Every person attempting to run a business online is familiar with the term search engine optimization. Not so many understand the importance of search engine optimization, better known as SEO, to their business success. Preparing your site so the information and products you have can be seen by everyone is crucial to having a highly profitable and successful internet business.

The internet has evolved considerably over the years. It first started as a way for remote computers to communicate and groups to share files. Eventually you could begin viewing specialized files through a browser (i.e. internet explorer). Once the internet started getting large enough that there was more information than one person could sort through, sites started creating directories that would categorize the various websites out on the web. But what ultimately made the internet useful to the masses was the development of search engines that could find and suggest relevant information based on what you said you were looking for. No longer did you have to sort through hundreds of directories looking for various sites in your topic of interest to see if they have the answer you are looking for. Instead the search engine has already screened the site and confirmed that it has the answer to your question.

The phrase search engine optimization came from the early days of the internet when search engines started offering people a way to find what they were looking for on the internet without having to sort through countless directories. With the advent of the search engine, the key for anyone posting information on the internet was to make sure that the search engine could understand their site and that they had the phrases searchers were using on their site. This is how search engine optimization started. Initially all you had to do was put the phrase on your site. If you were selling "womens athletic shoes", then you typed that exact phrase on your page and you would be found by the search engine and ranked for that phrase.

Search engine optimization today starts at the same level (keyword content). If you want to be ranked for "womens athletic shoes" the place to start is to ensure that this exact phrase is found in the title of your page, in the meta description of your page, in one of the headings on the page, preferably the H1 heading, and in the first paragraph on the page. Also, if you are just starting out, also make sure it some of those words are in your domain name or file name as well.

The key difference between today's internet and the internet from the past is that the keywords on your site are no longer the end all be all of search engine optimization. They are now just the starting point. Just optimizing your site for the keywords won't get you far at all today, but without starting with your site keyword optimized, the rest of your search engine optimization will cost twice as much and be far less effective. Start with your keywords and the structure of your page and then consult an expert on what to do next.