Thinking Differently

The Art of SEO is subtitled Mastering Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and is an essential guide for all who own, design or write for serious websites

Web sites exist for a wide range of reasons but to be successful search queries must be able to find them and so sites need rank well in search results. Most visitors will find web pages by searching through Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu and others. As result, good search engine optimisation is the tool that maximises the visibility of the site and is the key to generating traffic for the site.

The Art of SEO sets out to demystify search engine optimisation and explain what search engines need to be able to rank web sites properly. SEO is often seen either as an arcane and mystical process or as a battle between web content providers and the search engines. As The Art of SEO explains in the opening chapters it is neither. In reality, search engines and web site owners with original information to share have a common interest in providing relevant information that matches web searches.

Having explained the objectives of search engines and the nature of effective SEO The Art of SEO moves onto developing a coherent approach to creating a web site and content that is search engine optimised.

Creating a SEO Friendly Strategy and Web Site

The next few chapters take the reader through setting site and SEO objectives and then building a plan to determine the structure of the site. It then moves on to the development of the site and promoting to achieve high search engine through a well-planned link building strategy. The chapters cover in great depth:

• Determining SEO Objectives and Site’s Audience
• First Stages of SEO
• Keyword Research
• Developing an SEO Friendly Website
• Creating Link-Worthy Content and Link Marketing
• Optimizing for Vertical Search

Maintaining Web Site for SEO Performance

Development of an SEO strategy and site is only the start. As The Art of SEO explains in the next few chapters SEO is a continuing process of monitoring, maintenance and further development as knowledge and SEO skills develop. Along the way, web sites will need to be restructured and other changes made without losing hard-won search engine ranking. The Art of SEO shows how to make substantial changes that inherit the ranking earned by earlier version of the site or page. Chapters cover:

• Tracking Results and Measuring Success
• Domain Changes, Post-SEO redesigns and Troubleshooting
• Honing the Craft: SEO Research and Study
• Build an In-house Team SEO Team, Outsource it, or Both?
• An Evolving Art Form: The Future of SEO
• The last chapter gives some insights in to how search engines will develop.

Throughout the book, The Art of SEO makes the point that search engines and serious quality content providers are on the same side. Search engine optimisation should only be seen as a battle with spammers and others who seek to take unfair advantage of internet users and web content providers.

Whilst the effort involved in full a comprehensive SEO strategy is substantial it will bear fruit in increased traffic. But, it is not simply about traffic; it is as much about getting the right sort of traffic that meets the site’s objectives.

Good Quality Content Will Succeed with a Little SEO Help

Content providers can take comfort from The Art of SEO as it explains that there is no need to worry about compromising readability and quality of the writing. The search engines are sophisticated; they can recognise words and phrases with similar meanings and treat them equally in interpreting the content and key words. There is no need to use the same keyword phrases repeatedly as is sometimes suggested. From the start, The Art of SEO argues that quality content is important and it can be achieved by following a few key, and unobtrusive, practices.

All content providers and those who want to use the web effectively should read the Art of SEO, Mastering Search Engine Optimisation. It is not about tricks to game the search engines; just the sort of professional analysis and planning that is central to any good marketing strategy. A readable and accessible book will allow any reader to enhance the effective of their web sites and content. It is highly recommended for writers, web designers, developers and marketing professionals who want use the web effectively, and for the proper reasons. It is most certainly not a spammer’s bible.

The authors are all leading players in the field and clearly able writers. They make a potentially complex subject easy to read and understand.

Art of SEO, Mastering Search Engine Optimisation(2010, ISBN:978-0-596-51886-8) by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin and Jessie C. Stricchiola and is published in softback by O’Reiilly at $44.99 (Can$56.99).

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