Search Engine Optimization

Own or run a web site and you’ll be approached by organizations or individuals
offering search engine marketing services. Search engine marketing is any kind of
activity that’s intended to bring traffic from a search engine to another web site. A
common source of confusion when discussing search engines occurs within its two
main disciplines: search engine optimization, and search engine advertising. While
both relate specifically to search engine applications, their techniques and goals
are quite different.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the function of improving a web site’s position
in the results of a search engine query for a target set of keywords. This includes
optimizing your own pages—making your site attractive to search engines, as well
as encouraging other sites to link back to you.
Search engine advertising is when advertisements are displayed to search engine
visitors when a defined set of search terms is requested. For the most part, these
advertising campaigns are based on a Pay Per Click model where you pay a set
amount each time your ad is clicked on.

Search engine advertising is covered in detail in Chapter 8. In this chapter, we’ll
concentrate on search engine optimization, and how you can use it to cause explosive
growth in your site’s traffic.
Understanding Search Engines
A search engine is the main starting point for most people attempting to find
products, services, or information on the Web. Just think how many times you’ve
used Google, Yahoo, or MSN to find an item yourself when unsure of where else to
start. Since about 1993, demand for search engines has exploded.1 To ignore search
engines as a part of your marketing mix is like forgetting to zip up your fly when
you dress in the morning—you just end up looking silly.
The Role of a Search Engine
Search engines have played one of the biggest roles in the growth of the Internet.