One of my top-favourite SEO specialists over at RankStudy defines SEO as "the process of enhancing both the content and the reputation of a Web page in order to improve search engine rankings and meet your top prospects at their immediate point of need." Broken out this gives SEO four key areas:
- content This is the quality of the words and phrases you use on your site--include the semantic value you give that content through the use of HTML markup (the codey stuff that makes up a Web page). Headings are more important that plain text. Page titles are more important than headings.
- reputation This is the quality of incoming links including the key phrases used in the link text as well as the popularity of the sites who link to you.
- top prospects Who's got the potential to become a paying customer or a raving fan? You want to create content to attract these people.
- match visitor needs to site content This is the pairing of your "most wanted outcome" with your visitor's "point of need." If your visitor needs a tutorial to help them with their user group demo and you want them to become a developer there's a mismatch between what you want and what your visitor wants.
In the next blog entry: how to see your site through a search engine's eyes.
