Search engine optimization is nothing more than giving the
search engines exactly what they want. The engines want good
quality content and no funny business, and that is exactly
what you are going to give them. You do this by simply structuring
and wording your pages in a way that the search engines like.
Why are you going to do this? Alright, so you have an alterior
motive. You want the search engines to reward you by positioning
your pages prominently in their index for your desired and
appropriate keywords and phrases. Is that so terrible? Of
course it isn't. You are giving the search engines what they
want and they reward you with what you want, and everyone
is happy! That's fair, right?
Many in the search engine world feel that designing your
pages to perform better in the engines is manipulation of
the engines. They see it as unethical. I think this is absolutely
absurd. The search engine optimization process I advocate
in my book, "How
Ordinary People Make Extraordinary Money Online!"
actually facilitates you, the web designer, taking a closer
look at and paying closer attention to what these engines
like to see and what their guests like to see. How is this
a bad thing? It actually forces you to empathize wtih the
search engines and become more sensitive to what they value
as quality information. Doing this also helps you produce
better quality information which makes the online experience
better for all of us! You are actually helping them accomplish
their goal!
This understanding of how the search engines work, like any
other kind of information can be abused and misused, but it
can also help us understand what good content is and guide
us to make more of it. The end result is that you end up creating
the kind of quality pages that they wish to offer their viewers,
and this is good for the viewer, the engines, and you the
web site designer!
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