Some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms can toss around a lot of important terms and promise unbelievable results, but often the results are short-lived and the SEO terms they use are convenient in intimidating the faint of heart into subscribing to their services. After all if you can't understand what they are saying how are you supposed to understand how to do it yourself?

While it is possible to develop a masterfully designed SEO strategy for use on your website by accessing the skills of others, the truth is paying a third party for work you can do yourself may not be the wisest use of company assets, although most SEO companies would likely dispute my claim since, of course, their livelihood largely depends on your ignorance.

Did you know the primary influence on SEO success is keyword rich content? The content you write and the way that you say it has a profound effect on the way search engines determine your site rankings.

If you take no other advice on SEO take this one and implement it yourself. The primary search engines work to rank sites based on predominant keywords or key phrases.

You will discover that online visitors and search engines agree, great content makes for a great online experience for potential consumers as well as a few good search engines looking for great websites.

Did you know that if you invite others to link to your site the chances of SEO success improve?

Search engines are very favorable to linking strategies. It tells them that others view your site as a worthwhile destination with adequate reason to associate themselves with you in an online environment.

Did you know that developing positive contacts improve site visitation? Did you also know that increased traffic results in improved site ranking?

Search engine companies make locating trusted websites their number one priority. If your website is designed to maximize one or more facets of your business the search engines will view your site as serious about reaching a very specific customer base.

The idea of networking is as important to those you network with as it is to you. This is a business-to-business strategy that can't really be duplicated by using most paid SEO firms. You have the best handle on whom you are most interested in forming connections with. In the development process there is often mutual back scratching that can ultimately serve to drive traffic to both sites.

Many SEO firms rely on extensive strategies that required their intervention and care. Some of these strategies do have value, but that value is minimized as search engines streamline some of the indicators of site rankings. For instance Meta tag information was once very important to SEO strategies, today many site owners can achieve positive success without significantly altering their meta tag details.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of SEO strategies that can help, but content and connections are the two primary means of achieving improved site rankings – and you can do that yourself.