Before we can discuss how to use search engines for your greatest benefit, we must first investigate how they work. According to Wikipedia and other online resources like HowStuffWorks.com, search engines work by storing information about many webpages and are designed to do three things: by a complicated, automated algorithm the search engine browser follows every link it sees; it then determines what information should be catalogued and ultimately stored. Some search engines store every word on every page, while others store all or part of a source page, called a cache.

When a user enters key words into a search engine, the engine examines its index for relevant Web sites and webpages, and provides a list of those that best match. How the list is ranked varies among search engine companies and may change over time based on Internet usage and new technologies. And, while we don’t know the exact algorithm (Google reportedly uses over 200 factors in its equation), there are a few easy things you can do to increase the ranking of your site in search engine queries.

Use Meta Elements with Care
Many search engines catalogue webpages based on the page’s title, or meta tag. This is the stream of words you’ll see at the very top of your browser. For instance, Wikipedia’s meta tag is “Web search engine – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.” Your own company’s meta tag should include your company name, and possibly what your company does. Other elements, or meta elements, that you have control over are the keywords and description attributes. Keywords are just like the way they sound – what common keywords potential clients are most likely to use when searching for a business like yours. The description attributes are a short sentence or phrase that describes the content on a specific page of your Web site, and can be helpful to search engines if they aren’t able to automatically generate their own description based on the content of that particular page. But, don’t drive yourself crazy by placing too much importance on these attributes. Some search engines, like Google, don’t rely on meta elements at all when indexing Web site pages, since they can be easily manipulated.

Examine Your Written Content
So what ultimately ranks Web sites? Search engines look at the whole package; they relate a page’s content to the meta keywords, title and description for that page. But, what ranks the most in importance is the quality of your content. It should be well-written, concise, and accurately portray what your company does. The content will include your chosen keywords and phrases, but not to excess (keyword stuffing – the overuse of keywords and phases – is penalized by many search engines, often resulting in a lower ranking). It will directly and precisely relate to the page description. It will be free of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. The bottom line is that every word counts.

Hire a Search Engine Optimization Company
After you’ve created quality content, and utilized your meta elements, you may wish to consider hiring a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company. They can examine your site, and provide suggestions for increasing your chances of getting seen and ranked by popular search engines. But another word of caution here – beware of SEOs that promise you the moon. No company has the magic key. Search engines don’t make their ranking systems public, and they update these systems frequently. So, no one knows exactly how search engines rank their listings.

Submit Your Web site to Popular Search Engines
Search engines automatically search the Web for new and updated sites. But, as no one knows the schedule, what can you do? Submit your Web site address to each search engine yourself. Most search engines offer both a free service (which isn’t guaranteed to be accepted), and a paid service (you pay for your site to be listed higher in the rankings, or ad placement). Submit to more than one search engine, but don’t crazy — there are only three search engines worth spending time on — Google, Yahoo and MSN. Together they make up 97% of the market. While submitting your site to search engines rarely comes with a guaranteed result, it certainly can’t hurt your chances for being seen.

In conclusion, there is no magic key to getting your site ranked the highest in your market or industry. But, by following the simple and easy suggestions above, you can certainly increase your chances. Use accurate meta elements, and have excellent and well-written copy. Submit your site to popular search engine directories. And, if all else appears to fail, hire a trusted SEO. We’ll continue with Part 2 of the feature next month.