While you're thinking about a possible answer, consider these questions as well:
Why do you have a telephone number?
Why do you have a mailing address?
Why do you create brochures, flyers and newsletters?
See the trend?
The answer is simple: I have a website so people can learn more about my services and my company.
If no one could find your place of business, or even your telephone number, you will probably not be in business long.
The same is true with your website. It's just sitting there. No one is finding it. No one is sending you inquiries, or sales requests, or signing up for your monthly newsletter.
Now, you may be getting some traffic from those who "know" your web address or have your business card handy, but since you can't hand out your business cards to everyone, how are other customers going to find you?
Simple.
They are going to use a search engine, type in a word or two, click a button and find your website.
This is where search engine optimization (also referred to as SEO) comes in.
Search Engine Optimization is the process of combining many ingredients in order to get your site ranked higher in search engines, mainly in Google, MSN and Yahoo.
A few of these ingredients include:
Using quality keywords. You want to find and utilize keywords in your website that best describe your company's business, service and products. You will want to also use those keywords in your page titles, page descriptions, meta tag keywords, alt tags, etc.
Write fresh content. Search engine spiders love words. Keep your site's content up-to-date and fresh. Visitors to your website will appreciate it and they will come back more often.
Develop a link building program. Find other websites willing to place a link on their site pointing to your site. Not only will this build some new traffic, but it will help improve your site popularity.
Also test and tweak your website as "true" search engine optimization is a never-ending process.
Once your site reaches a Top 10 ranking, you must work as equally hard to maintain high positions in search engines.
