Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that involvesmanipulating a website using various optimization strategies tomake the website search engine friendly in order to obtain a goodranking in the search engines search results.
Some website owners do their own search engine optimization whileothers hire SEO specialists to optimize their websites. Manyconsider search engine optimization to be an art becauseobtaining a satisfactory search engine ranking is complicated andmaintaining the rank, once achieved, requires ongoing monitoringand adjustments.
Because search engine optimization is not a skill that just comesnaturally, and it is an ongoing process, SEO training is usuallya good idea for internet business owners and website operators.
The advantages of formal SEO training are that through training,you will learn some of the most effective search enginetechniques that are used regularly by search engine optimizationspecialists and you will gain not only an introduction to searchengine optimization, but also valuable knowledge that will helpyou with your ongoing search engine optimization efforts.
The disadvantages of SEO training are that it can be expensive,especially if it is a good SEO training program, and effectivesearch engine optimization techniques change so frequently thatsome of the techniques you learn through your SEO training willbecome obsolete in a matter of time.
SEO training that is provided by active search engineoptimization specialists will most likely provide up-to-datestrategies for search engine optimization; however, a standardSEO training program that is not frequently updated may presentsearch engine optimization techniques that have already losttheir effectiveness. Even so, there will likely be someconsistently effective techniques covered in most SEO trainingsessions that you will find beneficial.
As an alternative to SEO training, you could purchase books or e-books about search engine optimization to become familiar withthe search engine optimization processes and strategies. However,remember, publications on a topic such as search engineoptimization can become outdated rather quickly so generally up-to-date SEO training provided by active SEO experts is moreeffective.
If you opt to receive your SEO training by any other means, besure to participate in ongoing SEO training of some type to stayabreast of the changes in the search engines and strategies foroptimizing your website for peak performance in the searchengines.
Participation in online newsgroups, forums and chat roomsregarding search engine optimization is a good method for ongoingSEO training or education to stay up-to-date on the behaviors ofthe search engines and strategies that are used to optimizewebsites.
Signing up for newsletters about search engine optimization isalso a great idea. It is good to discuss search engineoptimization strategies that are presented in SEO trainingsessions or SEO training publications with individuals who areactively engaged in search engine optimization.
There are some old search engine optimization techniques thatwere deemed to be spamming the search engines which can actuallyget your website blacklisted. Avoid those types of strategies atall times because once you have been blacklisted by the searchengines, you will likely never get your site indexed and listedwith beneficial ranking in the search engine results.
Some effective search engine optimization strategies that aregenerally consistent and are likely to be presented in SEOtraining are the use of keywords and keyword phrases in websitecontent and metatags, and development of link popularity and linkrelevance.
Some keyword related techniques that were excessive; however,were once considered to be cause for blacklisting, so be carefulwith your keyword strategies and make certain that the SEOstrategies you learn through your SEO training are currentlyeffective and are not outdated.
Copyright Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of your rope,fed up and confused by all the scrambled internet marketingadvice youre getting Whether you are new to internet marketing,or a website owner who wants to make more money from yourwebsite, learn the proven strategies that will sky-rocket yourinternet business at
Why Submit To Web Directories
Many people are paying alot of money to submit their urls to web directories mainly because of 3 reasons:
a) To get permanent 1 way link.
b) To get a good Google PR page linking to your site.
c) To get traffic / leads from directories.
Coincidently, the first 2 factors are part of the mathematics that determine how well your site will rank in Google Search Engine. Because of that, the Web Directory Industry exploded and you see tonnes of new web directories appearing eveyday. Even Yahoo and Microsoft have their own web directories.
The Problem
When everyone starts doing that, the World Wide Web becomes a place full of directories and links with no real content. So, our big brother Google decided to flex its muscle by treating directory websites as Link Farms and banned them. If you stumble across any old directory websites with PR of 0, you know that these websites are the victims of Google slaughter. The implication is that your one way link in their website will not help your google ranking at all. Many webmasters who depended on their directory site for income cursed and sweared.
The contradicting part is that Google actually uses data from dmoz.org which is another web directory! I do not believe that Google can ban all the web directories around but I think they can come up with valid excuses to ban any sites they do not like. This is like being able to sentence someone to death with any reasons that you can come up with...scary
Are Web Directories Dead
Many people do not think so. I do think that Google will eventually make Web Directories useless in providing one way links and PR unless these directories can show that they are different. Google has already changed their ranking algorithm such that PR becomes devalued. One way links have to pass through strict filter to really make any impact. So, to rely on factor a) and b) to boost Google ranking is no longer valid (See on top). If you want to rely on directories to get hits would be even harder. Statistics from many webmasters tell us that directories do not provide leads. Unless you are doing some sort of advertisements in the directory site, it is unlikely that anyone will notice your url especially when you are with hundreds of urls.
MSN and Yahoo Search Engines
Unlike Google, most of the traditional SEO linking and directory submission tactics still works for MSN and Yahoo search engines (You will notice that your msn ranking will climb up much faster than your google ranking). However I believe that in the near future, MSN and Yahoo will try to imitate Google-like ranking algorithm. It is possible that they might choose not to follow google.
Invest in Web Directories or Not
Submitting urls to good web directories is a quick way to get strong 1 way links and can help your site be spidered quickly. Dmoz especially, can make significant impact to your google ranking. I am not really concern about other directories but to be included in famous directory like business.com or botw.org gives your site recognition and prestige. In short, I would not want to spend too much time and money in submitting to web directories.
What Directories To Submit
1) If you decide to submit to directories, you will definitely want to start with dmoz.org. I would recommend you to just go for a deep category with very few sites but with an editor available. You do not need to worry about the page rank of the category because the chances of you getting into a high Page Rank category is slim and not worth waiting. Just submit and heck care. Personally, I do not believe that DMOZ will survive for long because it is maintained by volunteers and that the data could be subjected to manipulation. To me, the main reason why it is still surviving is because Google is using their data.
2) The next directory to submit is MSN small business directory. If you want value for money, this is the one. Though the categories are cluttered, you can get your urls into a few categories. They also give you a personal page where you can promote your company.
3) The next one you want to try is botw. The submission fee is $40 per site but because they have been around for quite a while, it is unlikely that google will kill them. Many directories with high PR might have their PR dropped to 0 overnight and you would be heart broken if you submitted your site to their directories. I wrote an article on how to submit to BOTW: http://www.sitecritic.net/articleDetail.phpid=76
4) You may submit to other web directories if you want but generally, I would not recommend spending more that $200 for web directory submissions. If you think you are rich, pay $300 and go for Yahoo Directory.
Conclusion
There will still be future for web directories but directories that do not provide extra services other than just listing URLs will die off slowly. Web directory submission is not the best way to get your ranking up in Google and will not provide you with impressive leads. However, submitting your site to a few famous directories will built up your reputation and web presence.
Bernard Peh is a great passioner of web technologies and one of the co-founders of . He works with experienced web designers and developers for more than 5 years, developing and designing commercial and non-commercial websites. During his free time, he does website reviews, freelance SEO and PHP work.