Search Engine Optimisation Campaign

[Tom_Sean]

The search engine optimisation (SEO) process consists of designing, writing, and coding

web pages to increase the likelihood that they will appear at the top of search engine

results for targeted keyword phrases. Many so-called SEO experts claim to have reversed

engineered search engine algorithms and use strategically created "doorway pages" and

cloaking technology to maintain long-term search positions. Despite all of these claims,

the basics of a successful search engine campaign have not changed in all the years we

have provided these services.

To get the best overall, long-term search engine positions, three components must be

present on a web page:

Text component

Link component

Popularity component

All of the major search engines (AltaVista, FAST Search, Google, Lycos, MSN Search and

other Inktomi-based engines) use these components as a part of their search engine

algorithms. Sites that have (a) all of the components on their web pages, and (cool.gif

have optimal levels of all the components perform well in the search engines overall.

Text component

Since the search engines build lists of words and phrases on URL's, then it naturally

follows that in order to do well on the search engines, you must place these words on

your web pages in the strategic HTML tags.

The most important part of the text component of a search engine algorithm is keyword

selection. In order for your target audience to find your site on the search engines,

your pages must contain keyword phrases that match the phrases your target audience is

typing into search queries.

Once you have determined the best keyword phrases to use on your web pages, you will

need to place them within your HTML tags. Search engines do not place emphasis on the

same HTML tags. For example, Inktomi reads Meta tags; Google ignores Meta tags. Thus, in

order to do well on the entire search engines, it is best to place keywords in all of

the HTML tags possible, without keyword stuffing. So no matter what the search engine

algorithm is, you know that your keywords are contained in your documents

Link component

The strategy of placing keyword-rich text in your web pages is useless if the search

engine spiders have no way of finding that text. The way your pages are linked to each

other, and the way your web site is linked to other web sites, does impact your search

engine positions.

Even though search engine spiders are powerful data-gathering programs, HTML coding or

scripting can prevent a spider from effectively crawling your pages. Examples of site

navigation schemes that can be problematic are:

1. Poor HTML coding on all navigation schemes: Browsers (Netscape and Explorer) can

display web pages with sloppy HTML coding; search engine spiders are not as forgiving as

browsers are.

2. JavaScript: All of the major search engines cannot follow links embedded inside of

JavaScript, including but not limited to mouseovers, arrays, and drop-down menus. Note:

Even though reputable designer resources claim search-engine friendly scripts exist,

many of them are untested and unproven.

3. Dynamic or database-driven web pages: Pages that are generated via scripts,

databases, and/or have a?, &, $, =, +, or % in the URL can present spider "traps."

4. Flash: Currently, none of the search engines can follow the links embedded in Flash

documents.

Therefore, to ensure that the spiders have the means to record the data on your web

pages, we recommend having two forms of navigation on a web page: one that pleases your

end users, and one that the search engine spiders can follow.

Popularity component

The popularity component of a search engine algorithm consists of multiple sub-

components:

Link popularity
Click-through popularity
Web page popularity

Attaining an optimal popularity component is not simply obtaining as many links as

possible to a web site. The quality of the sites linking to your site holds more

"weight" than the quantity of sites linking to your site. Since Yahoo is the most

frequently visited site on the web, a link from Yahoo to your web site carries far more

"weight" than a link from a smaller, less visited site. Other outstanding sites that can

help generate excellent popularity are LookSmart, the Open Directory, and About.com.

Non-competitive, industry-specific sites (such as javascript.com) are also excellent

link development resources.

Obtaining links from other sites is not enough to maintain optimal popularity. The major

search engines and directories are measuring how often end users are clicking on the

links to your site and how long they are staying on your site (i.e., reading your web

pages). They are also measuring how often end users return to your site. All of these

measurements constitute a site's click-through popularity.

The search engines and directories measure both link popularity (quality and quantity of

links) and click-through popularity to determine the overall popularity component of a

web site.