SEO FAQ

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is the process of building a website with the objective of making it rank high in search engines for the selected keywords. SEO involves several techniques which will make a site rank higher than its competitors in search results.

Is SEO important?

Yes. Statistics reveal that over 85% of people use search engines to find the information they are looking for. Since SEO is all about making your site rank high in search engines, it helps you get found by prospective customers.

When will my website get indexed?

Search engines index new sites as they crawl the web. Generally it takes 2 -12 weeks to get indexed by search engines. By getting other sites to link to your site, you will be able to improve your chances of getting indexed. Alternatively you can submit your site to search engines. Note that blogs usually get indexed faster than static html sites.

Should I submit my site to all the search engines?

You don't have to. While there are numerous search engines, only a few of them are important. Among the top search engines, Google occupies the first position. Other popular search engines include Yahoo!, Bing, AltaVista, AOL Web Search, Ask Jeeves, Teoma and Lycos. You may also submit your site to major web directories such as ODP.

Should I hire an SEO service?

If you are on a tight budget you may want to save a few bucks and try doing SEO yourself. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, hiring an SEO service is imperative if you want to get guaranteed results. You must, however, be very cautious while choosing an SEO service.

What are my keywords and keyphrases?

Keywords are the words people enter into a search engine while looking for information. For example, if your site sells toys, the words 'toy' and 'toys' are your most important keywords. The problem with keywords is that they are highly competitive and as such you will not be able to get high rankings for them. Most SEO services now focus on keyphrases which are nothing but groups of words people would enter into a search engine. For example, in the case of a site selling toys, the groups of words such as 'toys for children', 'toys for kids' and 'toys for babies' are all potential keyphrases. The proper selection of keyphrases is very important because the success of your SEO campaign depends upon them.

What is an inbound link or backlink?

An inbound link or backlink is a link that points to your site. The more backlinks you have, the better your search rankings will be.

What is meant by Link popularity?

The term link popularity denotes the amount of backlinks pointing to a site. The more backlinks your site has, the higher your link popularity. Most major search engines place a great deal of importance on link popularity in determining a site's search rankings.