A few words about Search Engines... In today's evolving internet environment, it has become imperative for most websites to be properly exposed to search engines. This practice is generically called Search Engine Optimization or SEO.

Search engines use automated programs called 'spiders' or 'bots' that continually search the internet for content meant for end users. The spiders then return that information to the search engine to be parsed and organized into search rankings that searchers can access using Keywords.

Depending on your requirements, you may need a great deal of SEO or very little. Some of the factors that dictate the amount of optimization you will require are: the type of product or service you are selling, the geographic location in which you need to do business and the level of competion for keyword weight.

Here are a few things everyone should to know about SEO:
1.) Getting high PR (page rank) is first and foremost a function of good content. Recently (Aug. 07) Google announced that it is devaluing (for lack of a better word) the importance that it places on inbound links to a webpage. In fact, rumors are floating around that Google has begun penalizing sites for having paid or reciprocal links. This makes having content that people want to see all the more critical as it suggests that Google is attempting to improve it's algorythm to better identify and index real content instead of the inaccurate approach of link counting.

2.) There are few true experts and uncountable pretenders and con-men in the SEO business. If someone tells you they can guarantee top 10 Google results, run do not walk to the nearest exit. You can believe this person about as much as the guy on the corner selling Rolexes. NO ONE CAN GUARANTEE LEGITIMATE NATURAL RANKINGS. While it is possible to get a site on the first page illegitimately through unscrupulous techniques (sometimes called 'black hat SEO'), once the search engines figure out what you're up to (and they will), they will pull your site from the rankings forever.

3.) There are many things a web designer can do to optimize your website to be Search Engine friendly. Ask your designer what he/she will do when building your site to facilitate search engine exposure. In addition, a competent web designer can do your basic SEO for you. Google™ and other search engines provide extensive tools for web masters that let them track page rank, weight, and keywords. Armed with these tools and others, your designer can make changes over time that increase your sites exposure.

4.)Your business requirements will determine the level of SEO that you need. If you own a restaurant in Spokane, Washington, your designer should be able to handle your SEO for you and get acceptable results. If you are selling mail order cigars to the masses, or want to be at the top of a search for "Seattle real estate", you will need some serious optimization from a reputable professional if you hope to compete.

In many cases it simply will not be possible to get PR due to entrenched competition. In this case a pay per click campaign is probably in order.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions about SEO: 509.939.6092

To learn more about SEO visit Jill Whalen's excellent website www.highrankings.com