What is Search Engine Optimization?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the systematic process of making a website more accessible for search engines, towards achieving higher rankings on Search Engine Results Pages, or SERPs.
SEO, as practised by professional and ethical Search Engine Marketing Companies such as Bruce Clay Inc and Purple Cow Communications, is referred to as White Hat SEO, or ethical SEO.
Search Engine Optimization as a process has many aspects, yet addresses topics such as website structure, content themes and the way in which a given site links to other sites, and vice versa.
Many inexperienced or fly-by-night Search Engine Optimizers or SEO companies may promise you fast Top 10 Google.com, Yahoo.com or MSN.com website rankings, yet the reality of organic Search Engine Marketing is that SEO results, i.e. good website rankings, take time, effort and a significant level of inbound link development.
Website rankings is a bit like a social popularity contest. The more "cool" websites link to your website, the better it will rank on the major search engines.
Good search engine rankings depend on a plethora of factors, including how long your website's been around (and optimised), how many other credible and related "authoritative" websites link to it, as well as how well it is search engine optimized.
Essentially, one can bank on the fact that any unethical "Black Hat" SEO strategies employed during the course of website development or Search Engine Optimization will be penalised - especially by Google and Yahoo. Choosing a credible and established Search Engine Marketing Company that practises White Hat SEO will serve your best business interests in the long run, as it will result in your website ranking better over time.
Go the tried and tested "best practises" route; too many websites are kicked off Google on a regular basis for cheating. Visit Purple Cow Communications for more information on Search Engine Optimization and how Search Engine Marketing will benefit your business.