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You've all heard the term "Search Engine Optimization" before, and you've probably read similar articles on the topic. I've read them too, and most of them are pretty bad. I put this article together to give you all a no-nonsense general overview of SEO as it currently stands. This article will allow me to share my knowledge with you and pass on all of the lessons I've learned through my first-hand involvement in the planning, designing, programming, launching and post-launch marketing of dozens, if not hundreds, of Websites.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

According to "Kurt's Objective Dictionary of the Undefinable" Search Engine Optimization is:

"the practice of planning, analyzing and revising a Website's architecture, underlying code and plain-text copy for the purpose of appearing higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords and phrases, with the ultimate goal of increasing quality traffic from interested, engaged visitors."

I apologize for the dictionary-style definition. While practical search engine optimization is important for increasing your chances of getting free exposure for your business, even SEO firms will tell you that it is not the "be-all-end-all" solution for online business success. To be successful online, you will still need a solid business model, an accessible target market and a competitive edge.

Is my Website Optimized for Search Engines?

Performing some basic SEO practices will make sure that the major search engines can access, or index, all of your Website's content and will give you a fighting chance of coming up on the first few pages of results for specific keyword searches. The following four concepts/techniques aim to give a quick survey of the underlying principles of SEO and will allow you take a step back and analyze your current Website from an SEO standpoint:

Meaningful Content

If you haven't already heard this in your SEO research, you're bound to come across what seems to be a recurring "mantra" throughout SEO theory - "Content is King". In short, this translates to

"...if there is something worth reading, watching, doing, or buying on your site, then it will naturally draw in visitors and attract all-important links to help boost your appearance in search engine results..."

This approach has some very strong underlying validity since search engine results are based on an electronic measure of "popularity" (explained in an additional article "Google PageRank"), and having meaningful content, and thus a reason for visiting your Website, will objectively increase your Website's "popularity" just as meaningful and interesting people, places, and businesses in the real world become popular. While meaningful content is essential to success online, there are many other factors that play into your search engine results.

Keywords, Keyphrases and Keyword Density

I'll state this very plainly. If you want your Website show up in someone's search results, then the words (or, Keywords) that person searched for MUST - I repeat - MUST be included within the copy of your Website. If you want to show up on Google when somebody searches for "Recipes for Chicken Marsala", then you'd better put the words "Recipes for Chicken Marsala" in plain text on your Website, on a page that the search engines are able to access. The best way to make sure that the important Keywords are included in your Website's copy is to step away from the computer, relax, and think about your potential customers. Try to put yourself in your customers' shoes and think about what they are looking for and what words they will search for if they were trying to find the product, service or information your Website has to offer. What would you search for? If you run a retail operation, what do your real-world in-house customers ask for? When you've come up with a list, make absolutely certain those Keywords and Keyphrases are placed throughout your Website's content, within meaningful human-readable paragraphs and titles.

Content Accessibility and “Indexability”

The above two concepts/techniques are quite meaningless without making sure that your copy and your keywords can be "indexed" by search engine robots (aka spiders) as well as found or read by human beings. I imagine, as we are approaching the middle of the seventh year of the twenty-first century, that your Website contains multiple pages. As a natural consequence, your keywords, keyphrases, and meaningful content cannot ALL be found on your Website's homepage. Because of this, humans and search engine spiders alike have to be able to FIND and READ the content within the inner-pages of your Website. The good thing here is that humans and spiders find content in the same way - by following Links. If your content is to be found, it must be linked-to within your Website. Another good thing is that humans and spiders read your Website's Keywords, Keyphrases and meaningful content in the same way too, by looking through, processing and storing plain text. If you've followed along through this, you'll see that any content you want humans or search engines to read must be linked-to within your Website and must be provided in plain text.

Relevant Inbound Links (RIL) and Relevant Outbound Links (ROL)

Last, but certainly not least, something that affects your PageRank (briefly explained in Part Two) and ultimately your placement within search results are two similar elements - Relevant Inbound Links (RIL) and Relevant Outbound Links (ROL). These two terms are somewhat self-explanatory, but the concepts are not exactly intuitive to somebody who hasn't yet been exposed to SEO or search engine-style thinking. I will explain the reasons for RIL and ROL in Part Two of this article along with PageRank, but for now I'll explain what they are and how you can make sure your Website benefits from them.

RILs are, in a sentence, links TO your Website FROM other Website's whose content is on a similar or related topic and whose Keywords and Keyphrases as well as general subject matter are the same or significantly similar to yours. For example, if your Website is selling a revolutionary toothbrush that will change oral Hygiene as we know it, than a RIL may be a link TO your Website FROM a well-known dentistry journal discussing the benefits of good tooth brushing habits. ROL are very similar, but in reverse - that is, they are links FROM your Website TO the above-mentioned types of Websites. RILs are somewhat more important the ROLs due to the inherent principles of PageRank (discussed in Part Two), but both are important factors in overall SEO.

Now that you are armed with the basics of Search Engine Optimization, you should begin to get a picture of how well your Website fits in with those basics of SEO that I've outlined above. If your site is lacking in any of the above areas, you may want to consult a Search Engine Optimization company for more information.

If you think you're ready for something just a little more technical, with some very interesting information about how to get your Website on the first page of Google (with a little bit of luck, if possible, however unlikely, with no guarantees) please take a look at Part Two of this article which focuses specifically on Google PageRank.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a Search Engine Optimizer and I am not affiliated with Google or any other major search engine. I should also mention that all SEO practices and concepts are based solely on THEORY surrounding the underlying algorithms, the mathematical principles and operations, of major search engines. I am NOT selling any SEO services and there are no ulterior motives behind this article (unfortunately, most articles on SEO are trying to sell something, promote something, or simply add content to a cheap Website).