SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to how "search engine friendly" your website is. Having a website that is search engine friendly increases your website’s exposure. Increase your exposure and you increase profits naturally and organically.

How Does SEO Work?

Search engine optimization works like an intricate network of spider webs throughout the internet. When an individual types a query into the search engine, the search engines go to work finding the most relevant information. While the complete demographics to how this works is not disclosed, a few things are known about how they work and how you can increase your website’s "search friendliness."

Using Keywords

Keywords and keyword phrases are words that are relevant to your website that individuals might search for. While you have to be careful about using keywords, especially excessively, splashing main keywords as well as secondary keyword phrases can increase the page rank of your website.

It is important that, when using keywords and keyword phrases that you avoid making your website sound like it was designed for search engines. Incoherent sentences and strange phrases can sound awkward and leave individuals that land on your web page confused and frustrated. It can also give your site an unprofessional appearance.

To avoid this problem, you should keep keyword usage to no more than about 3%. Wording should be natural and easy to read. If a keyword phrase doesn’t make sense, change it around slightly. While this will not be as effective when relating to search engines, it will still provide you with more benefits than if you had left the words out. Just be sure to keep the words close together.

It is also important that you choose effective keywords and keyword phrases. Popular keyword phrases are more likely to be searched for by individuals looking for your webpage. However, these are also likely to be the keywords that are used most often by other businesses. Carefully evaluate the popularity and the competition of all keyword phrases. Ideally, you want a keyword phrase that is popular but does not have a lot of competition.

Why increasing your page rank is important

You may be wondering why your page rank is even important in the first place. If you don’t understand the importance of where your page ranks on the search engines, you are unlikely to see the benefits that SEO can provide to your business.

Studies have shown that consumers tend to visit the top three websites first. Very few consumers bother to look at the second page. So, applying this to why SEO and page rank is important, if your site appears on the second, third, or any other subsequent page, you are unlikely to even get noticed by consumers. If you are listed lower than the top three, you will be last on their list. Failing to fall in the top three can result in business lost to a competitor.

If you have not considered the importance of SEO, it is time to start thinking. Failing to do so could be costing you money. Jump on the train and you will see profits increase naturally.