchenginegenie.com (or) Call us at 1-714-516-8845.

Guest Author

Daniel Dare

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I know for a fact what has happened and why it is so much harder to succeed on Google now days, and I can almost guarantee some of the things that were said at Google. I bet several executives and employees of Google said “How can we make sure that all the web sites appearing in our results are valuable resources?”. Which makes complete sense because without valuable results in their search engines; they lose their stance as the best search engine on the internet. I also bet someone came up with a simple, yet, extremely bright idea and said something like this “Why don’t we just change the algorithm so that it takes true hard work; or true popularity for people to get to the top of our search engine?”, or something of that nature.

In essence Google saw blasted all over every Search Engine Optimization Blog world a new fad called link building; and that people were exchanging links left and right, which in all reality was creating illegitimate links (because there was no genuine interest in the web site thru this link to begin with). So I can only (once more) assume they talked to one another and said, “We should give very little value to links where web sites exchanged links in both directions”.

Then another issue that had to arise during this algorithm change was Google needed to make sure they could not be thwarted by all SEO gurus, and they did something else to help perpetuate that. In order for your hundreds of links you obtain to be most effective, your links must have unique hypertext or surrounding text to have high quality value. For example, if someone had the exact same link to their web site posted on 1,000 web sites saying “click here for quality dog food”; This would easily alert Google that this site does not have actual quality inbound links, and that someone either manually or automatically posted the same link to every related site they could find. Common sense of most every webmaster would tell them to post the a link over and over to as many place related web sites, but many didn’t consider the need for unique hypertext and descriptions to the web site. Therefore; once again, I can assume that Google decided the more unique the hypertext wording; the higher the chance that the link is authentic.

Another issue that arises is that many webmasters will create a web site that does not have any content change at all. You can have tons of great links, but I am positive that Google admires sites with fresh content. You need to update your site every few months (at least) and tweak some things regularly; you should also always add new fresh content.

Others have also realized that Google does value web sites that have been on the internet for extended periods of time. So if you are starting a new web site you need to be able to trench down for a long fight, however the rewards are great to the person that doesn’t falter and is persistent until the end.

Google isn’t prejudice, if you had as many unique links to your web site as yahoo.com Google would value you as an equal resource. Know that you are just another search optimizer against hundreds of thousands of others. How will you set yourself apart?

So to recap, Google decided that they needed to make sure that your web site is legitimately linked to. Unfortunately there are only a few ways to do that, and guarantee it withstands the tests of time. Here are some of my own personal ideas:

It comes down to the simple fact that now days in order to make sure you secure a long lasting high search engine ranking, you have to actually create content that markets itself. Also you must create enough interest in your web site that people are willing to take enough time to link to you without expecting a link back. All that said, here are my ideas that will help you to gain long lasting valuable links to your web site which will help make sure your long term search optimization goals are worth while.

Let’s start by getting our web site listed in to directories related to your topic; however don’t use the same title and description for each posting – constantly switch it up. Something I do personally in my spare time to help my site is go on other peoples blog’s talking about a subject that your web site is similar to and write genuine posts with your link attached. Don’t just flood their web site with links, you won’t get far and your posts will not be accepted. Publishing of articles online is great; be creative – that is what will set you apart. You can also host or sponsor events that will be talked about online. Offer incentives for people in your field to link to you, freebies, services, etc.

I tell you the absolute truth, whoever has a good work ethic and more creative bone in their body will succeed. This is because you will always have to find ways to create a constant flow of links to your web site without trying to manipulate a search engines perspective. Hard work is the easiest way to beat everyone else. Here is a quote I love from an unknown author: Some People Dream Of Success While Others Wake Up And Work Hard At It.

Guest Author

Joel McLaughlin http://www.dataflurry.com
I am a 23 year old search optimization specialist from Phoenix Arizona. I also enjoy web design and some programming on the side.