Search Engines
A 2007 poll conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings reports the top five search engines as follows. (Percentage figure is the share of the total search market)
- Google 56.3%
- Yahoo 21.5%
- MSN/Windows Live 8.4%
- AOL 5.3%
- Ask.com 2.0%
Each search engine seeks to increase its share of the total search market by returning the most relevant results. They use 'spiders', automated web browsers, to follow every link they find unless directed otherwise by the website. The data they find is stored and analysed.
Search engines rank web pages according to their score for a search term. The score is a combined result of 'on-page' (i.e. content and page structure) and 'off-page' (e.g. inbound links) criteria. Web pages are assessed on more than 150 such criteria.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) ensures the on-page and off-page features are set up to help the websites achieve the best possible rankings on the search engines. This will typically involve some or all of the following.
- Keyword research
Identifying the most popular keyword search terms for a subject. Use the Keyword Selector Tool available from Yahoo to research relevant search terms. - Content and Meta Element Optimisation
Optimising the content and meta elements to ensure the most popular keywords are used with the correct degree of frequency, avoiding 'keyword stuffing' which can be penalised. - Website structure optimisation
Ensuring content is presented in a visible and clear way to search engine spiders. - Link Management
Generating inbound links from desirable websites. - Site Analytics
Statistics on visitors, browsing habits, traffic sources, keywords and more.
The degree to which SEO is required will depend on the competition for the target search term.
Care must be taken as search engines penalise websites which try to trick or 'spam' them.
