What is Search Engine Optimization?   

Search engine optimization refers to the many techniques used to achieve high rankings in search results for keywords and phrases that are relevant to a site's content and purpose.  Search engine placement should be considered during the beginning  phases of a web design project.

How important is keyword selection in a web page design?

Extremely important.  You must choose keywords that people will use when searching for your site.  Choosing keywords that are too popular or too broad will cause you to receive traffic that is not appropriate to your site, and thereby will not result in as many sales as a highly targeted word or phrase.  Choosing the wrong keywords usually results in very little increased traffic to your site. 

Can anyone design a web site?

Yes, just about anyone can sit down with a word editing program and design a web site.  Though, finding a person or  web design company that can provide an attractive, content rich design, optimized and structured for fast downloading and search engine compatibility, is a bit more difficult.  Your best friend's daughter who just finished a web design course in college, may be able to upload a site for you, but will anyone be able to find it amongst the millions of other web sites on the world wide web?  Are the graphics and images going to take a long time to download?  Will it be professional in appearance?  Will it be submitted to the search engines properly or could your site get permanently banned from them for spamming?  These are some of the questions you must ask yourself before getting started.

How effective is Search Engine Marketing?

• A January 2001 NPD Group study shows search engine positions are 2 to 3 times more effective in generating sales than banner ads. 
   

• 92% of online consumers use search engines to shop and or purchase online according to a report published by the NPD Group.
   

• A study conducted by IMT Strategies found that search engines are the #1 way people find web sites.  Random searching and word-of-mouth ranked second.
   

• The January 2001 NPD study also showed that traffic arriving from search listings resulted in 55% of all Internet purchases as compared to only 9% for banners.

Is the trend toward paid submissions making search engine optimization obsolete?

Quite the opposite.  In the case of paid inclusion, you still must use optimization techniques within  your pages to achieve top rankings.  Submitting alone is still not enough whether you are doing it for free or paying for inclusion.  The stakes are simply higher when you're paying.

How do I keep my web pages clean, easy to read and easy to navigate?

• Use short paragraphs, they're easier to read.

• Use bold topic headings.

• Use easy to read fonts.

• Use clear and concise text links making navigation more user-friendly.

• Keep page size as close to 8 x 11 as possible (standard printable paper size).

• Don't use loud or repetitive backgrounds.

• Don't overload the space with graphics or too much text, white space is good.