How the search engines work

How are the pages indexed? How do the search routines really work? Only the operators of the search engines know for sure, and this is generally very closely held proprietary information. The process is continually improved, as all useful computer software is.

The information that the operators of the search engines will release, combined with the results of research into why certain pages are at the top of the list of results of certain searches, help us in our process.

Using this information, we can make a reasonable determination of what techniques can be used to enhance a web site's visibility and effectiveness in the search engines.

Through an analysis of your existing or proposed web site, we can recommend and implement changes that can dramatically improve your site's chances of being found.

Some of these changes may alter the actual content of what is displayed on a page. Many of these changes, however, have no effect on what a user sees when visiting your site.

So SEO can really help you. Why not take it a little further and get your site listed for all kinds of searches. that should really bring the traffic in, right? It just might, but probably not for very long.

When using various search engines, you may have noticed that some search results have little, if anything, to do with what you were looking for. Some of these pages may even redirect you to another web site altogether.

The owners of these pages have one goal: to get you in the door (so to speak), no matter what lies or cheats they have to use to do it.

What not to do

The following search engine optimization techniques are often called spamming, and should be avoided at all costs:

• automatically generated doorway pages;
• cloaking and false redirects;
• keyword stuffing;
• hidden text or hidden links;
• pages loaded with irrelevant words;
• duplicated content on multiple pages;
• misspelling of well-known web sites;
• unrelated and centralized link farms;
• other methods that try to trick search engines.

These and other similar techniques, while sometimes effective in generating an increase in traffic to your site, quickly fail.

Imagine putting a "Detour" sign in the street in front of your place of business, forcing traffic into your parking lot. Yes, your parking lot is full, but how many of those people actually wanted to be there?

How many of those people will want to shop there after witnessing such a trick? How long will it take the local police to remove the sign?

The same thing happens to web sites that use such nefarious techniques. People are brought to a site where they had no intention of going. Do you think they will stay to shop?

When the operators of a search engine discover these types of tricks, they will often remove the site from their index entirely.

How do you rank?

The next time you use a search engine, look for your own site. What words would someone search for that should bring them to your site? Is your site listed in those search results?

SEO is the tool that can be used to insure that your site is listed as close as possible to the top of the relevant search results.

Without SEO it will be as if those customers drive by your shop without even knowing that you are there. Should SEO be important to you? You can bank on it.

This article was written by Dan Johnson, Technical & Marketing Consultant at Webnauts Net.