Search Engine Optimization Defined
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the act of improving the amount and caliber of traffic to a internet website from search engines via “normal” (”organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. Frequently, the earlier a website is presented in the search results, or the higher it “ranks”, the more searchers will visit that website. SEO can also covet different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
As a marketing program for increasing a website’s pertinence, SEO considers how search algorithms work and for what the masses search. SEO efforts may involve a website’s coding, presentation, and structure, as well as fixing problems that could prevent search engine indexing bots from fully spidering a website. Other, more noticeable efforts may include adding unique content to a website, ensuring that content is easily indexed by search engine robots, and making the website more appealing to users. Another class of techniques, known as “Black hat” SEO or spamdexing, use methods such as link farms and keyword stuffing that tend to harm search engine user experience. Search engines look for websites that employ these techniques and may remove their positions from their index.
“SEO” can also refer to “search engine optimizers”, a term adopted by a consortium of advisors who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clientele, and by workers who perform SEO offerings in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer SEO as a stand-alone offering or as a part of a broader marketing initiatiave. Because effective SEO may require changes to the HTML source code of a website, SEO tactics may be incorporated into internet website development and design. The term “search engine friendly” may be used to describe internet website designs, menus, content management systems and shopping carts that are easy to optimize.
