SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION DEVELOPS QUALIFIED TRAFFIC

Search engine optimization is the careful placement, wording, and analysis of keywords within a Web site, and even the restructuring of a site itself, in order to improve search engine ranking results. Successful optimization will mean more qualified, high-quality traffic to your site, which can result in more sales and greater popularity of your content.

Site operators can optimize by themselves, or outsource to a consultant or a Web hosting company. A consultant or Web host takes on the task of enhancing a site by eliminating potential site design problems; selecting better keywords, title tags, meta-tags and keyword strategies; and by making submissions to search engines.

Site problems include the use of frames, which most search engines are not able to index. In order to increase your ranking, a consultant would change the structure of your site so that it does not include frame or includes the noframes tag, in order to ensure that content is available to the search engine.

Optimizers will also review your site to ensure that dynamic URLs do not contain critical content. Search engines will not index any URL that contains elements such a commas, equal to signs and dollar signs. A consultant will suggest that such links not be submitted to search engines.

Furthermore, a consultant will recommend that Flash animations be integrated carefully into a Web site, as hyperlinks within Flash cannot be indexed. Flash integrated within a proper HTML navigation framework will obtain better ranking results than sites completely built in Flash.

Image maps and Javascript navigation systems also present problems regarding efficient search engine indexation, and would be revamped by most optimization consultants.

The main task that consultants or hosting companies undertake however is the development of specific keywords. To get listed correctly in the search engines, each page of your site needs to be optimized to the best of your ability. Since the keywords you decide to target will be used throughout the optimization process, choosing the right keywords is essential. An optimizer works to develop keywords that would best attract your target audience.

Keywords should be integrated into multiple hyperlinks to increase the site's rank. Consultants and hosts will also work to revamp title tags, so that at least one or two keywords are incorporated. Tag line limits should be restricted to between 40 to 70 characters to ensure better search engine results. Keywords should also be incorporated throughout Web page text flow.

Copywriting should be optimized to include the most relevant keywords and utilize phrases that have been used in meta-tags. Each page of a Web site should contain at least 200 words in order to provide the Web site with a higher search engine ranking. Consultants and hosts will also optimize meta-tags, special hypertext tags specifically developed to help search engines find out important information about your site.

They will also ensure that "alt" tags, or alternative text for images are included throughout the site, since search engines can also capture that information.

Most importantly, however, consultants or hosts will advise you what not to do in order to optimize your site. They will advise against spamming search engines, which involves placing hundreds of hidden keywords within a Web page. Such actions can get your site blacklisted from a search engine.

Consultants normally charge a fee based on the scope of the project and time involved to execute changes. Web hosting companies normally offer a specialized consulting package or software that will prep Web pages orb develop keywords.