by Kevin Bahler

Created on: August 19, 2008   Last Updated: August 25, 2008

Search engines are powerful tools. Everybody who goes online uses them. Most people have a search engine as their homepage. They are the gateways into the internet. When you are on the top of a search results page, you will get much more business. Knowing how to use this tool will give you a considerable edge in the market. Like any other tool, search engines are not magic. Understanding how they function will teach you how to use them properly.

First of all, search engines have robots that sweep the whole of the internet. When somebody searches for a word or phrase, the search engine will bring back all pages or sites with those words. Usually, when the search word appears several times on a page, it will appear sooner in the list. The lesson is to use key words as much as possible. Do not overload your pages with buzz words, but make sure they have the important words that are often associated with your company and product or service.

Next, think about search engines like the biggest gossip in the world. Search engines hear everything. The more buzz there is around your company, the more individual web pages will start talking about you specifically. If your company is often associated with your business in general, then when people do a basic search of your businesses, your name will come up often, which means that your company's website will be at the top of the list. Creating the buzz to begin with can be done in a number of ways. You can put out a press release that will get everybody talking, which will naturally lead to a lot of internet clatter. If you want to ensure your name gets out to the public, you can get people to go onto various websites related to your business and start making some generic noise about your company.

Finally, make sure your website is one that people will visit and revisit. Search engines take page views into account. If your website is too confusing, too difficult to navigate, or just really ugly, people will not want to come back. If you have good information, good presentation, and fresh content, people will be coming back regularly. When you have regular traffic, search engines will notice and realize that your site is one that others may want to check out.

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