Organic search engine optimization (SEO) refers to manual page optimization as opposed to automatic submittal and page alteration, which is the most common. SEO is a web-based tool that allows a website to be listed on various search engines, such as Google and Yahoo. The higher up a site is listed, the more web traffic it will have and, therefore, the more success the business is likely to have. For instance, a company listed on Google's first page is likely to have a lot more traffic than a company listed on the fourth or fifth page.

It's a well known fact that organic search listings and general search listings are the most used by search engine browsers. Several studies claim that 70% of search engine users prefer organic SEO's to sponsored listings or pay-per-click advertisements. Many search engine optimization companies have moved away from organic SEO and are utilizing paid searchers more regularly on a day-to-day business.

What's the difference? Pay-per-click advertisements reflect a company's budget because, in order for them to be placed on a search engine page, the company pays the SEO company a certain amount of money. Organic listings, on the other hand, are placed based on the quality of a website and how well a company's site meets the strict search engine guidelines.

While organic SEO can be incredibly beneficial to your website, it's not done easily and cannot guarantee overnight success. You're likely to spend a lot of money on site redesign and content and you may need to hire outside help (such as graphic designers, writers or SEO experts) but it will pay off in the long run. Ultimately, you'll save money that you would have spent on paid advertisements and, because search engine users prefer organic SEO, your company will benefit and eventually rise above the larger corporations paying for their listings.

Preparing a website for organic SEO can take months, but it's important to work hard and try to make your website unique compared to others. Several successful organic listings contain key words that are unlikely to be used on other sites. The trick is to implement the words carefully and in a discrete manner. Simply typing a long list of words can be unsuccessful and will only turn off consumers once they reach your site. With a bit of hard work and a great content writer, the words can be incorporated in a meaningful and subtle manner.

When done properly, organic SEO is a great advertising and marketing tool for company's who's higher listing will generate a lot more web traffic than the websites of their competitors. All it takes is a little knowledge, a bit of training and a lot of patience and your listing will soon be on the first page of all the major search engines throughout the Internet.