| The world of Internet traffic revolves around two | | | | algorithms so now the search engines are using other |
| separate entities: the search engines and the social | | | | requirements. One of these is the scanning for original |
| networks. It used to be that the only way to | | | | content on sites. Although you want to keep your |
| capture traffic was through search engine placement, | | | | content fresh, you don't want to update your site |
| however, now there is a great deal of debate in this | | | | every hour, as too frequent updating can also be |
| area as social networking becomes the new strategy | | | | penalized in the search engines. |
| for increasing the traffic to sites. Here we will discuss | | | | To learn how some of the different SEO factors |
| the different skills you need for either strategy and | | | | affect your page ranking, check out: . Appropriate |
| some different places to research this highly | | | | keywords are still a very important part of Internet |
| important aspect of Internet marketing. | | | | marketing, but where you place them in your HTML |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | | | | coding also affects how you rank. You can get your |
| Search engine optimization deals with how search | | | | own list of keywords by looking at the most popular |
| engines determine the ranking in search results when | | | | searches for a typical keyword or phrase and finding |
| people go to search for a site based on particular | | | | out what people have searched in the last month |
| words or phrases. There are a number of search | | | | through Overture. This is a free SEO tool that can be |
| engines and each of them has their own SEO | | | | viewed here: . |
| algorithms. A great deal of research is carried out to | | | | Another Strategy - Social Networking |
| determine what those algorithms might be by trial | | | | This strategy relies on the social networks which |
| and error, even though the companies don't | | | | house millions of users and which can be mined for |
| necessarily disclose how they are ranking web pages. | | | | traffic. Examples of powerful social networks are and |
| It's become quite a science and businesses will pay | | | | StumbleUpon (a search engine based on social |
| big bucks if they think they can get their pages | | | | ranking). Bulletin boards, web log (blog) communities, |
| served first to a customer before their competitor's | | | | and other types of online communities are great |
| in a search result. The reason is simple: most people | | | | places to establish a web presence and market your |
| using a search engine only look at the first two | | | | website URL. The idea is to develop a fan base in |
| pages of results. | | | | these areas that already have huge traffic and then |
| So, it stands to reason that the higher you place in | | | | pull those fans into your website via links. |
| the ranking, the more likelihood you will be found | | | | This strategy requires time devoted to being a |
| through random searches by people using search | | | | known contributor of social networking sites. It |
| engines like Yahoo! or Google. How will you be able to | | | | doesn't work to just add a profile and leave. You |
| compete with people who are shelling out tons of | | | | have to engage discussions, set yourself up as an |
| money on outwitting the search engines? | | | | expert in your field, and then market your URL in |
| While you probably can learn some of the same | | | | such a way so as not to be perceived that you are |
| strategies they are using like placing keywords in | | | | spamming a site. Spamming a site with your web |
| your web pages, you will find that search engines | | | | address and no actual feedback or community |
| have gotten far more egalitarian in recent years. | | | | participation will only get you banned. So, you have |
| They've recognized that large companies have | | | | to be willing to give of yourself and to market |
| learned how to program their pages to cheat the | | | | yourself in a discreet, but effective manner. |