Search Engine Optimisation is a process web masters implement in order to improve their visibility online via the organic or natural/un-paid search results. As a general rule the earlier and/or higher ranked websites within the SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages) the more visitors it will receive from the search engines. Search Engine Optimisation can be categorised into different search verticals including local search, video search, image search, academic search, news search and industry specific vertical search engines.
Search Engine Optimisation is an internet marketing strategy which is predominately based around how search engines work and search engine compliance. Internet marketing professionals generally target a list of specific key phrases they want high visibility in, there are several tools available on the internet in order to determine these keywords. The main keyword research tool is Google Adwords keyword tool however recent research has indicated the values displayed within this tool may be inaccurate. There are other tools emerging which specialise within keyword research, these tools include Site Build It! (SBI), Marketing Samurai and SEOmoz.
Webmasters optimise a website which may involve editing it’s content, coding and off-site strategy in order to increase the website/webpage relevance for a particular key term and remove any barriers to the indexing activities of search engines. Increasing the amount of back links, or inbound links is another, more common search engine optimisation tactic.
White hat SEO vs Black hat SEO
Search Engine Optimisation can be summarised into two broad categories, White hat SEO and Black hat SEO. These two terms reflect on two different marketing strategies, one is tailored around Search Engine guidelines (White Hat) whilst the other strategy is an attempt to increase a website visibility unethically (Black Hat). Black Hat SEO is notorious for getting results in the short term however Search Engines are becoming knowledgeable within this market and are quickly penalising websites who adopt such a strategy.
A good example of Black Hat SEO is if a website sold Halloween costumes, the webmaster may implement a Black Hat SEO strategy in order to gain results quickly around October time. Once this time has passed it will not matter if the website has been penalised as the rewards of such a high placement will of been harvested. Seasonal Black Hat SEO is something that is becoming more common as their are endless tools available to automatically build back links which can give a website a large increase in visibility.
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