Keyword optimization is the ongoing process of selecting keywords that are likely to be the most relevant for the search terms being keyed in by people searching for the type or category of product being marketed through the website. The aim is to properly select keywords (words or phrases) that can maximize ‘hits’ (people who click) on the website. People will likely click on the website if it is ranked high on the search engine results page (SERP) and if they find their search term (keyword) in the short description of the site in the SERP.

Keyword optimization therefore involves selecting the right (relevant) keywords; facilitating web crawlers (spiders) to easily find and index the relevant contents in the web pages by including important keywords in the anchor text of metatags; and ensuring inclusion of relevant keywords in header tags. Keyword optimization is crucial for the success of both search engine optimization (SEO) for organic searches as well as for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

The first practical step to get leads (keywords which can then be expanded) for keyword optimization is to try and think as customers searching for the product category would do. However, researching keywords manually is not a practical option when a large number of keywords and phrases are involved. Fortunately, online keyword research tools are available commercially on the Net, such as, for example, ‘WordTracker’ or ‘KeywordDiscovery’ etc, which can facilitate the process of keyword optimization. Continuous testing of keywords and phrases to ascertain their relevance in a dynamic market is also important for any successful keyword optimization process.

Sometimes we tend to ignore social media like Facebook, MySpace and twitter while managing our SEO strategy. You may well ask what is the association between social media and SEO? Many think that focusing entirely on the keywords inside the website or blog is sufficient to bring the traffic. While this may be an important part of your SEO activities, it is still not enough. There are several reasons why you must include social media in your SEO strategy.

The first reason is obviously back links. If you are constantly writing and commenting on forums, you can provide back links to your own site. This will bring additional traffic to your site but more important it will attract search engine bots. Back links increase your search engine ranking.

The second most important reason is that social media sites like    Facebook, MySpace and Twitter provide fresh content every day and therefore attract search engine bots. By linking to these sites you will increase your exposure to search engines.

Your sites search engine ranking depends on many factors. Social media are an important part of your SEO strategy. Moreover, posting on forums is free. You must find the right forums to post your comments. By creating sufficient back links you improve your overall search engine ranking.  Sites like Youtube are a favorite hunting ground for search engines. By posting a small video on this site with relevant keywords can do wonders to your site visibility. Ultimately, you are looking for traffic and social media sites can do this job effectively. By focusing exclusively on keywords and site optimization you are   likely to miss out on some great opportunities.

Twitter is another site which can ramp up your traffic spectacularly. By cleverly associating your tweets with some happening news can be rewarding. You must create a Twitter strategy specific to your needs. Tweeting can be monetized well, if used  in combination with your other social site activity and website.

Though there is no direct link between affiliate marketing and SEO, an understanding of the subject clarifies some doubts which are bound to arise while discussing search engines. Affiliate marketing is a term used when product and service providers seek marketing assistance from others for mutual benefit. The term affiliate marketing has acquired a bad name due to fraudsters and scammers who promise wealth and money to people without doing anything. Due to this the entire affiliate domain has suffered. We have to understand that there are no free lunches and we must have a genuine product or service which can be sold to clients.

The affiliates come together using search engine techniques. Each affiliate is an independent marketer who sells products and services. Usually a landing page or sales page is used to describe the service or product. It is important that the landing page is properly optimized for search engines. In addition traditional marketing techniques are also used for selling.

An affiliate gets a commission on every sale. This process is fully automated and once a client makes a payment, the affiliate gets his share. This payment may be scheduled daily, weekly or monthly as convenient to both parties.

Affiliate marketing needs powerful search engine optimization. In other words an affiliate must understand optimization techniques well if they want to be successful. This is the reason why we must understand what affiliate marketing means and how SEO fits into the overall scheme of things.

Affiliate marketing is also promoted by some dedicated sites which provide all the tools necessary for deploying    affiliate site. These sites usually charge a commission for handling affiliates and providing facilities.  Article submission sites are also used as part of SEO by affiliates.

An understanding of SEO is therefore essential for affiliate marketers.

Google search engine has become so pervasive that we tend to forget other search engines. Microsoft Bing is a search engine which has a unique algorithm and displays search results based on a different set of criteria. What are the repercussions? For one, if your website, for any reason, does not attract better search engine ranking on Google, it may fare better with Bing. The overall share of Bing in the search engine market is less than 15% but is picking up fast. There are reports that Bing provides better and more relevant search engine results than Google.

You must submit your website separately to Bing to get registered.  Keyword searches work differently in Bing and the search algorithm is a secret like in Google. Since the competition is less severe in Bing, the chances of getting a higher listing are better in Bing.

SEO for Bing is not any different from Google. It is also based on keywords and therefore the content on your website need not change dramatically. In fact, since you are submitting your site to Google as well as Bing, the content has to be suitably modified. You must take care that in the process you don’t lose a good ranking in Google.

The presentation in Bing has been altered and is different from Google. Microsoft claims that this has been done after in depth research and analysis. Many experts confirm that the Bing interface is better   suited for human physiology. Despite all these claims Google still seems to hold a psychological edge. But it would not be a surprise if Bing with its pedigree comes up trumps in the search engine market. You must remember that there is enough space in search market for more than two players.  It is therefore advisable to do due diligence at this stage. Who knows how the search market would evolve in future?

Sometimes we overlook the obvious. In case of AdSense this is all the more relevant. Do you have a website or blog which is generates traffic? If so Google AdSense is for you. You can monetize the website by simply joining   Google AdSense. The reason why search engine professionals or even beginners should join this is because it reveals the entire secret behind the Google search engine philosophy. By joining Google AdSense you will be able to see the advertisement which is displayed on your site. Since these advertisements are linked to the content on your website, you can draw relevant conclusions as to the importance of certain search terms or phrases. Since, you are looking to discover the most appropriate keywords you can use those which seem most effective.

The Google AdSense campaign is a process you can effectively use for reverse engineering. This can be made more effective by changing the content on your website and then examining the advertisement thrown out by Google. This is a fascinating method which is iterative. If you observe certain keywords attracting more effective and relevant advertisements you can modify your keywords for improving your search engine ranking. You can go back and forth through the process till you achieve the necessary refinement in your optimization effort.

Google AdSense is a secret weapon which opens up the inner working of Google search engine. This results in better traffic to your website which in turn elevates your search engine ranking as well. The best part is that you don’t spend a penny doing this. An overall SEO strategy consisting of Google AdWords, AdSense and organic search can give your ranking a tremendous boost. Most of the people who are new to SEO don’t realize that much of the Google magic or mystery can be solved by using their own tools.  In fact, Google itself provides extensive guidelines for search engine optimization since it has more to gain from it.