Search Engine 101

You heard the term and probably wondered what it meant. Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a very important term you need to know when operating a website.

Lets look at it from the customer’s point of view.  Say you are looking for a plumber in Las Vegas.  So you go to a search engine (Google, Bing) and type in “plumber las vegas” and you get back 5,170,000 entries or possible websites for those words.  With the websites the search engine thinks are the best ones at the top.

So how do the search engines get that information? Each search engine sends out what are called “spiders” to look at your website and those of other similar websites.  They are seeking out data within each website that will tell them what your website is and what your pages look like.  Seeing what’s on them.

So you “optimize” your website for search engines.  You make it search engine friendly, seo friendly.  Make the spider feel at home and invite him back again, soon.

In later articles I will dissect the data behind the website that makes up the information each spider is looking for.  What, where, why, and when will be answered in great detail later.

Right now you need to understand the primary function of the spider is to help the search engines find your website and post keywords.  The important words and phrases people may use to find you.

If you own a plumbing shop in Las Vegas, people will probably use the words “plumber” and “Las Vegas” when using a search engine.  So you should use las vegas, vegas and plumbing or a combination in sentences and titles.  Plus these “keywords” belong in your keyword directory that is part of each post you write.

Think of it this way:  When making a title and when writing a post, what is the focus?  What words would I, your potential customer, use to find this post/article?  Those are the “keywords” you want to use.

Please understand that these spiders have become very smart in recent years and are getting smarter by the day.  They know when you are trying to do keyword stuffing.

If “vegas” and “plumber” are the keywords and every other sentence starts with these words, the spider will get upset and send it to the end of the list. That’s also called Keyword Stuffing.

So SEO in short, is making sure your website is friendly to the visiting spiders, and giving them a reason to come back often.

Hope this helps

Mark Anthony
Internet Marketing Coach