Search engines are incapable of working like human brain. In spite of the thousands of hours of programming, the complicated algorithms and the ever-increasing technology, search engines simply cannot “read” or view data the same way the human mind can. The search engines need a road map to follow and that is where SEO comes in.
When a human being looks at a page of text, images or videos online, his mind can perform hundreds of analyses in seconds. He can rapidly scan the page for contextual meanings no computer can decipher. Colloquialisms, slang, inference – these are things that make language and communication a challenge. While the human mind can pick out the intent behind the words, the search engine cannot.
Search Engines rely on a complex system of signals found in text, labels, image captions, meta tags and other elements of a web page to help them discover the meaning of the page’s content. Without these road signs on a website, the search engine becomes lost and moves on to another site in search of data that matches the input criteria it is trying to match. The result is that no matter how informative a website may be, without the proper keywords or pointers, search engines may simply ignore it.
It’s not that search engines aren’t smart. They work very hard to do what they do and they are always improving their technology. With each genesis, they learn to crawl more deeply and return better results to users. Not only do they use keywords and related text to judge a websites relevancy to the search criteria but they also look at links to the site –both incoming and outgoing. There are some pretty serious programs working behind the scenes every time a search is initiated.
As website owners wanting our sites to be seen by the masses, it is our duty to use every means available to help the search engines recognize that our content is valuable and meaningful. Employing the right level of SEO techniques can net you literally thousands of visitors. Leaving this important aspect of website design out can mean your site languishes at the back of the pack and that visitors never find their way to your site.
With the growing competition on the Internet to attract visitors, search engine optimization becomes increasingly critical to your business’s success. Without it, your ranking on search results is dismal and users may never discover your site even exists.
While you can handle your optimization needs yourself, you may want to consider hiring a professional to increase your competitive edge. Professionals in this market stay abreast of changes and trends in the field and can put their expertise to work for you in a way that boosts your rankings and site visits. Since your business, like most others, is result-driven, getting the maximum return on investment should be your goal, even in the area of search engine optimization.