Optimization and Promotion Terminology

Because so much of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) seems shrouded in mystery, we put together a list of standard Web site optimization-promotion terms and their definitions.

Term Definitions

• Optimization: preparing your Web site to be effectively recognized and 'spidered' by search engines and indexes.
  
  
• Submit: actual submission of your Web site to the proper location, and category of the individual search engines and indexes.
  
  
• *Meta Tags: hidden code that the search engines use to find information about your Web site. The more accurate, informative, and detailed these are, the better your site will be recognized. For example, we use eight (8) separate Meta Tag sections on every Web page to insure accurate reporting:

• Robots: these are the 'spiders' we refer too - they automatically 'walk or crawl' your site.
  
  
• **Keywords: these help define what the search engines will use to classify you for searching. For example, we would use: Web site promotion, design, Internet, small business. You should be using many of the same keywords/key phrases in your Meta tags that you use on your Web pages.
  
  
• Page Titles: each of your pages must be properly titled to reflect that page’s content. This titling rates heavily in search engines/indexes.
  
  
• ALT Tag: hidden tags that do show up (in most browsers) that detail exactly what an image, picture, or graphic is. If this isn't done, the search engine/spider will ignore that object - possibly costing you valuable search options. Misuse of this feature (non-appropriate tagging of an image) will result in your being banned from the engine/index.
  
  
• Table of Contents: another hidden file that lists every Web page, in order, with correct path (www.yoursite.com/toc.htm) on your Web site for the spiders to thoroughly scan and list your site.
  
  
• Manual Submission: submiting your site to the search engines one engine/index at-a-time. This takes much longer, but ensures that your Web site is properly submitted.
  
  
• Resubmission: resend the data to specific search engines/indexes to assist in keeping you on their listings.
  
  
• Paid Search Engines: many of the search engines are charging fees for business sites. Some will still accept free submissions, but take a very long time for registration. The price varies depending on the search engine. Last check has Yahoo charging $299 per URL (non-refundable) ; that fee is due every year to stay indexed with them.  Google is still free.

*Note: The 'revisit' tag is no longer recognized by the large engines/indexes. **Only a few of the many search engines and indexes give any weight to the use of keywords in your Meta tags today - intelligent placement in your copy is much more effective. 

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Client Testimonial

"It's tough to be neutral when marketing yourself! Working with Annie at x-SITE-d has really helped in this process. She took our initial web site that read like a fact sheet and with minor input made it more readable and visually interesting.

The greatest thing about working with x-SITE-d is that they 'get it' - you don't have to spend hours with them on details to end up with something really interesting."
-- Judith Grillo, President, Cricket Communications, Inc.

SEO - Definition

From Wikipedia: Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of methods aimed at improving the ranking of a website in search engine listings, and could be considered a subset of search engine marketing.

The term SEO also refers to "search engine optimizers," an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients' sites.

Some commentators, and even some SEOs, break down methods used by practitioners into categories such as "white hat SEO" (methods generally approved by search engines, such as building content and improving site quality), or "black hat SEO" (tricks such as cloaking and spamdexing).