My introductory post on the truth about Search Engine Optimization was an indulgence in drama that hopefully got the point across that search engine optimization is not about beating the system just to show up in the top of someone's search list. The temptation to focus on the means instead of the end is always there and while it can yield some immediate, apparently beneficial gains, in the long run it depreciates the value a site offers to it target visitors. When developing and implementing an SEO strategy, do pay attention to the details but don't focus on them.  Remember that the ultimate determination of your site showing up on the short list of search engines is when it proves to the world that it offers consistent valuable content that is relevant to your target audience.

It's a lot like a sales person who doesn't pay attention to the details of how they dress when they call on customers...they put themselves at a disadvantage for sure, but if their technical knowledge, customer service, and closing ability are honed, they'll be successful anyway. Web sites are much the same. It helps to be dressed for the occasion of attracting attention, but you've got to have the goods to back it up.

It should be no surprise that some of the best council on search engine optimization comes from those who write the SEO rules, or a good portion of them at least—Google.  Google provides two pages of guidelines for building a web site that will best suited to be indexed and highly ranked.  If you've not visited these pages, they are a must for anyone who contributes to the management of a website:

• How can I create a Google-friendly site?
• Webmaster Guidelines

Out of all the content on these two pages, the most important is in this short sentence: "Make pages for users, not for search engines."

Labels: Search-Engine-Optimization

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Posted by Douglas Case @ 8/23/2006 06:37:00 PM