SEO: Introduction to SEO

Search Engine Optimization

In its purest form, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), are various processes which when implemented correctly can increase a websites visibility online.

The goal of SEO is to increase a websites position, or pagerank, relative to the keywords a webmaster wishes to target, and to make that website more relevant both in the eyes of search engines and the end-users.

The goal of search engines such as Google and Yahoo is to provide the most relevant content. Google has become successful by being able to provide the most useful information to the searcher. When Google indexes a webpage, pagerank is calculated in order to distinguish between what it deems to be the most relevant content. Pagerank is based on several factors, some of which include keyword proximity, density, syntax, and links.

Because the algorithms used to calculate Pagerank are based on predetermined factors, SEO techniques can be used to increase your visibility online. SEO involves various elements, both onpage and offpage, which are very important for ranking high in search engines. Onpage SEO involves writing unique and relevant content and coding a website in such a manner that it increases the rankings when a search engine indexes your page. This process involves careful manipulation of the layout, Title and Meta tags, and writing optimized content.  Offpage techniques include link building and social media.

Search Engine Optimization includes four basic components which are keywords, website structure and page layout, internal links and anchor text, and web page popularity. When implemented correctly SEO can make a big difference in whether your website is found on the first pages of Google or on the fifty-first.