|
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the science of increasing
traffic to your Web site by improving the internal and external
factors influencing ranking in search results. It is a major part of
Internet marketing. It is mostly technical in nature. It includes
Web programming expertise combined with business, persuasion, sales
and a love for competitive puzzle solving. The acronym "SEO" can
also refer to "search engine optimizers," 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 stand-alone
service or as a part of a broader marketing campaign. Because
effective SEO may require changes to the source code of a site, SEO
tactics may be incorporated into web site development and design.
The term "search engine friendly" may be used to describe web site
designs, menus, content management systems, images, videos, shopping
carts, and other elements that have been optimized for the purpose
of search engine exposure.
SEO companies that employ overly aggressive techniques can get
their client websites banned from the search results. In 2005, the
Wall Street Journal reported on a company, Traffic Power, which
allegedly used high-risk techniques and failed to disclose those
risks to its clients.[18] Wired magazine reported that the same
company sued blogger and SEO Aaron Wall for writing about the
ban.[19] Google's Matt Cutts later confirmed that Google did in fact
ban Traffic Power and some of its clients.[20]
Some search engines have also reached out to the SEO industry, and
are frequent sponsors and guests at SEO conferences, chats, and
seminars. In fact, with the advent of paid inclusion, some search
engines now have a vested interest in the health of the optimization
community. Major search engines provide information and guidelines
to help with site optimization.[21][22][23] Google has a Sitemaps
program[24] to help webmasters learn if Google is having any
problems indexing their website and also provides data on Google
traffic to the website. Google guidelines are a list of suggested
practices Google has provided as guidance to webmasters. Yahoo! Site
Explorer provides a way for webmasters to submit URLs, determine how
many pages are in the Yahoo! index and view link information.
|
|
