This article is intended to be a basic overview of SEO for those not familiar with the subject. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is the art / science of showing up near the top of the search results for a particular keyword, on a specific search engine. Each search engine uses its own algorithm to decide how heavily to value different attributes of a particular website to determine how it should rank in comparison to other websites with “similar” subject matter.

A website that ranks as the #1 result for a specific key word today on Google is not likely to be found on the tenth page of results for the same keyword in Yahoo. Two different algorithms may treat the attributes of a particular website similarly but the point to remember is that it’s highly unlikely for them to spew results in an identical manner.

Unfortunately not all search engines are created equally, Google currently gets more traffic than any other search engine in the world, so most SEO experts spend there time on trying to “crack” Google’s algorithm. The algorithms act as a powerful form of product differentiation for the search engine companies and the specs of the current algorithm for the major players are a closely guarded secret.

The major search engines modify there algorithms on a regular basis trying to stay one step ahead of the SEO experts. These changes are not usually what I would describe as drastic. In other words if your site currently ranks on the first page of Google for a keyword as the third listing from the top and Google updates it’s algorithm tomorrow, it is unlikely that you will then show up on page 12 for the same keyword the next day. Such major changes would most likely throw the web into a state of chaos.

Instead algorithms seem to undergo gradual changes so if you are ranked first page third result from the top for keyword “bass guitar” and Google changes it’s algorithm tomorrow you might drop four places to first page seventh result which in terms of rank is not a major change however in terms of traffic and revenue to your business may have major consequences.

SEO takes a good amount of time to research and implement but when you get it running it can be a good source of “free” traffic. Since the algorithms change on a regular basis the battle is never really over, but then again if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!