Search Engine Optimization, SEO
By Michigan Search Engine Optimizer Jay Bale

Optimization is by far the best way to get high exposure quickly and efficiently. Search engine optimization has rippling effects that can and will outperform paid marketing in almost every way.

When you optimize a site, it is a delicate balance of art and science. If you make a site with no consideration of search engine optimization, then you are free artistically to create whatever you want, it's like having a graphic artist make an ad for you. When you involve building a site that is optimized, you then must then follow rules, that when applied right, will allow Search Engine Companies such as Yahoo, Google, and MSN the opportunity to understand and categorize your site. Many things have to happen all at once in order to allow for your site to begin a successful climb in the indexing on the various search engines.

Search engine optimization in Michigan and beyond is about educated guesses and about doing what has worked before, or by copying another optimizer. The search engines hide from us exactly how they categorize web pages and what makes them go to the top positions. Most Search engine optimizers have a good idea of what makes a website climb to the top, but there is no real set of rules, and there is a lot of misleading information out there. It's easy to go to three different search engine optimization companies and have them reply with three different answers to the same question. My strategy of getting to the top position on a search engine may be completely different than what is done by another search engine optimizer. However we may both end up with a top position using our varied skills to move the website to the top of the search engine.

Getting to the Top

How you get to the top matters. When I build a website I am looking for a genuine site. I do not trick search engines to gain higher placement. I simply feed the search engines the information they want. If you are a search engine optimization company in Michigan then you should not try to convince the search engine you are from Colorado. Search engines just want cleaner sites with more relevant and true information, as well as options for the consumer. Many search engine optimizers today use tricks in order to gain top ranking positions search engines. You most likely have seen some of these websites. Websites that do this, typically have few images with lots of text that will often not make any sense when you read it. Another trick some optimizers use is to create a website that is actually a smaller search engine. Sites like these usually come and go frequently.

The best way to build a website is to give good quality information to the viewers. Very few people will actually take the time to read all of the information you place on your site if there are product images. However the good news is that the search engines will read everything on your site that is in text format. This means sometimes I am putting in readable information that I know will rarely be read in hopes of having a better position within the search engine rankings. I need to put all this information in the website and on specific pages without having that entire text look like "Funny stuff" to the viewer of the website. It is an artistic challenge, but when done correctly, you will end up with a website that will maintain its search engine positions longer and better than by using any trick.

When designing your website it is important to be sure you get to the top of the search engine in the right manner. Google, Yahoo, and MSN are the top search engines used by internet users, which means they control over 90% of the internet search engine information distributed to the public in America. To be a top website you will need to get your website listed within the first few pages of these three search engines. More importantly you will need to show up under the proper search term for the products or services your company offers. If you sell "glass urns" you should ideally show up under the search term glass urns. If you are selling glass urns and you are showing up under the search terms "shoes" there is something wrong with the way you optimized the site.

Many search engine optimization firms never have to contend with the fact that their client will ever be on the first page of Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Many other search engine optimization companies never get their clients to page one of their important key word, so they are able to have multiple clients selling the same product with no hassle. I see it as a real conflict of interest to be optimizing a number of sites that are all selling the same product. In this case who gets the better placement? I only accept one client per product or service offered. This means if you sell bicycles and I am optimizing your account, I will not accept work from another bicycle firm. I see it as a conflict of interest. I will truly be working to place your site into a page one position. This is where you want to see your site, not someone else's.

The Range of the Search

The greatest part of search engine optimization is being able to reaching so many search strings at the same time. When your site lists within the search engines, you are listed there for free, this means there is no cost to you. Clients will be able to click on your site all day long and not cost you a penny. The importance is the range and depth of the search. The range of the search refers to how far of the searcher can be away from your keywords and still be able to find your product. Depth is basically how far the search engines have read the pages and indexed them from deep within your site.

Search engine optimization can work so well that some well optimized companies never spend any money on paid marketing while generating millions in profit. If your website is optimized your company has far less dependency on paid marketing. Optimized websites also avoid the danger that heavily invested untrained bidders can create for your company. Websites that are created with proper search engine optimization and not by tricks will strongly maintain their positions in the search engines and move very little from day to day. There are times when a website may fall lower in search engine placement, and often a little work can bring the site back into its position. Things that can cause your website to move up or down in the search engines are endless, in fact no one knows for sure what they are, except the search engine companies themselves. More often than not, website that move up in the search engine ranks are sites that are put together well with relevant content that offers more products and or services.