Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, is a process that directs the spiders, bots and crawlers to your site to read its content and to index the information thus aiding in the search process. Companies are now spending billions of dollars each year on search engine optimization and marketing.

Why do millions of sites languish in cyberspace? Because proper SEO has not been effectively implemented. It is on ongoing process of monthly updates. Often called the 'snake oil' industry as there are many individuals now hanging out their hats as "experts", a good SEO strategist will pay off as the proof is in the pudding. Results speak for themselves!

Why is your conversion rate low (the rate at which you convert website viewers into paying clients)? If you have a high bounce rate on your home page, then there is a reason for it. Somewhere within the website structure, be it technical (the navigation process has become frustrating or confusing) or text (your content has not been effectively written), the 'close' process has been terminated. This may cost you potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars in sales. We call the proper set-up "funneling". It should be systematic, leading the viewer from step A to B to C, thus culminating with an inquiry or sale.

"Content is King" is the saying in SEO. Your site must contain ample content that is updated and expanded on a regular basis. This signals the search engines that you are busy . . . and busy is good! Search engines love content!

News Search Engines are said to be the number one choice for news in the 18 - 54 age group for those owning or having access to computers. Don't miss out on this important traffic source. Press Releases are a great way to carve your niche here. Wire services, newspapers, magazines all like press releases. They must be effectively written and optimized in order to gain maximum exposure.

Call-to-Action - If your pages are not written to entice the viewer to keep 'clicking', then your bounce rate will be high. Keyphrases need to be used to keep the clicks coming and to close the deal.

Blogging is the new marketing tool of the internet. Politicians have staff members who follow blogs all day. Quickly, businesses around the world recognized its power and are now utilizing this as an effective and powerful tool for internet marketing and positioning. It is huge! If you are not blogging, you are missing out on an important advertising/marketing medium. (An RSS Feed is then added to support your blogging efforts.)

Regular submission of your URL addresses is normally handled by your SEO expert. This is vital to the major search engines but it does no good unless your pages are first optimized.

Proper Meta-Tags are necessary for maximum optimization of your site. A good SEO expert will analyze these and choose the ones best suited to nail your traffic and message.

Codes and Links - Your web designer must use correct html coding that, once again, allows the spiders to access your information. Incorrectly written codes or broken links only slow down your success with indexing and conversion.

Flash - Beware of too much flash as the search engines like content, not flash. It confuses the spiders who will just crawl in the other direction, thus preventing the information from being properly read and indexed. If the engines don't read it, your potential clients or customers may not either.

Site Map - A Sitemap informs the search engine crawlers that you have other web pages and where they are located. If they don't know about it, they won't read and index those pages. Simply put, a Sitemap is a catalog of your URL addresses for all of your Website pages.

Video - Given a choice of choosing between a vendor or corporation with no video on their website or one with video, viewers normally choose the one with video. Why? Because the viewer has now seen the product or service in its application or company management in action. A moving picture is worth a thousand words! It provides a comfort level. It gives the visual that potential clients seek. A website with a professional, well-written and produced video can boost your sales and visibility.