Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Some Basics

As explained in one of this writer’s earlier articles, Search Engine Optimization is defined as the process of increasing the amount of visitors to a web site by ranking high in the search results of a search engine. The higher a web site ranks in the results of a search, the greater the chance that site will be visited by a user. It is common practice for Internet users to not click through pages and pages of search results, so where a site ranks in a search is essential for directing more traffic toward the site.

Search Engine Optimization experts mainly uses two techniques for increasing the rank of a particular websites in the Search Engines. They are On page SEO and Off Page SEO. Though the methods used in both these techniques are different they both have the same ultimate goal – increasing the rank of a website in the Search Engines.

On Page SEO

On page SEO is done my increasing the quality of the content of the website. The main techniques followed in this method includes the following

• Keyword Research
• Title Tags and Meta tags
• Meta Description
• Headings
• Bold & Italics
• Keyword Density
• Site Maps
• Internal Linking

Off Page SEO

The main methods followed for Off Page SEO are as follows

• Increase Link Popularity
• One-way Inbound Links
• Gradual Link Building
• Keywords in Links
• Article Submission
• Forum Participation

The detailed description of both On Page SEO and Off Page SEO will be specified in the articles to follow in which we will look vividly into the strategies in On Page and Off Page SEO.

SEO techniques can be broadly classified into two broad categories; they are White Hat SEO and Black Hat SEO.

White Hat SEO

White Hat SEO are techniques recommended by search engines and involves methods which increases the value of the content of a website. White hat techniques normally comply with the guidelines set by the search engines and involves no fraud. White Hat techniques are mostly used for the users and not for the search engines and therefore they always increases the value of a website.

Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO techniques are mainly fraudulent techniques used to deceive the search engines and normally include fewer functions that would increase value to the user. Search engines will penalize the websites that uses black hat techniques for optimizing. Search engine algorithms are normally capable of finding out the deception and penalize websites but at some other times manual intervention will result in penalization.

A lot companies in the US and Europe are using SEO as one of their most important marketing strategies as umpteen number of users are utilizing the search engines before taking a purchasing decision. Organizations in India are yet to utilize the full potential of SEO techniques as a marketing strategy.