WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION?
Search engine optimization defined is the ability to make any web site about any topic be changed in such a way as for the changes to get first, second or third page placement in Google, Yahoo or Bing, any combination of the three, or any two of them – including similar results in all minor search engines.
The use of keywords and keyword phrases, neighboring keywords and phrases is the most significant means of enriching content on the web site being optimized. Second to keyword rich content for on-page optimization is link sculpting within the web site being optimized, to include siloing categories of similar subject pages together. Other optimization related to on-site is changes to the .htaccess and robots.txt files.
While keyword rich content is king, inbound links to site pages from outside domains closely related to the same topic as the domain being optimized are recognized as queen of importance. Inbound links provide both added traffic from those who click on them from other domains and when these links are not set up as nofollow links, they also provide link equity which results in increased page rank. In bound link acquisition is most difficult to secure and typically results over time through the natural process of linking to helpful content which proves of value to the linking domain’s site visitors.
Advanced Search Engine Optimization techniques include, but are not limited to e-mail address submission forms that offer visitors a thing of value to them such as a monthly newsletter. Such optimization requires the addition of at lest one page per month on the web site known as a landing page that contains a newsletter with useful information, training tips (a video or PDF) and an offer. Client estimate forms or consultation forms are another means of gaining email addresses, telephone numbers and actual physical addresses. Advanced Search Engine Optimization also includes page element arrangement in such a way as to unclutter and simplify the site to make it as unconfusing as possible where every element is there to funnel visitors towards taking specific actions sequentially in such a way that changes to the site are analyzed monthly for achieving a higher overall monthly conversion rate. Search Engine optimization is not about black hat cloaking techniques to fool the search engines into delivering more traffic to a site. Optimization is not about keyword stuffing or using more flash and prettier graphics. While Pay Per Click can also be optimized in much the same way web site optimization is done, Pay Per Click is not search engine optimization. This is because Pay Per Click optimization is effective only when the search engines are being paid, and immediately stops once the search engines are not receiving money for the ads. Organic search engine optimization results are long lasting and cumulative.
Organic search engine optimization results are cumulative because as time goes by and a site ranks well on each page for a single search term, additional terms can be added to increase traffic by expanding the scope and breadth of meaning on each page to secure more traffic for additional terms. The work is not lost as it is with Pay Per Click.
MY POSITION ON SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION:
I only perform white hat search engine optimization using legally permissible techniques, software, services and enlist the services of expert associates who are similarly so ethically inclined. Thoroughness and exact work, triple and quadruple checked and periodically re-checked is how I make your site as optimized as possible given the resources available on your site to work with, plus the additional resources and content which are provided to me and optimized by me.
Where linking partners present themselves as available attempts are made to chreate a profitable linking strategy, in some cases affiliate linking (using racking code in the links) may be arranged to earn you a commission from those sites to which your own site links, and links from other sites to your own site are secured wherever the site owner is convinced that your site contains resources that the other site owner or webmaster deems will be of value to that site’s visitors. No purchased links (outside of clearly labeled paid advertising links with nofollow attributes) will ever be arranged by me or any of my associates. Such links are easily discoverable and will result in site banning by Google from their search engine results pages.
I also take the position that a site that does not earn a business, more money, more email addresses, more consultations, more telephone calls, more physical visits to the retail location and / or more positive measurable benefits than the cost of the optimization is not being provided enough optimization or proper optimization.
CONCLUSION:
Larger businesses and industries typically spend one hundred thousand dollars per year and more on web site design, rich content creation, maintenance, public relations, press release promotion, email campaigns, and search engine optimization. Due to small business budget restrictions and much smaller sites my recommendation is to budget the most work for on-site optimization techniques. To obtain more links I recommend approaching personal friends and family members who have web sites, as well as friends and closer associates who own businesses with web sites. I also recommend becoming socially active on the internet by signing up for local discussion forum sites and most particularly blogs. Blog posts should not be faked, but should be real opinions but since they should be up-beat and supportive of the position held by the blog owner, avoid commenting on blogs that you don’t like. The name you use to post a blog comment is clickable, so you should use a real name or your DBA / corporation name. Others replying to the same blog posts will click on your name and be brought to your web site. While these blog links are typically nofollow links (they do not provide your site with any link equity or “link juice” to enhance your site ranking) they will provide you with more people who are familiar with your site. They may also provide you with new clients through the results provided in search engine return pages.
While on-page and on-site optimization and analytics are most recommended to businesses with budgets limited to one or two thousand dollars, gaining outside links set up the right way pointing to your web site is also very important.
Additionally I recommend that new content and additional pages be added to your web site over time on a regularly scheduled basis, and that those pages be positioned by a professional search engine optimizer so as to enhance the optimization which has already been performed and so as to prevent someone who is not optimization skilled from breaking the optimization work that is in place.
