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SEO and Search Engine Optimization are very important aspects to this course, and can influence your future if you master the concepts. SEO will get you and your business found on search engines. And that is how people are conducting research and choosing which products to buy, or where to vacation, or which service to purchase. People purchase based on what they find on search engines.

Some areas to think about:

1. Local Search, Local SEO. This is increasingly important as Google, Bing, and Yahoo return search results based on where you are when you search. This works from your mobile device, or from your desktop where your IP address gives away your location. If you build out your local search presence, with Google Places, Yelp, Yahoo Local, and more - it helps you be found on local search. These are easy steps to take, and can have a large impact on your business.

2. Quality content. The goal of a search engine like Google is to return the best search results. One big qualifier for this is quality content. So if you create good content on your site you will be more relevant to viewers, and therefore you will have a better chance of showing up in search results. Time on your site, with people reading your content is important. Low bounce rate, meaning people click into your site and stay there. And fresh content that is updated regularly - can all help your content score, and show your site more often in search.

3. Proper tagging. Title tags, H1 tags, H2 tags, Alt Tags in photos, etc. will all play a role in getting your site found. If you tag your post, and then write your content to match the tags, it will tell Google what is on your page, and greatly increase your chance of your page showing up.

Speaking of Google and their search dominance, there is a recent report that shows that Google search results are being used by Bing to guide their search results. In other words, Bing is monitoring Google to decide what results it should return in search. Read the article on the subject of Bing stealing from Google.

Be sure to read the SEO White Paper on the Ingenex site for some good tips. And keep SEO in mind when you write your content and your homework posts. It will become second nature, if you learn, and practice the principles associated with it. Good luck. And may your SEO greatly improve.

Image Credits: sheldonschwartz

Comments & Feedback

Student

11/16/2015

I think SEO is really important that can provide many other information.

SEO can attract more people by related keyword,

and online Advertisements.

Student

12/4/2012

SEO has played a very significant role in our world today, and it is going to be more important in the future since people will not live without internet, digital. SEO convinients people when people need to find anything online, especially, it helps advertising growing.

Student

9/27/2011

If we know how to influence Google's search results doesn't that open the field to people who prioritize page rank before quality content? The answer doesn't increase my confidence in the quality of content my query returns.

Student

5/23/2011

I never really realized how much I use google to find things on the internet. Daily I would estimate at least thirty searches. Nearly 90% of the time I am just searching a keyword or phrase that will bring me to what I am looking for. It is very important to make sure that everything is Search Engine Optimized (SEO).

Student

2/21/2011

After researching SEO I realize the importances of using SEO for business purposes. SEO helps consumers find your web pages, plog or oter post that give information on products are services. The more search engines your on the more people will be able to locate information on your products and services.

Student

2/14/2011

I never realized how important SEO was or even knew what it was. I am constantly using it daily either on my laptop or my blackberry whenever I am looking for something on google. I think that it is important to make the correct tags because people might not be able to even find your site and content with the wrong key words that people may think are the right ones, but aren't. I am interested to learning more about the ranges of SEO and will check out these links that you have posted! It is crazy how everything is evolved and really learning how to truly embrace social media and the content out there to show the world what you have to offer!

Student

2/14/2011

After learning more about brands. I am getting a better understaing of the importance SEO. To my understanding it helps get the word out about a business. It helpsbusiness be found on search engines. It also is very important for a business to be on mutiple search engines like, Yahoo, Google and Bing.

Student

2/14/2011

I am starting to see how much of an important role SEO plays in everything. Its so crutial that bing actually monitors google to see what it should be doing. Its important even in local searches. Im not sure how I feel about it being so easy to find out where a person is, but from a business standpoint, its pretty useful. Targeting a local market for a small business could really help a them to get seen. I will keep this in mind for all my future postings.

Student

2/13/2011

It was very interesting when I first found out google and other search engines or websites would track your IP and gave you the information needed.

But more interestingly was that when I asked my friends how they felt about it, they didn't really know, or they haven't thought about it before I asked.

And people don't think about why some websites are on top of the result lists.

Now i am studying and reading things about it and I feel not left behind, which is good :)

Student

2/9/2011

I can't say that I have ever really heard of SEO before now. However, I find it very interesting and helpful. I like the idea of creating lots of different blogs to help brand yourself and creating more search results for yourself or your company. I also like how the author in the book talks about creating unique ways to separate yourself and be noticed instead of being lost on page 50 of a search results list. I will be using tips from this lesson in order to help my sites become successful and gain more viewers.

Student

2/9/2011

As many other students have said, prior to this section of the course I had absolutely NO idea what SEO was or the impact it had on businesses. I was very surprised to know that businesses pay to appear on the first page of Google. I naively thought that it was purely based on the popularity of the website. I am somewhat beginning to understand what SEO is and have made it onto the first page of Google when searching my name but can't wait to learn more about SEO and pay more attention to the way I am branding and utilizing these SEO techniques.

Student

2/8/2011

This is a very interesting post. I always noticed how Google focused your searches based on location, but never really thought too much about it. This shows how important it can be for comapnies to focus on Local search rather than the a larger scope in many cases. It is also ironic how Bing is a direct competitor of Google, but uses it make its searches better. It is interesting how dominant Google is in the digital world.

Student

2/8/2011

I'm really glad we covered search engine optimization (SEO) this week. I heard about it a lot this summer during my internship, but didn't fully comprehend the importance of keywords and the strategic planning for each individual client. The research that goes into it is important because it reminds us that there are many ways to accomplish a certain objective, and therefore it's important to occupy a specific niche. The lesson this week made it a lot easier to understand, instead of being nervous to ask questions at my internship! Great information and application of concepts.

Student

2/7/2011

You're right SEO is important. It will ultimately determine the demise or success of a website/internet based marketing strategy, and without concern for it a campaign is doomed. Strategy is also important in SEO, and there is so much to learn about how to optimize your brand appropriately. You know what if I was Bing, I probably would be stealing from Google too. They'll never be beat. Another good point, quality content is important because when did anyone want anything that was of bad quality? If you ask me most people are going to go for the higher quality product, and if you pushing bad content you have bigger problems to address.

Student

2/7/2011

SEO, has defiantly changed my perception on the internet. I am paying more attention to search terms, page pop ups, and titles. I always find myself making notes of what comes up in the results box. Learning about SEO will be helpful when I start to build my own personal branding. Using the techniques we are learning about will help me reach specific employers and audiences.

Student

2/7/2011

I, like many of my classmates, had not heard of search engine optimization or marketing before taking this class. I feel that it is important to understand why SEO is important to businesses and in marketing myself as well. I made it to the first page of Google search results when Googling my name, but still have a little ways to go to reach the number 1 spot. Which is one of my goals for this class. I think this week's lesson will be very helpful in reaching that goal. Thanks for the tips!

Anonymous

2/7/2011

I honestly didn't know much SEO before this lesson but know I feel that it is a tactic in which every successful marketer should be schooled on. With what I have learned over a week I feel as if I know a lot more than many people posting things online. If only everyone who really wanted online success use these tools, they would remain on the first page of the search!

Student

2/7/2011

As I have been completing the latest assignments I keep stopping when I read something saying to keep it local. When I start something online I forget how big the Web is and how great an impact I can have in one small demographic - at least to begin with. Keeping it local will allow me to connect through social platforms targeting my location so I stay directly connected to that community.

Another idea that I didn't think of when I first started was tagging photos to create traffic. Why this never occurred to me I'm not sure. When I think about how many times I have searched for something and immediately clicked images makes me think about how much more traffic I could be bringing to my blogs and other networks. I can't believe I have been missing out on this.

Student

2/7/2011

Prior to enrolling in this class, I was unfamiliar with SEO and all that it encompassed. While I understood the importance of search engine results and ranks, I lacked an understanding of how to manipulate a site to increase rank. Upon reading the textbook, white paper and your blog, and conducting independent research of my own online, I am taken back by all there is to know about SEO and look forward to extending my familiarity with the subject in the short future-- my goal is to complete a book regarding SEO by the end of this month. Although I still lack a complete working knowledge of SEO (I still am confused by anchor links), however as a result of this week's assigned readings and tasks I am motivated to become a SEO Pro.

Student

2/7/2011

I believe that SEO is becoming one of the most important forms of advertising. Since so many people use search websites to get their information, it is absolutely necessary for a website to have specific content to speak to their buyers. I love your blog post because it outlines exactly the key things that people need to pay attention to. I think what most people are unsure about is what keywords to focus on.

Student

2/7/2011

I am fascinated by SEO, and am glad this class has been able to teach me more about it. As an avid Google user (I literally "google" everything), I always wondered why my search results came back in the order they did. I think SEO is very cost-effective (if used properly) for a company or a product and a great marketing tool. I think pointing out the local search, local SEO is very important to companies. That is very important especially if you're only able to sell your product to local customers. You don't want to have traffic to your website of people that are not ultimately going to be able to purchase your product--you want to make sure you're optimizing it in way that is valuable to both you and your customer.

Student

2/7/2011

I totally agree! I never understood the algorithum behind the search engine results (I'm not sure if I do 100% yet but it's definitely interesting to study!) What a clever way to market, let people find you! Not only does it solve from straying from annoying pop up ads but it also targets audiences and customers so that results are actually useful. But you're right, figuring out how to use SEO effectively is the key!

Student

2/7/2011

I'm glad you mentioned tagging. I feel like tagging has kind of been put on the backburner this chapter, since keyword phrases have been stressed so much. I would like to know more about tagging and how to properly use it with SEO.

Student

2/7/2011

I am beginning to see more and more how important SEO truly is. I am still trying to get ahold of perfecting it, but I guess realizing the importance is the first and most important step. I am especially still not sure about the different types of tags. All of these things are very new to me. So, i suppose as I continue to impliment them and learn more it will all continue to become more familiar. Knowing how much goes in to search results, and also the fact that they can bemanipulated, is a great step in the right direction. It's great to have so much information and great resources.

Student

2/7/2011

Before this chapter, I felt like I sort of understood the concept of SEO but I didn't entirely know what it was. I also didn't know how critical it was to be experienced and knowledgable with SEO. It all makes sense now, the viral world is growing faster than we can keep up and there is a lot of competition out there. In order to stand out in search engines it's very important to know the right keywords to choose. Even down to correctly naming your photos on your website, headlines, URL, etc. After reading chapter 20 and learning about SEO this week, I feel like I have a better grip on it.

Student

2/7/2011

Prior to this class I didn't really put much thought into SEO. After reading chapter 20 and doing this lesson, I'm pretty captivated by what I've learned. It all just seems so simple....and it really is. Yet it's stuff I wouldn't have thought of before. Like the importance of tagging, and headlines. Google really has mastered the art and science of providing search results people are after....I'm not surprised bing has basically stolen the way they operate and whatnot.

Student

2/7/2011

I did not realize how critical it is for a business to use SEO and how simple it may be. Creating something like a blog can be greatly beneficial and drastically improve your search results. It is interesting to see the connection between blogs, Facebook, and websites and how they may help your business in a connected way. Social media is tremendously changing the way that advertisers and marketers think. It is more about creating quality content for a specific target than being interruptive. For marketers, it is highly valuable to have someone search your product and your result comes up first. Thats the definition of target marketing.

Student

2/7/2011

Before doing this assignment, I really didn't know anything about SEO, and from the few things we discussed about it in class, I understood it as a way to build your site up in rankings. As I began reading more about it, I realized that I use it in everyday life from looking for stores to finding directions somewhere. I was also able to learn new ways to effectively use keywords as well as creating unique tags and descriptions in order for my page to be spotted more easily. I'm excited to learn more about SEO for my personal life more as well as when I begin marketing when entering my career.

Student

2/7/2011

Before taking this class and reviewing all the material on SEO, I didn't fully understand it and didn't realize how relevant it was for me on a personal level. In a past internship, I worked on SEO for a client, searching keywords and seeing how high their company ranked on google for each. No one really explained what SEO exactly was, so I didn't realize the research I was doing is a crucial part of the process. From the information I learned, I hope to improve my SEO.

I want to first start by posting myself on those sites like Google Places and Yelp to help with my "local search presence." I think it sometimes seems less intimidating to start somewhere small. Next, I want to search keywords that will fit my newly created blog to see how I can improve this. It would be exciting to have followers who are not just close friends. Finally, I want to improve my tags in the posts -- I never seem to remember to add relevant links to my personal blog posts, which should help the SEO.

Student

2/7/2011

It has been really interesting to learn about SEO this week. I had not heard of SEO before this class and now I realize how important it really is for a company. After reading the chapter about SEO and the section on landing pages, I realized that many companies still do not have a landing page that takes buyers directly to what they are looking for. I know for me this is a huge selling point. If the website is hard to navigate around or I don't understand how to find what I am looking for, I will choose a different website. SEO is definitely going to be something that I want to continue to learn more about.

Student

2/7/2011

SEO is VITAL! I feel that understanding the importance of SEO and how it makes life on the web better is going to be extremely helpful in the interview process. Simple simple concepts like, choice of words, content, and tags are what can take a site from page #8 in to a page #3 or lower. As a graduating senior who didn't know much about the web, and new media- this SEO knowledge is so awesome to share with friends, family and future companies I might work for that do not effectively use SEO. SEO has an unlimited potential and that is what I love about it. It is sophisticated but easy enough to understand that it makes the web competitive but competitive in an exciting and thrilling way because you have to be creative/understand your customers better than the other company. I am pumped to keep discovering more about it and really learning to optimize my sites that I have now.

Student

2/7/2011

After reading the chapter in our book, looking at articles online, watching a presentation, and discussing about search engine optimization this week, I think it's safe to say, that like everyone else in the class, I feel much more comfortable with SEO. My first encounter with the term "SEO" was last semester in the advertising capstone course, ADV486 Integrated Campaigns. As part of our campaign for our client, we came up with business building ideas. One of these business building ideas was to improve our client's ranking on google through SEO. They are the only company with their exact name. Yet, they were near the bottom of the search results even when customers searched their name exactly. We used this selling point in our pitch to our clients to help us win their approval of our campaign. We believed that they should chose our campaign because we'd developed several business building ideas on top of a creative campaign. SEO does just that... it builds business, and to me that is very important!

Student

2/7/2011

I have heard of the term SEO before, but never really thought about or understood all the details that go into it. This past semester I took a website building class and I think that has helped lay out how SEO is created. When making the site my teacher always stressed the importance of naming the header and main content and linking specific things, but I always thought it was annoying and didn't really see the purpose of it. He always said to do it to make it easier for you to find when going back in the website and editing things, but never mentioned the SEO factor. Now I see why it is important, for both reasons. SEO is such a cool thing because it really helps the consumer and company with the best intent. The consumer wants to find answers to what they're looking for and the company wants to give people information, services, and products. It's a win-win for both parties. The trick with it is making the targeted keywords . The only bad thing I find about SEO is that with online journalism, it is now encouraged to make your titles very SEO friendly and straight to the point. I don't like this because I enjoy the witty type of headlines that have play on words and make you think. But I guess in the end it's for the best because now people will be more likely to find and read your content.

Student

2/7/2011

Haha, Bing stealing from Google. I