Search engine optimization (SEO) seems to be shrouded in mystery for many people. Perhaps this is a good thing, as if you don't optimize properly and according to "the rules" it's very possible that the search engines will stop indexing you all together. So, the aim of this guide is to help you do the simple things that provide the largest return on investment. But first some background on how search engines work, and why search engine optimization is a good idea.

SEO Background

To index the huge number of webpages online (30 billion plus) the search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN, have created, or acquired, complex algorithms designed to comb through the web and deliver relevant results. These algorithms have always been closely guarded secrets, but by looking closely at the results page, and running "tests" on the system, many people have determined what it is they're looking for. This in turn gave rise to search engine optimization as we now know it. As for why SEO is important, depending on the source 75-90% of people find the websites they're looking for using a search engine, so the importance is easy to see.

Give The Search Engines What They Want

In the constantly changing world of search engine algorithms, I can't give you exact details. However, there are some important things that will most likely never change. When it comes to your website, there are two major things search engines look for, the first is your onsite content, and the second is how your website is seen by the rest of the internet. The easiest things to do involve your onsite content, so we'll start there.

Content

The most important words on your website are in the title. Make absolutely sure that your title contains the keyword, or keyphrase that you'd like people to search for. A good way to do this is to follow this formula: "Website Name - Keywords/Keyphrase". Continuing on, your headings, the h1, h2, h3, etc. tags, are also very important, so try to have them include your keywords as well. However, in the case of headings use them as they were meant to be used. Don't use headings as normal text, and don't have multiple instances of h1 headings. Search engines caught wind of this early on and penalize sites that abuse it. Another important item is the anchor text used in links. The anchor text is the actual underlined text that goes between the "a" tags, and it should reflect your keywords and keyphrases instead of something like "click here." Then of course is the high quality, unique content you've added to the internet community. Make sure your content includes your keywords and phrases so the search engines know what your website's about. It seems as if ideally your keyword frequency and density should be somewhere between 3% and 7%. So, let's say your keyphrase is "car repair," then this phrase should be repeated 2-3 times for every 100 words. On top of that, you should be shooting for over 200 words per page which seems to be a standard among all search engines.

Offsite Optimization

Onsite optimization can take you a long way, but to really drive your traffic up you'll need to concentrate on link building. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as working with your content. The search engine algorithms have changed recently to include backlinks in the formula they use to rank your website. What this means, is that the more high quality, relevant backlinks you have to your site the more important your website is considered by Google, Yahoo, etc. The key here is high quality and relevant backlinks, as opposed to those found in link exchange farms. There are a few good ways to do this. The first, and simplest thing to do, is to submit your website to online directories. Try to pick reputable directories that take free submissions such as the Open Directory project, and LinkCentre. Another great way to build backlinks is to write articles like this one. There are tons of websites that take article submissions and allow other webmasters to use them. However, to use an article the webmaster must also place the author's information which the author defines. It's a great idea to place a link, with good anchor text, back to your website in this section. Assuming your website presents valuable information to other users, you might also try contacting other webmasters directly. Let them know that your website can serve as a great resource for his users. Depending on the size and popularity the website, you may or may not get linked. If you don't, shake it off and keep plugging away. My last little tip on search engine optimization is to be persistent, and patient. Search engines, specifically Google, have begun to value backlinks on the basis of longevity, so the longer a backlink survives the more valuable it becomes. This may mean it will take months to obtain a top ranking, but keep plugging away, your efforts will pay off.