1. Construct a web site that is easy for search engines to scan and process

2. Gather the search phrases that your clients will be using to discover your site, and integrate those keywords into your web pages

3. Build your Web reputation with sites related in subject to your own site to link to you, so that your site signals it is an important destination for search engines for your subject matter

Search engine optimization (SEO) frequently looks complicated whenever you are just beginning, but 90% of it is actually just centered on determining methods to accomplish the 3 goals above.

Using What Already Works

Obtaining top ranking for competitive and performing keywords is a gradual process and long-term investment. It is likely some of your competitors may have already been running their own SEO program for some time. They are likely to have an advantage by getting a head start, but you can often use this to your own advantage in your Internet marketing efforts.

How can you use your competitors rank to your advantage? You do this by studying how they got their top ranking.

• Analyze their internal & external linking structure

• See what website's they get their backlinks from

• Analyze their keywords in their content - especially in their title, description and header tags

If a search engine has already determined that your competitor is an authority site and the most relevant website for a particular keyword, then you should expect that it will take some time and effort to alter the search engine's preference. Eventually, the search engine will rate your website higher to your competitors in its search results pages.

What About Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)

If you are looking for faster results for your SEO goals, you can obtain more immediate results via Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. With more local search being emphasized by the major search engines a PPC campaign lets you specifically determine exactly who and from where you want your website visitors to come from geographically. This is especially helpful to small business that usually needs to market in smaller geographic areas. It also means you are paying more precisely for the type of traffic you want as opposed to paying for national traffic that will not convert into sales for you.

PPC services are an excellent way to drive targeted traffic to your website. When someone does a search on a search engine such as Google or Bing, your advertisement is shown for your particular keywords you choose. PPC advertising has the potential to produce an acceptable return on investment - but like any form of advertising, it requires being precisely planned, strategically implemented and closely monitored. Caution, this requires a significant dollar commitment to a consistent online advertising budget depending on your goals.