by Jennifer Brant

Designing and developing a marketable website is the beginning of the internet marketing battle against competitors.  In today’s business environment, a website is not only expected for every entity, it is a necessity to compete within an industry.  So what resources do online marketers have to set themselves apart from website competition?  The answer lies in search engine optimization.  With the implementation of advanced SEO, an organization will see a noticeable difference in return on investment.  By taking your website to the next level, you will move beyond merely having a presence on the web to utilizing that presence to convert visitors into customers.

It is not just about traffic, but about the right traffic.

Getting visitors to your site is one thing, but what is more important is attracting the visitors that you may actually become customers.  Having just visitors to your website is not necessarily a bad thing- exposure is exposure.  But, if you are capable of attracting the right people to your website, you have a higher likelihood of enticing them with your product or services.  If someone is searching for your particular product or service, you want your website to appear on the first page of search engine results.  Search Engine Optimization can help you stimulate the right traffic for your website.

Search Engine Optimization, the basics

Search engines are a mechanism used to help people filter through the exchange of information on the web to find what they are looking for.  In examining the process of how this is accomplished, search engines can be broken into two components:  input and output.

Input: The keyword factor

Search engines utilize programs that search the web for keywords that correspond with the words entered by an individual.  The first step in search engine optimization is to ask, what words would a qualifying customer enter in a search engine to find your business?  More specifically, for each distinct product or service line that your business provides, what would a customer enter?  Optimizing your site for each service line increases the chances of your site getting found.  Then, once the visitors get to your site, they may navigate within to locate interrelated products and services.

Output:  The work of a spider

The programs employed by search engines are commonly referred to as spiders.  These search engine spiders crawl through websites, utilizing algorithms to sift through information.  Optimizing a website not only results in increased traffic to the website, but also results in visitors that are searching specifically for you.  Though keywords make up a large component of the work of a spider, there are other parts that impact SEO. 

Above and Beyond Keywords

As search engine spiders maneuver across the web, their movement is dictated by a series of rules that are not only based on keywords, but other characteristics as well.  The technical status of a website, coupled with the HTML coding, must be structured so that the spider can easily navigate through the pages.  Expertly coded websites that feature validated HTML will increase search engine positioning. 

In addition to keywords and technical aspects of a website, there are other ways to optimize a website for search engines.  First, a spider cannot read images, only text.  A website should therefore utilize Meta tags, or a type of description for graphical images and photographs, so that the spider can read the text of the tags.  Next, a website should have the proper page titles and headers that are descriptive and relevant to the text.  Also, the text itself should be written with the most appropriate keywords within the body of the text.  All of these attributes work together, and the more comprehensive the optimization, the better the search engine rankings.

Another way to achieve more qualified traffic is by making use of inbound links.  Inbound links are exactly what it sounds like- links coming into your website from an external website that are measured on both quantity and quality.  Link popularity is a major factor used by search engines: a site with more inbound links will be positioned higher than a similar site with fewer links. 

Search Engine Competition

Even with the most proficient search engine optimization, there is still competition among websites.  To ensure that your website has been optimized completely and that all the different best practices have been implemented, it is important to rely on the assistance of a vendor that has the most extensive expertise and experience on the subject.  For example, the first keyword you think of may not always be the most effective keyword.  If all other competing websites are also utilizing this keyword, you need to set yourself apart by making use of all optimization solutions available.  Key to this process is adequate analysis of the best solutions for your business and implementing these solutions in the most effective manner.

It is no longer about just having a website, but rather having a website that is easily accessible to your target market.  Executing Search Engine Optimization after thorough analysis and research is the only way to set yourself apart from your competitors, and ensure your website is positioned as high as possible in the best search engines.  By maximizing the potential of your website through in-depth search engine optimization, you will be more likely to attract the people that will ultimately become your customers.