If you're going to sell any type of product or service online,
you're eventually going to have to optimize your Web site for
the Search Engines, in order to boost traffic and sales.
Many years ago, it was quite easy to draw effective traffic, as
a good content-driven site, with good products, was enough to
get a Web site ranked highly in the Search Engines. The
competition has increased one thousand times over since then,
with billions of Web sites existing online now, making for some
very stiff competition in the area of Search Engine placement
and rankings.
This increase in competition has given rise to many different
styles, and many different methods of Web site optimization.
Optimization is simply the method of making a Web site "Search
Engine friendly", by using methods of enhancement that will
increase rankings and placement by placing the Web site higher
in the SERPS (Search Engine Results Pages).
Everything from software to increase rankings and placement, to
Search Engine Management and Marketing Firms exist, with many
online merchants becoming confused about what or "whom" to use
and how to effectively use the various services to increase
rankings and placement.
The real battle seems to exist between those that favor "Organic
SEO" as opposed to those that prefer "Non-Organic SEO". The term
"organic" itself is defined by Webster's Dictionary as:
instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a
certain destined function or end (Webster's: 1913: 3).
"Organic SEO", also called "Natural SEO", is the most time
consuming, and the most tedious method of optimization for
placement and rankings. However, it is prone to longevity of
results, as it has a focus on content, meta-tag enhancement
using proper descriptions, keyword enhanced copy within the
appropriate specified densities of the Search Engines, and link
exchanges. In addition, keyword dense reports, articles, and
other content materials are usually added in a routine fashion
to a site to maintain the densities necessary and increase
rankings and placement.
"Organic SEO", if done properly in a step-by-step approach, can
literally promote increased traffic and rankings for years. It
can also contain overall marketing costs, as the use of PPC (Pay
Per Click), is not needed as much with this method. The main
drawbacks with this type of SEO, however, are the length of time
it takes to properly implement all the steps necessary, and the
length of time it takes the Search Engines to thoroughly spider
and index a site that has implemented "Organic SEO".
"Non-Organic SEO", also called "Artificial SEO", can take many
forms, and can use some "Organic SEO" coupled with other
techniques. These techniques can include software generated
keyword enhanced pages, some methods of re-directs, whereby
traffic is shunted off from other sites, with their permissions,
and software generated doorway pages and meta-tag descriptions.
There are many different techniques that can be employed
including rather controversial ones such as hidden text loaded
with keywords, and tiny text.
Overall, "Non-Organic" SEO methods are quite popular, as it is a
much quicker means to rankings and placement. Links might be
purchased from "link farms" which are simply services that
specialize in the promotion of links to others.
Although "Non-Organic SEO" can speed up rankings and placement
initially, care needs to be given when using any of these
methods. If keyword dense pages are automatically generated en
masse, the Search Engines might view large sites, with large
numbers of such pages as "Search Engine Spammers" and a risk of
being banned does exist. In addition, pages may initially place
very high, only to drop lower rather quickly, as the Search
Engines still place a great emphasis on good content, which is
not usually the focus of the "Non-Organic" type of SEO.
All in all, it really depends upon the overall purpose of a
site, and the longevity of results desired by a Web master/site
owner. It also depends upon how quickly results and sales are
needed. For some seasonal sites, such as holiday-theme sites
that only remain up for a few weeks or months, then the quicker
method of "Non-Organic SEO" can be quite effective. On the other
hand, if a Web master/site owner promotes a product or service
to which they are committed for years, or perhaps a lifetime,
then "Organic SEO" would definitely be the better choice of
optimization method.
No matter which type of SEO methods are chosen or implemented,
an ongoing campaign of optimization does need to exist, as the
parameters that are used for the rankings and placement by the
Search Engines, change frequently, and research into current
methods needs to be done routinely.
As the old saying goes, "Different strokes for different folks",
really applies to Search Engine Optimization and rankings and
placement. The whole Search Engine Optimization process is
really more "art than science", and continues to change daily.
About the author:
Vishal P. Rao is the editor of
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com - A website
dedicated to opportunities, ideas and resources for starting a
home based business. He is also the owner of the
http://www.work-at-home-forum.com - an online community of folks
who work at home.
