Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (English: Search Engine Optimization, commonly abbreviated as SEO) is a series of processes carried out systematically aimed at improving the volume and quality of traffic through search engines to visit certain web sites by utilizing the mechanism of action or the search engine algorithms. The goal of SEO is to place a website on top position, or at least the first page of search results based on certain keywords that are targeted. Logically, the websites that occupy the top positions on search results has a better chance to get visitors.

Along with the growing use of Internet as a medium business networks, the need for SEO also increased. Being at the top of search results will increase the chances of a web-based marketing firm to get new customers. This opportunity is utilized a number of parties to offer search engine optimization services for companies that have a base of business on the internet.

History

According to Danny Sullivan, search engine optimization is a term first used on July 26, 1997 by a spam message posted on Usenet. At that time the search engine algorithms are too complex yet so easy to manipulate.

Early versions of search algorithms are based entirely on information provided by the webmaster through the meta tags in html code their web sites. Meta tags provide information about the content contained on a web page with a series of keywords (keyword). Most webmasters make the manipulation by writing the keyword that does not correspond to the real site's content, so the search engines one place and rank sites. This causes search results to be inaccurate and cause losses to both search engines as well as for Internet users who expect high quality and relevant information.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Ph.D. students at Stanford University computer science, trying to overcome these problems by building BackRub, a simple search engine that relies on mathematical calculations to rank web pages. Algorithm, called PageRank, a complex mathematical function is a combination between the calculation of the number of links that point to a web page with an analysis of the quality of each link.

Based on the principle of PageRank, in general it can be said that the web pages that get high rankings are a lot of web pages linked by other web pages. PageRank value will be higher if a web page that led to him also has a high quality. The value of a high-quality links from sites like Yahoo or DMOZ can be valued higher than the combined value of one hundred links from low quality websites.

BackRub is only a beginning. In 1998 Page and Brin founded Google, which is an advanced version of BackRub. In a short time Google acquired a reputation and public trust of internet users because it managed to present the quality of search results (not manipulated), fast, and relevant. PageRank then became the standard both for another search engine as well as for webmasters trying to get the website to obtain PageRank values ​​as high as possible so that the highest position in the search results.

Webmasters and search engines

Since 1997 the company realized that several search engines [webmaster] (site manager) to do everything to be indexed in top search results, including in ways that manipulative and illegal. Infoseek, one of the first generation search engines, make improvements in their algorithms to prevent manipulation of the "meta tags" are irrelevant.

However, in some ways the search engines are also aware of the great economic value of the ranking of search results, and they sometimes have vested interests of the SEO company's activities. Some search engine companies to send representatives or be a guest at events held regularly SEO community.

The big search engines like Google and Yahoo provide programs and guidance that enables webmasters to optimize their site well indexed. Google provides Webmaster Tool application (you must have a Google account in order to see this tool) and introduces an XML-based sitemap their standards, while Yahoo! Site Explorer provides a program (also must log in with your Yahoo! user account) that enables webmasters to register the URL of the site, check the number of their web pages have been indexed in a data-base Yahoo, and view the information of incoming links. However, search engines do not tolerate SEO methods are manipulative and justifies any means.

Ethics and legality

PageRank system, although applying a complex algorithm, later also no longer fully able to face the tricks and manipulation. A number of webmasters and SEO practitioners have developed several methods that take advantage of the workings of PageRank for their clients web pages are ranked first in search results. Google has officially banned the use of some illegal techniques such as link farming, doorway pages, keyword stuffing, and auto-generated pages or scraper pages. Site or SEO services that remain menggunakanannya danger will be removed from the search index.

The threat of Google and other search engines is not just a bluff. Some companies SEO services and their clients who do not heed the ban was to receive a serious penalty for their illegal actions. In 2005, Matt Cutts of Google said that the URL of an SEO firm called Traffic Power and their clients have been removed from Google index for using illegal SEO techniques. Another famous case is when Google in February 2006 to remove the website of BMW and Ricoh Germany from the list because it uses proven SEO methods that manipulative. BMW and Ricoh immediately apologized to Google and improve their sites. Google then re-enter their web site into the search index. But the scandal still leaves a bad image and embarrassing for both companies.

Under the official guidelines of search engines, SEO is not illegal technique performed by following along the ethics and rules. This is to ensure each website to obtain equal opportunity in search, and the ranking done by an objective, where the greatest role in determining the ranking of a web page is the quality and benefits for Internet users.

Leading SEO figures

In addition to Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, some people become a respected figure and his opinion made reference about the business of search engines and SEOs.

Danny Sullivan
Former LA Times reporter who founded the Web site Search Engine Watch highlights an active business development and search engine technology. Now he is actively writing and reportage on Search Engine Land.

Matt Cutts
Programmer and former employees of the NSA (National Security Agency) United States who joined Google in 2001 and currently heads the team of Google's spam prevention. Besides being a Google employee, Matt Cutts is a prominent blogger. The articles on his blog a reference SEO practitioners from around the world, because his blog is often the first source of any information on the development of Google's search technology. Matt Cutts is often regarded as the unofficial spokesman for Google.

Vannesa Fox
Former Google employee. Vannesa known among webmasters as a drafter, and programmer who heads the project Google Webmaster Central.