When you hear search engine optimization what do you think of? Why would you consider "doing" search engine optimization and what would you expect to gain as a result of putting effort into search engine optimization?

It would be hard to imagine a more perfect target audience than someone who is looking for your company, the products or services you offer, or information you have on your website. The challenge, of course, is to gain an understanding of who those people are, craft a message that speaks directly to them or their needs, and then make sure the message reaches them by placing it where they will see it.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a term used to describe a variety of tasks that work together to improve a website's presence and importance in the eyes of the search engines. While there are three major search engines in North America, Google is by far the most popular and widely used. You might have heard of some or all of these typical SEO catchphrases – PageRank, (Back)Linking, Meta Tags, and others – and wondered what it all meant. A website must not only please the search engines, but also must benefit the business and most of all please the humans that visit the site by delivering the product, information or service they were seeking.

The patterns of consumers have been studied, and over time, it’s been found that people use the internet to research a product or a service. After they’ve gathered and armed themselves with the information about the product or service they want and are ready to make a buying decision, those same customers are looking on the internet again – only this time to find a local business where they can buy that product or use that service.

Right now, people are looking on the internet for your local services and products instead of using the Yellow Pages phone book or newspapers. If they’re not finding your business when they search, you have a problem!

Your competitors are getting your customers and your profit!

You already know having an internet presence is important, and have a website for your business. But now what do you do with it? And does your business get found by those local consumers using the internet, looking for your product or service?

In this ongoing series of blog posts, it is our goal to help you to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the importance of search engine optimization for your website.