Why should I optimize?

Optimizing your Web site for search engines is a very important component of your online marketing efforts. Prospects are looking for what you have to offer, but if they go to the Web looking for your products or services, chances are you have a lot of competition! According to a recent article written by Richard Zwicky on Search Engine Watch, over 90% of all search referrals are from the first page of search engine results. To obtain placement on the first page, it helps to have an understanding of how search engines work.


Search engines use "web crawlers" or "spiders" to constantly scan the Internet and gather all keywords on pages and in HTML, as well as all links to and from each page and the site as a whole.  The search engines then create an index of content and data gathered, based on a secret algorithm.  This usually includes a weighted factor of 60-100 variables, so there is no silver bullet, but common variables include:

  • Locations of words on a page (title, subheads, body, top of page, bottom of page)
  • Density of  the words on a page (percent of the total words on that page)
  • Number and importance of other pages and Web sites linking in and out
  • Information in HTML on a page (meta tags and page titles)

Done correctly, your fruitful online efforts will make it easy for search engines to find and properly index your site pages, resulting in a higher position on search engine results pages (SERPs).  Placement in the top 20 SERPs will drive prospects and customers to your site, generating not only a higher volume of leads, but better qualified leads.

Read best practices and steps for optimization.

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