Search engines have complex algorithms in place that rank websites for various keyword phrases. The process of search engine optimization involves manipulating the different components of the algorithm in order to increase a website’s rank. There are certain things that can be done to increase a website’s relevancy to a particular keyword and its overall importance relative to other websites. Increasing the relevance and importance (or “authority”) of a website will increase its position in the search results.
The first step to an SEO initiative is to choose one’s target keywords. Oftentimes, generating a keyword list is rather easy. For example, if you are a plumber in Austin, one of the keywords that you will certainly want to show up for is “Austin plumber.” However, sometimes keyword research is not so straightforward. It can be difficult to predict which keywords receive the most traffic. Sometimes, a keyword that one might think will be productive in terms of generating sales actually receives little to no searches. Optimizing a website for a keyword that no one is searching for is akin to placing a billboard in the middle of a dense forest. There are certain tools that can be used to determine which keywords receive traffic and which don’t.
