Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. Typically, the earlier a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
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Hidden text, doorway pages and mirror sites are all examples of search engine spam and could get you banned from the search engines - make sure your site avoids all of these!
Townes, Frederick. Webcredible (2007). Design>Web Design>Search Engine Optimization>Spam
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Search Engine Strategies for Success: 2006
Every year is always rocked by a plethora of changes in the search engine marketing world. The acquisition of smaller companies by the Big 3 changes the marketing landscape as we know it every month and with every update to the index that is made, we hold our breath and hope that we come out better (if not, the same) in the end. So when it comes to the new year, there are many things that we should look out for to stay on top of the rankings.
Wooton, John. stevenforsyth.com (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Search Engines and the Will to Truth 
Thousands, probably millions of writers are putting up pages of information or speculation on the Web. They are choosing to bypass the whole apparatus of referees, editors, reviewers, catalogers, and indexers to make a direct appeal to 'the world' on the Web. If the cost of Web publication were that the pages remained un-indexed, few would choose it, for it would amount to being one drop in a sea of 1.5 billion pages: the chance of anyone with an interest in the topic finding the page would be infinitesimal. But along with all this unauthorized, uncatalogued writing has come the development of fast and powerful search engines, some of them indexing over one billion pages. And suddenly 'to look something up' means 'to run it by Yahoo!' It is easy to make a case against the Web search engines, and from that a case against the Web itself as a medium, or even a tool, for making and exchanging public knowledge. But...
Dillon, George. Kairos (2001). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Search Engines as Leeches on the Web
Search engines extract too much of the Web's value, leaving too little for the websites that actually create the content. Liberation from search dependency is a strategic imperative for both websites and software vendors.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2006). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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When practiced at the level of those of us who've been in the game for 5-10 years, SEO is in fact very Zen-like. We can look at a website and know exactly what needs to be done to make it the best it can be for the site visitors and the search engines. Often, it's easiest for us when we can just roll up our sleeves and do what we know needs to be done, rather than try to explain the whys and wherefores. Many times it's not even possible to explain exactly why we are doing a specific thing, because it simply comes from the gut.
Whalen, Jill. High Rankings Advisor (2005). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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SEO for Dummies (well, and Web Developers)
Sometime Search Engine Optimization (SEO) seems to have morphed into a mystical creature. Most people, even those who design and develop websites for a living, know they need it, but don’t know exactly what it is. They have been feed so much rheteric and sales speaches that they seem to have given up on SEO long ago.
Robbins, Kyle. ReEncoded (2008). Articles>Web Design>Search Engine Optimization
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Outbound links' anchor text affects a page's search engine ranking in much the same way that inbound links' anchor text affects search engine ranking.
Walsh, Joel. stevenforsyth.com (2006). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Search Engine Optimization
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Site Maps and Hypertext Links: "Food" for Search Engine Robots
Site maps and links are so important for search engine optimisation - find out why.
Webcredible (2003). Design>Information Design>Sitemaps>Search Engine Optimization
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Six Powerful Ways to Find Link Targets
Building up links into your website is one of the most effective ways of achiveing a high search engine ranking - find out how to find the best websites from which to request links
McGaffin, Ken. Webcredible (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Social Media Marketing: A Guide
Marketing to social media websites such as Digg and del.icio.us has become an integral part of any SEO campiagn - find out what you need to do.
Eaves, David. Webcredible (2008). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Strategies for Improving Enterprise Search
Acquiring and installing a search engine is just the beginning of creating an effective enterprise search system. John Ferrara walks us through strategies for addressing critical aspects of the user experience often overlooked or ignored.
Ferrara, John. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>Web Design>Information Design>Search Engine Optimization
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Submitting Your Site to the Open Directory
Getting your site an optimum listing in the Open Directory (DMOZ) is vitally important as far as search engine positioning is concerned as Google gives a lot of importance to sites being listed in the Open Directory.
Roy, Sumantra. 1stSearchRanking (2003). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Ten Steps To Higher Search Engine Positioning
This article outlines ten steps to help you get better search engine positioning.
Davies, Dave. evolt (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Ten Tips to the Top of the Search Engines
Having a website that gets found in Google, Yahoo, and MSN, etc. isn't hard to do, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here are my latest and greatest tips to get you started.
Whalen, Jill. High Rankings Advisor (2005). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
#26150
Top of the Top of the Top of Search Results
Virtually every search engine and directory is now associated with some kind of paid solution, and it is tempting to see them as an easy way to get top ranking for your web site.
McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
#31055
The Ultimate Guide to Directory Submissions
Submitting your website to directories is a great way to increase your search engine rankings - get the full lowdown on how to do this.
Eaves, David. Webcredible (2008). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Usability ved Søgemaskine Optimering
Normalt ses søgemaskine optimering eller position boosting som et marketing redskab, hvis formål er at skabe så megen trafik på websites som muligt, men der er andre overvejelser at gøre sig når der søgemaskine optimeres. Handlingsorienteret usability handler også om søgemaskine optimering, blot indirekte.
Quark, The (2002). (Danish) Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Use PHP to Build a Search Engine Optimization Application
PHP, a dynamic Web-based programming language, takes a variety of input formats and uses a built-in SOAP client to obtain information from the Web. PHP, combined with applications using search engine optimization (SEO), is a powerful tool for obtaining information from major search engines, allowing this information to guide a webmaster's online marketing and SEO strategies.
Anderson, Tyler. IBM (2006). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Users Can Bask in the Benefits of Google Analytics
Google has earned its giant position in search engine marketplace through real innovative solutions, and of course, strategic moves all aimed at users ultimate convenience. It has been almost customary for Google to bring in some exciting features initially for a price then slashing the rate drastically to making it FREE for all. This sort of repeated move could be seen as first serving the target market with its innovative solutions, and later making it free to give many a business in similar or remotely similar categories a run for their money. Critics claims have to stand the test of contemporary business realities.
Azam, Rahbre. Amateur Writerz (2008). Articles>Web Design>Server Side Includes>Search Engine Optimization
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Using XHTML/CSS for an Effective SEO Campaign
Improve your search engine ranking by harnessing the benefits of well-authored XHTML and using CSS to boost your code-to-content ratio.
Olejniczak, Brandon. List Apart, A (2003). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Website Content: Getting It Right for Search Engines
The content on your website is key for your search engine ranking - find out why this is.
James, Nick. Webcredible (2008). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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What Search Engines Need to See to Rank Your Site Well (Part 1)
A substantial number of people use search engines to find goods and services that interest them. Incredibly, though, many web designers don't pay much attention to designing sites to rank well in searches. This means that in order to protect your investment in your website, you need to know what has to be done to get good rankings, and how to make sure that your designer has done it.
Bennaco (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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What Search Engines Need to See to Rank Your Site Well (Part 2)
A substantial number of people use search engines to find goods and services that interest them. This second half of a two-part article explains how to make sure that your web designer has set up your site so search engines will like what they see and rank you high.
Bennaco (2004). Articles>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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According to Forrester Research, almost 80% of all searches conducted online are done with search engines. Marketing your Web site through the various search engines is still considered to be the most effective way to drive traffic to your Web site. But how will potential visitors find you?
Berg, Debbie. WebDeb (2001). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
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Which Keywords Should You Optimize Your Site For?
In this article, we focus on the correct way of finding out the keywords for which you should optimize your site for the search engines. This article will give you the formula for the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) - a mathematical formula which I have developed to help you determine which keywords you should be optimizing your site for.
Roy, Sumantra. 1stSearchRanking (2002). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization
