With the recent boom in Internet marketing and research, search engine results have become a highly competitive area. All websites vie to be displayed on the first page when Google or Yahoo searchers throw up a result, and this has led to the newest area of Internet growth- Search Engine Optimization.

Search Engine Optimization: Different Folks, Different Strokes

There is no single answer to the question- “what is Search Engine Optimization?” Search Engine Optimization has many methods, some hundreds of software tools that are used for it, thousands of different kinds of guidelines to be followed, and each Search Engine Optimization service provider follows a different method of Search Engine Optimization.

Still, it is interesting to look at some definitions of the ways “Search Engine Optimization.”

Fakezilla defines Search Engine Optimization as changes made to code and content of websites so they show up on search engine results. The changes, according to Fakezilla, involve content rewriting, changing META tags and adding onsite or offsite links.

According to Wikipedia, Search Engine Optimization involves making the website more visible to search engines. Web Search Workshop calls Search Engine Optimization a marketing technique that improves the chances of the website being ranked among the top results that a Google/MSN/Yahoo search will throw up. Still others describe Search Engine Optimization as something that makes a website “search engine friendly”.

Search Engine Optimization: The Best Definition

The best way to describe Search Engine Optimization is as a method to tune a website so that it becomes more visible to search engines, and ensures that the site receives the kind of traffic that it aimed for. That is, Search Engine Optimization delivers a particular profile of visitors to the site. So if your website is offering air tickets to Miami, Florida, then the site should receive visits, and possible queries, from people planning to go on vacation, specifically people who like vacationing at beaches, and those who do not fear flying. Search Engine Optimization makes this targeted traffic direction possible.

What Search Engine Optimizers (SEOs) do?

The job of SEOs is not easy, since a thousand factors must be considered to get the right kind of visitors to a site, or to even make the site visible to search engines. The following are the things SEOs do for Search Engine Optimization:

• Get search engines to go through the site using crawlers, or bots.
• Get search engines to index the site
• Get a high ranking on the search engine result page
• Get the desired traffic.
• Ensure a superior conversion rate among those who visit the site.

Search Engine Optimization: Some Myths

Now that we are clear on what Search Engine Optimization is, let us look at some misconceptions regarding Search Engine Optimization.

Every Meta Tag is Equally Important

Search engines do not go by META tags alone. They consider things like content, and linking. Some search engines might pick up the description, so you should work on that.

You should Submit Your Website URL to Search Engines Often

There is no need to overdo this. You may want to consider some changes, or update your website, and then submit the site to the search engine for indexing, but there is no need to submit every week, or every fortnight.  The search engines can pick up the sites most relevant to a particular search, so you just need to sit back and let this happen automatically.

Search Engine Optimization Costs the Earth

Not really. You need to invest once to hire the best professionals to get your site indexed and ranked, but then, you also get to reap the rewards of this investment. If your site is good, that is, it is Search Engine Optimized, and if you can keep it that way, then the site will keep showing among the top results of Internet searches, and you will be the winner.

Hiring an SEO to work within the company is cheaper

Most SEOs who work as part of a company must be paid by the hour, or you must fix a regular salary for them irrespective of the amount of work they put in. A specialist from outside, however, charges for each project executed. Pay them once, and they will keep working on your site until you have the desired result.

The area of Search Engine Optimization is very fluid, with no fixed formula that can get your site ranked at the top. You have two options in from of you, either learn as much as you can about it, or hire a good SEO firm to help you out.