Q. SEO or Search Engine Optimization—I’ve read those words before, but what do they really mean?

A. Organic Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) is simply a catch phrase that encompasses a variety of programming and Internet marketing techniques that can align a website's content, programming, and even URL with strategic keyword and key phrase targeting. Doing so makes it easier for a search engine’s algorithm to understand a website's focus and relevancy. When search engines like Google, MSN, AltaVista or Yahoo have a better understanding of a site and its importance, they give it a higher ranking. These sites appear in so called "natural" or "organic" listings, which are free compared to sponsored listings.

Search Engine Optimization can be simple for some websites, while others may require complex website code, navigation, content and internal link changes. A Medical Design’s SEO services are proven to significantly increase organic search engine rankings. If you rank at the top of Google, you’re golden.

Q. What is a "search engine"?

A. Broadly speaking, there are two basic kinds of search engines: spider-based search engines and directory-based search engines.

The spider- or algorithm-based search engines include Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AltaVista. Google, for example, also uses complex automated programs, known as spiders or web-crawlers. These programs scan the Net, searching for websites and evaluating their relevancy, based on their indexing criteria. How well a site matches up to that criteria then determines search result order.

Directory-based search engines like the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) are, by way of contrast, controlled and compiled by human editors. When a website is submitted for inclusion in a directory-based search engine, it’s reviewed by a human editor, who makes sure that submissions match the directory’s criteria and quality requirements. Each and every day, literally millions of websites are evaluated by algorithm-based search engines or submitted to directory-based engines. But only well-designed and properly optimized sites achieve desirable search engine rankings.

Q. What Does it Mean to Have a Well-Optimized Website?

A. There are two basic kinds of search engine optimization strategies that you’ll need to become familiar with: on-page search engine optimization and off-page search engine optimization.

On-page optimization strategies involve all of the variables on your website’s actual pages. These include text, pictures, keyword and key phrase density, meta-tags, URLs and internal link structure. To fully optimize your website, its code and content will need to be tailored to make it as "search engine friendly" as humanly possible. Being search engine friendly just means that spider-based search engines will have an easy time crawling your site, recognizing its purpose and ranking it accordingly.

Off-page search optimization strategies involve elements other than your website. Off-page optimization techniques include linking, viral marketing, press releases, and so on. Properly optimized sites need to be linked to many other relevant websites. This results in improved rankings and targeted traffic from search engines.

Q. What is Pay-Per-Click Advertising?

A. Pay-per-click marketing is a way to immediately attract traffic and customers to your site by buying sponsored advertising from major search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN or small search engines. Sponsored links appear on the top, bottom or left column of listings. Listings in the middle of the page belong to natural or organic listings and are free.

Basically, pay-per-click listings are free until someone clicks on your ad. You only pay for the amount of clicks or visits. However, you should keep in mind that there are many website owners competing for the same keywords at the same time. You’ll often wind up paying too much to appear in a desired spot. Take the key phrase “web designing” for instance. The bidding on Google’s AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing sometimes exceeds $20 per-click.

Q. Did you know that 70 to 80% of your website’s traffic comes from search engines?

A. Increasing your website traffic requires top search engine positioning. One of the factors used to determine your position in search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN is keyword/key phrase density. "Keywords" and "key phrases" represent the terms used by consumers to search for information online. That’s why choosing the right keywords is vital to your search engine positioning and success.

AMD's expertise combines understanding how content and key phrase density relate to what people are searching for on the Internet.

Our tools and analysis will remove the "guess work" from your search engine positioning campaign and determine which keywords and phrases you need to target. Furthermore, our keyword analysis and selection system will identify the best keywords for you to target and help ensure that qualified users will find pages on your website relevant to their search.

Q. Is Keyword and Key Phrase Placement Important?

A. Yes! Using particular keywords in website copy is critically important to your search engine placement and marketing efforts. Key phrases need to appear in your site’s content so that search engines will know how to rank your website most effectively. How often and where those keywords appear on your site will contribute to how your site is ranked for relevant search terms.

In short: if your site is tightly focused around specific keywords, it will be better ranked and will therefore draw significantly more search traffic than a website that isn’t. A Medical Design will build a list of keywords that will increase your site traffic. We’ll construct pages for your site using the keywords and phrases your prospect customers are searching for. We'll also use those key terms in your website’s tags, title, descriptions, and links. Your bi-weekly, or monthly traffic reports will include keyword conversion metrics to establish keywords and key phrases, returning the best search results.

Q. What is Viral Marketing and Will a Blog Help Build My Online Presence?

A. Viral marketing is simply an online advertising effort that makes use of social networks to increase brand awareness. Viral marketing relies on the self-replicating process inherent to online social networks. Use a blog to get a new website ranked quickly, even ahead of your main website, if you’re willing to write (post) on a regular basis. However, there’s one critical element of blogging you’ll want to keep in mind.

Because of the typical publishing schedule of an active blog (daily or 5 days a week, at the very least) search engines like Google and Yahoo put high weight on blogs that stay focused on a topic. Search engines crave fresh, relevant content and they reward blogs for providing it—it’s that simple. So don’t fall into the trap of posting sporadically on your blog. Regularly providing snippets of information and content will work to create a big picture over time.