Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Directing Increased Hits to Your Website

By Ricardo d Argence

When it comes to search engine optimization many website owners find themselves struggling to compete. Building an online business can be challenging and search engine optimization is one of those challenges you will have to face in order to build a long term successful business on the internet. With that said many folks like to make search engine optimization seem complicated. Sure it is challenging but when done correctly it can be very effective. When it is done right it is very easy to get to the top of search engines and get the traffic you need in order for your business to thrive.

Essentially, search engine optimization means constructing your site in a manner that allows search engines to correctly understand the site content and as a result,list your site among the top ten results for your chosen keywords. What exactly is search engine optimization, and why is it an important process to go through? First of all, a website that doesn't produce traffic will not net any profits. Second of all, it is more about translating the traffic that you get into sales.

When your site receives traffic from the search engines it is far more likely that these visitors will convert to sales. One of the biggest reasons for this is credibility. If your company comes up on the first pages of Google it suggests that your site is a trusted source relevant to what that individual is searching for.

Plus when people use the search engines they are searching for something and use specific keywords to identify their needs. When you site pops up on the first page you are then considered to be a resource that will provide them with a solution. On the other hand when you advertise you are putting yourself in front of the customer suggesting that you have what they need. In this case you are telling them and as you know human nature tends to take this information with a certain degree of skepticism.

Obviously, not one of us likes being told what to do, and having to tell others about your product or services is what advertising is all about. That's the reason why visitors who come via ads are less likely to buy than people who come as the result of a search engine link. Since marketing on the internet basically consists of turning website visitors into customers and you have to concentrate on that above all, SEO is an absolute requirement.

The landscape is always changing and it takes a lot of time for search engine optimization. On a good note, you are able to outsource this chore to companies that are made to get websites onto the first page of search results. With that being stated, it is necessary that you are cautious.

There are many companies out there who will gladly take your money while promising you the moon and the stars. They then will tell you how they are going to submit your site to all sorts of directories and use various different software tools to accomplish this objective. This sounds great in theory but it may actually do more harm than good. The search engines may think you are spamming them and as a result de-list your site.

So when it comes to using search engine optimization companies proceed with caution. Ask them how they are going to do it and make sure that they provide you with everything you need to both understand and achieve your objective. To conclude search engine optimization is all about working smart not hard and if you are not optimizing your website you will reduce your sites capability of being profitable over the long term.

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