Moving up in the ranks

Search engine optimization (SEO) deals with the rank number of a website when searched for something related to a website. For example when you search for laptops the Dell, Gateway and Hp websites come up (because they are big in the sales of laptops). Optimization is a very important tool in website promotion because if a person needs information on a given topic they most likely will use a search engine to find desired content, and if your website is on of the top results in a search your name will get to be well-known.

One way of promoting your website is to use Google AdWords. This service gives a person managing a website the option to increase result rank and pay by the amount of clicks per ads. You basically give Google keys words you want to associate to your website and having your site appear when those words are searched, and the website is charged every time someone clicks on their website after a search. Making sure you are specific in using key words and in setting a reasonable budget is something one must take into consideration as described in this New York Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/business/smallbusiness/15adwords.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=search%20engine%20optimization&st=cse

Social bookmarking is another way of promoting a website. This is where people can search organize and share websites they have bookmarked. This is people referencing other people's websites and is also a way a website can get its name out there. Instructions explained of this process are explained in three steps in this article http://www.ehow.com/how_4687770_use-social-bookmarking-effectivley.html

Google AdWord seems to be the best way to go in promoting a website because Google is such a household name and has such a wide audience. Another essential way a promotion is word of mouth. It may seems prehistoric in this day and age but it still is effective and can help in promotion efforts.

Wanna be on top?

Search Engine optimization (SEO) refers to a process of aligning a website’s code and content with strategic keywords phrase targeting. The goal of SEO is to assist a search engine algorithm in understanding a website’s keyword focus and ultimately achieve high natural search engine placement for those keywords and keyword phrases. This is achieved by various techniques such as submitting the website to directory services, careful placement of words and key phrases, hyperlinks, Meta tags, images, links and HTML and other forms of coding.

Web developers and managers should continuously improve search engine optimization by improving content, making sure that the pages are able to be indexed correctly, and ensuring that the content is unique.The better optimized the page is, the higher a ranking it will achieve in search engine result listings. The higher a Web site ranks in the results of a search, the greater the chance that that site will be visited by a user. Internet users don’t usually bother to click through pages and pages of search results and that is why it is so important for a website to come out in the top returned search results, preferably the first page.

I found two interesting articles Search Engine Placement Tips and 37 Ways to promote Your Website that discuss various SEO strategies and provide some useful tips on how to help your web page appear in the top search results.

Besides improving natural placement of search results, social networking tools are a great way to promote a website. Becoming active on social networking sites will bring traffic to your site as well as develop back links. The best thing about social networking sites is that they are free and they give you free access to huge potential client base. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Digg.com, Delicious.com, and Technorati.com represent the most popular social networking and bookmarking sites that can be utilized to promote your own websites.