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On Top of the Web 
On Top of the Web
by Jules Kay
Have you ever wondered why is is that you find certain websites and not
others when you do a search? Even if your search criteria is quite
narrow, the number of possible websites on offer is vast, so how do
search engines like google decide which ones to list on the first page?
The answer is not luck, it's SEO.
Search Engine Optimisation is one aspect of online business that has
developed almost as fast as the web itself. Engines like Google, which
now accounts for around 70% of all searches, work hard to provide the
most accurate, useful websites that match your criteria, but with so
much competition out there that's not an easy task. Not so long ago,
the name of a website was the primary source for search engines, and
although this still has a bearing on where they end up in the google
list, there is now a whole host of factors that come in to play when
people perform the simple task of searching the web.
Adding key words was one of the first tools that web designers
developed to help their clients get seen online. By adding relevant
words in the website code, they were able to increase traffic to the
site and the more they added, the more it worked. But Google soon
realised this was damaging the quality of information they provided
because anyone could add these keywords behind their website, no matter
how useful the actual content was to the end user. In a stoke of moral
and commercial genius, they began dropping websites that relied too
heavily on key words down the list, and then introduced their own, paid
for keyword packages, highlighting companies as advertisers above and
to the right of the main search listings. But web users soon caught on
that by clicking these new links, they were basically choosing an
advertisement rather than simply looking for information, which opened
the flood gates for what is now often called Organic SEO.
Organic SEO is all about real information. Whether it is text, images,
video or even maps, the more valuable and fresh the content included in
a website, the more chance it has of finding the holy grail - Page One.
If you take quite a specific example, say 'Weddings in Thailand', you
will see that most of the sites on the first page contain the actual
term (or part of it) in their domain name, but you will also find the
sites themselves include plenty of information and free advice
regarding the topic, with pictures, videos, testimonials and links to
other sites that might help you in your online research (see
www.thesignatureweddings.com). This shows that valuable content is king
when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation, and Google's incredible
success is testament to their commitment to providing it.
But content alone is still not enough when it comes to the technical
complexities of the world wide web. Even if a site boasts a stunning
design with plenty of interesting text and nice photos. This must also
be optimised in order for the search engines to recognise it. What's
more, the information has to be updated regularly to keep visitors
informed of the latest developments and information. Links are also
very important as they connect websites with similar themes and offer
users a broader spectrum of sources for the information they see. You
Tube videos have also recently become a major factor in search engine
optimisation and it's not hard to see why.
If you take the above example of weddings. What better way to plan your
special day than by viewing someone else's online before you decide. "A
lot people still think SEO is just an added extra for their website,"
explains Mark Currie from Deckchair Asia Ltd, a specialist in the field
of Organic SEO who has helped a number of companies in Asia and UK make
page one. "If you don't focus on fresh, quality content and have it
optimised by a professional, your wonderful, all-singing, all-dancing
website my only be seen by a fraction of its potential visitors
online." Source: http://www.thesignaturecollection.com/news_893.html
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