Promoting the Web Site - Search Engine Optimization

Web sites can improve their traffic by optimizing their placement with search engines. Search engine optimization is the process by which companies can improve a Web site to achieve higher search engine rankings. Search engine optimization can be a cheap and effective marketing tool for promoting a Web site.

According to research published by www.searchengines.com, a search engine optimization resource, some 55 percent of all e-commerce transactions originate with a search listing. By optimizing key elements of a Web site, the site can improve its rankings on searches within its category. Web sites that appear on the first page of a search result are likely to attract more traffic than Web sites that appear further down on the search results.

There are several aspects to optimizing a Web site for better search engine placements. They include elements internal to the Web site, such as HTML tags, meta tags, ALT tags, URL names, and more. External elements that affect a site's ranking include link popularity, click popularity, and themes. The major search engines, such as Yahoo! and AltaVista, have their own submission procedures, which must be followed in order for a Web site to show up on their search results.