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The Basics Of Seo - Some Faqs
By Glenn Murray, Fri Dec 23rd
/p> Search engine optimization (SEO) is a foreign field to a lot ofpeople. Rarely does a day go by when I don't get asked a fewquestions on the subject. So I've decided to post this FAQarticle in the hopes that it will help people understand thebasics, and make them a little more comfortable with the wholedomain.
Q: Why are search engines important to me?
A: 85% of all website traffic is driven by searchengines. The only online activity more popular than search isemail. 79.2% of US users don't go to page 2 of search results.42% of users click on the no.1 result. For the under-40age-group, the Internet will become the most used media in thenext 2-3 years.
Q: How do search engines decide on their rankings?
A: IMPORTANT: You cannot pay a search engine in returnfor a high ranking in the natural results. You can only get ahigh ranking if your content is seen as relevant by the searchengines. Search engines identify relevant content for theirsearch results by sending out 'spiders' or 'robots' which'crawl' (analyze) your site and 'index' (record) its details.Complex algorithms are then employed to determine whether yoursite is useful and should be included in the search engine'ssearch results.
Q: Can't I just pay for a high ranking?
A: No. The biggest concern for search engine companieslike Google and Yahoo is finding content that will bring themmore traffic (and thus more advertising revenue). In otherwords, their results must be relevant. Relevant results makesfor a good search engine; irrelevant results makes for ashort-lived search engine.
Most search engines these days return two types of resultswhenever you click Search: * Natural/Organic - The 'real' search results. Theresults that most users are looking for and which take up mostof the window. For most searches, the search engine displays along list of links to sites with content which is related to theword you searched for. These results are ranked according to howrelevant and important they are. * Paid - Pure advertising. This is how the search enginesmake their money. Advertisers pay the search engines to displaytheir ad whenever someone searches for a word which is relatedto their product or service. These ads look similar to thenatural search results, but are normally labeled "SponsoredLinks", and normally take up a smaller portion of the window.
Q: How do I get a high ranking?
A: There are four main steps:
Step 1 - Use the right words on your website Step 2 - Get lots of relevant sites to link to yours Step 3 - Use the right words in those links Step 4 - Have lots of content on your site & add moreregularly
Q: What is search engine optimization (SEO)?
A: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the art ofcreating a website which is search engine-friendly. This means: * using the right words in your copy * using the right words in your HTML code * structuring your site properly * designing your site properly
For more information on these 4 elements, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook.
Many people use to also describe the other ingredient in ahigh ranking, 'Link Popularity'.
Q: What is link popularity?
A: Think of the search engines as a big election. Allthe websites in the world are candidates. The links to yourwebsite are votes. The more votes (links) a candidate (website)has, the more important it is, and the higher its ranking. Linkpopularity is all about how many links you have, and how you canget more.
Links to your site tell the search engines how important yoursite is. They assume that if it's important enough for a lot ofother sites to link to, it's important enough for them todisplay at the top of the rankings. Links are the single mostimportant factor in ranking. Generally speaking, the more linksyou have to your site from other sites, the better your ranking.
Q: Are some links better than others?
A: Yes! The ideal kind of links are those that: * come from relevant sites (sites which use the same keywords); * come from important sites (have a high ranking); * include your keyword as part of the visible link text; * include varying link text (not the same link text each time);and * come from a page that links to few other sites.
When a search engine sees a link which satisfies most or all ofthese conditions, it says, "Hey, this site must be credible andimportant, because others in the same industry are pointing toit."
Q: How do I get lots of links back to my site?
A: There are many possible ways to generate links. Someare dubious (like auto-generation software, and sites set up bywebmasters simply to host links to their other sites) and Iwon't be discussing them here. Others, like those discussedbelow, are legitimate. * Add your site to DMOZ & Yahoo Directories (and other freedirectories) * Check where your competitors' links are coming from * Article PR - Write and submit articles for Internet publication * Swap links * Partner websites * Pay for links
For more information on these methods, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook.
Q: What do you think is the best way to get lots of links?
A: Article PR. Write helpful articles and let otherwebmasters publish them for free in exchange for a link in thebyline. With article PR, you don't have to pay for the link, youdetermine the content of the page containing the link, youdetermine the link text, and the link is more or less permanent.A single article can be reprinted hundreds of times, and eachtime is another link back to your site!
For more information, read How to Top Google with Article PR or visitwww.ArticlePR.com.
Q: How do I write a good article PR piece?
A: See How to Top Google with Article PR
Q: How do I get a high ranking using free reprint content?
A: See Get
a top 10 ranking without paying acent.
Q: How long does it take to get a high search engine ranking?
A: A long time! It's impossible to say how much timeyou'll need to spend generating links, but you can be sure it'llbe a while no matter which method of link generation you use.You just have to keep at it until you have achieved a highranking. Even then, you'll still need to dedicate some ongoingtime to the task, otherwise your ranking will drop.
Q: What is the Google Sandbox, and is it real?
A: The Google Sandbox theory suggest that wheneverGoogle detects a new website, it withholds its rightful rankingfor a period while it determines whether your site is a genuine,credible, long term site. It does this to discourage thecreation of SPAM websites (sites which serve no useful purposeother than to boost the ranking of some other site).
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting the theory, butthere is also a lot discounting it. No one has categoricallyproven its existence.
Q: What is the Google Dampening Link Filter, and is it real?
A: The Google Dampening Link Filter theory suggests thatif Google detects a sudden increase (i.e. many hundreds orthousands) in the number of links back to your site, it maysandbox them for a period (or in fact penalize you by loweringyour ranking or blacklisting your site altogether).
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting the theory, butthere is also a lot discounting it. No one has categoricallyproven its existence.
Q: What companies should I be wary of?
A: Be wary of companies that promise or guaranteeresults in a given timeframe, especially if they won't expand ontheir methods for generating links back to your site.
Q: What tools can you recommend?
A: There are many very useful tools to help with yourSEO. The following are just selection. All tools are free unlessotherwise indicated. * Backlink checker * Backlinks by IP address * Link Popularity Tool * Number oflinks required to rank * Google Alert * Google Sitemaps * Google Sitemap Generator * GoogleToolbar * Indexed Pages * KeywordAnalysis (Nichebot) * Keyword Analysis (Overture) * KeywordAnalysis (WordTracker - Paid) * Keyword Difficulty * Keyword Identifier * Keyword Density Measurement (Simple) * Keyword Density Measurement (Complex) * Plagiarized Copy Search * TrafficRank * Search Engine Rank * SEOReport * Top 10 sites for a keyword by no of backlinksand age * Top 10 sites for a keyword * Spider Simulator
Q: I'm confused about all the terms used in SEO, can youhelp?
A: See our SEO Glossary.
Q: What is keyword analysis?
A: The first thing you need to do when you begin chasinga good search engine ranking is decide which words you want torank well for. This is called performing a keyword analysis.Keyword analysis involves a bit of research and a good knowledgeof your business and the benefits you offer your customers.
For more information, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook.
Q: Do I need to submit my site to the search engines?
A: Theoretically, no. But I wouldn't risk not doing it -especially as it's free. As soon as you register your domainname, submit it to Google! Even if you haven't built your site,or thought about your content, submit your domain name toGoogle. In fact, even if you haven't fully articulated yourbusiness plan and marketing plan, submit your domain name toGoogle.
For more information, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook.
Q: Should I submit my site to the search engines more thanonce?
A: No need. Although some of the search engines allowyou to do this, there's really no need.
Q: What are directories and should I submit my site to them?
A: Directories are websites (or web pages) which simplylist lots of website and give a quick description of thewebsite. Some are free and some require you to pay for alisting. Free directories are useful because you get a freelink. However, the links aren't worth that much. Paiddirectories can be good if they're relevant, but they can cost alot in the long term, so choose wisely.
One essential directories for any website is the DMOZ OpenDirectory Project. About the author:* Glenn Murray is an SEO copywriter and articlesubmission specialist. He is a director of article PRcompany Article PR and also of copywriting studio DivineWrite.
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