Search Engine Optimization (SEO) FAQ
1) What is an organic search engine optimization (SEO) program?
2) What are some SEO techniques I should avoid?
3) Why should I be concerned about my Web site's search positioning?
4) What search engines should we focus on?
5) Why can't I have an all Flash or an all JAVA Web site?
6) Why is researching the correct key phrases important?
7) What are Information Pages?
8) Is it true that search engines don't like search optimization strategies?
9) Why do I need to have href links on my Web site?
10) Should I submit my Web site to hundreds and thousands of search engines?
11) What are meta tags?
12) What is IP cloaking?
13) Why are in-bound links important to search positions?
14) How to determine a good directory?
15) What are link farms / web rings?
16) What is Google PageRank?
1) What is an organic search engine optimization program?
Organic search engine optimization (SEO) is a comprehensive, long-term marketing strategy that works to increase your Web site rankings for relevant, frequently searched key phrases.
Organic search engine optimization includes:
- Content-rich Web pages with information of interest to target audiences.
- Content properly populated with relevant, target keywords.
- href links using target key phrases.
- Page-specific, relevant title, meta-tags and alt tags for each page.
- In-bound links from relevant, quality Web sites, Blogs and directories.
- Addressing Web site structure, hierarchy, navigation and technical search friendliness issues.
2) What are some SEO techniques I should avoid?
- Hiding content using redirects, IP cloaking or font colors that are the same as the background.
- Mass, automated submissions to obscure portals and link farms.
- Overuse of keywords, also known as keyword stuffing.
- Session or User IDs that give search engines problems indexing Web sites using these identifiers.
- Building Web sites using Frames as search engines have trouble indexing them. If your Web site uses frames, make sure there are links on each content frame or you may lose customers. When search results return a content frame, the navigation frame is often missing.
3) Why should I be concerned about my Web site's positioning?
For the same reason retailers put a sign outside their store or an ad in the Yellow Pages. Every Internet user is a potential customer. Gaining the attention of these customers is vital to your online success. If you don't capture this audience, your competitors will.
Search engines are the most popular means for people to find what they are looking for on the Web. People are using them to locate what you offer. They are prime prospects ready to buy. A report by Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys shows that the percentage of internet users who use search engines on a typical day has risen to just under one half (49%). This figure is an increase from about one-third of all internet users back in 2002. If you have not implemented a search engine marketing program you could be losing quality traffic your Web site can attract.
4) What search engines should we focus on?
There are literally hundreds of search engines. But Google, Yahoo and MSN are the big three. More than 80% of all searches are done on these three engines with Google having the majority share. Most of the remaining search market is fed by these 3 search engines. For example, AOL is fed by Google.
5) Why can't I have an all Flash or an all JAVA Web site?
Search engines have great difficulty reading and following JAVA or Flash properly. If your Web site is all Flash or JAVA, search engines will not be able to see the content of your Web site. By not being able to properly read and follow the links on your Web site, they cannot determine how relevant your Web site is for a particular search query.
6) Why is researching the correct key phrases important?
Identifying key phrases that are both relevant to your Web site and frequently used by your target audiences is the cornerstone for developing a strong traffic-generating SEO program. There are two primary tools to use - The Google AdWords Keyword Tool and Wordtracker (Paid).
7) What are Search Optimized Landing Pages?
Web pages optimized to gain high rankings for selected keywords. Content drives the results on these pages. Search Optimized Landing Pages need to be fully integrated into Web sites to be effective.
8) Is it true that search engines don't like search optimization strategies?
Some SEO firms use black hat techniques that search engines object to, such as hiding content.
Search engines do welcome optimized content that is relevant and provides value to the user. See the guidelines published by Google and Yahoo.
9) Why do I need to have href links on my Web site?
Search engines follow href links to navigate through your Web site. Without href links Search Engines would not be able to crawl and find valuable content therefore would not be able to properly index your Web site.
10) Should I submit my Web site to hundreds and thousands of search engines?
No! There are literally hundreds of search engines, however most of them use Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask search results. These four are the only true crawler-based search engines with any popularity.
11) What are meta tags?
Meta tags are located within a Web site's HTML code and do not appear on the page. The meta-tags you should be concerned about are the title, meta description and meta keyword tags. The title tag does impact search positions. This tag is displayed at the top of the browser. Each page on your Web site should have its own relevant, unique title. The meta description has little effect on search positions. However is often displayed in the search results. It should be written to compel searchers to visit the Web site. Meta keywords have no effect on search positioning. As good practice E-Power Marketing believes in developing unique, relevant keyword tags for each page of a Web site.
12) What is IP cloaking?
"IP" stands for "Internet Protocol". "IP cloaking" is a technical trick designed to deliver different Web pages from the same Web address, depending on whether the visitor's IP is from a search engine spider or from someone else. If the IP is from a search engine, the server feeds a highly-optimized page. Otherwise it delivers a regular page such as the Home page. IP cloaking is also known as "IP spoofing" or "IP delivery".
IP cloaking is often abusive in how it attempts to manipulate a search index. Some practitioners develop hundreds of IP-cloaked pages using software. Since IP cloaking hides content, pages optimized around irrelevant key phrases are often developed. Consequently search engines routinely purge IP-cloaked pages and will ban these domains from their indexes.
13) Why are in-bound links important to search positions?
Search Engines use inbound links as part of determining your Web site's popularity. Quality inbound links create a foundation for search visibility. Implement an organic linking campaign to increase link popularity and you will increase its search visibility.
14) How to determine a good directory?
There are many factors to consider whether to submit your Web site to a specific directory. Is the directory being indexed by search engines? Does the directory focus on your industry? You must look at the directory and ask yourself if you would use it. If yes, chances are the search engines feel the same way.
15) What are link farms or web rings?
Link farms and web rings are groups of Web sites that all link to each other. Most link farms or web rings are automated and are now associated with spamming. Search engines can easily spot these rings so stay away from them!
16) What is Google PageRank?
PageRank is a trademark of Google that is part of their complex algorithm that interprets and assigns value to links that point to your Web site. Google associates a link to your Web site as a vote for your Web site. Different links to your Web sites have different "weight", meaning that one good relevant link can be worth just as much as thousands of irrelevant links.
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