Search engine optimization (SEO) is the act of enhancing the quantity and quality of site visitors to a particular website or even a web page from search engine results. It is important to optimize search engine results to increase your rankings in the search engine results. SEO aims at increasing targeted website traffic and at the same time improving your visibility in search results. The results are displayed either in organic search results where the site is ranked according to the keyword popularity, or as sponsored links in paid search results. SEO targets both paid and unpaid traffic and is therefore aimed at improving your rankings.
Organic search results are those that come up in your search engine results through natural online content development. This includes on-site factors such as URL structure, title tags, meta tags, keywords and descriptions. These factors improve the rankings by giving content a boost and making it easy for your site to be found when people search for a given keyword or topic. Organic search results are usually preferred over paid placements.
Paid search engine optimization (SEO) is different from organic search engine optimization (SEO). PPC, also known as pay per click advertising, is a form of paid search marketing that uses sponsored links placed on the sponsored listings of the search results. The sponsored links can be related to the content of the website or they may point to an external site. Paid search results give immediate results and are better when you need fast publicity.
Both organic search engines and paid search engines have limitations and their purpose is different. Organic SEO improves the quality of the traffic generated by the site by improving the content available on the site and by including keywords in the content. Paid search engines provide instant traffic by paying only for traffic that is generated within a set period such as one hour or one day. These pay-per-click campaigns can have a high impact on the rankings of the website in the search results for a given keyword or phrase and can increase the number of visitors to the site for a certain period of time.
Organic search engine optimization tends to have a wider range of focus than paid campaigns, as they incorporate strategies for increasing visibility and improving user experience. SEO companies use strategies such as building inbound links to improve the ranking of websites in the organic category, as well as include reciprocal linking schemes with other well known sites. Good SEO strategies also include creating content that is more keyword focused, and making use of content keywords. Content that incorporates backlinks to other well known websites can also help to improve the ranking.
Organic search engine optimization methods include building link popularity through article marketing, directory submission, blog commenting and social media submission. Keywords are used liberally throughout the content and web pages, without over stuffing the pages with keywords. Meta tags and titles are also important for the success of organic SEO efforts, as these allow the engine to know what the page is about and how it is related to the query. Using keywords or keyword phrases in titles, meta tags and content is a common strategy for increasing page ranking.
Paid search engine optimization requires a measurable amount of traffic to be generated. The amount of traffic may be achieved by using pay-per-click advertising, creating and distributing online content, blogging or forum posting. Webpages must be optimized for both search engine ranking and traffic by the inclusion of targeted keywords and keyword phrases. Link building techniques such as articles and directories must be included, as well as paid promotions such as banner ads. Some webmasters choose to offer free content to promote their products and services on their pages. This technique can be effective, if content is interesting enough, but for a business to benefit from a high ranking, the web pages must be optimized.
Organic search engine optimization does not rely solely on the use of keywords. Content is king, as keywords are only part of the optimization process. Search engines work with the intent of delivering results based on the particular words searched for. While keywords play a big role in determining ranking, webmasters should also take time to carefully craft content that provides relevant information to readers and appeals to the search engines. Doing so will allow businesses to reap the benefits of a higher page rank and a significant increase in traffic.