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Spend much time on the Internet anymore and you're likely to see the SEO acronym tossed around pretty casually. While the term may not mean much if you're just a casual browser, if you're an Internet marketer then the term is something you need to not only pay attention to but understand.

A Few SEO Basics

First, you need to know what SEO stands for. The phrase is Search Engine Optimization. The full name gives you a hint as to what the acronym is referring to. Basically, search engine optimization is a method of increasing the rankings of your site. Obviously you want your site to rank as high as possible in search engines for the keywords associate with your site.

For example, if you sold a course on guitar playing then you might want your site to score near the top of the results when someone searched for "learn to play guitar." You see, those rankings aren't random. They are based on a complex algorithm used by the search engines. While each search engine uses slightly different elements to determine their rankings, search engine optimization is fairly standard.

Why SEO?

If you're wondering why it's important to do SEO in the first place, the easy answer is to go to Google and do a search for any key phrase associated with what you are selling or promoting through your web site. Chances are you're going to come up with dozens of pages of results. You're going to be competing with all of those other sites for your ranking.

Does it matter where you rank? Absolutely. Think about your own search habits. If you're looking for something particular, you probably don't go past the first or second page of results to find what you want. That means the pages which rank the highest are also going to be the ones which generate the most traffic. More traffic means an exposure to more potential customers. The more potential customers you have visiting your site the higher your revenue is likely to be. Basically, if you use SEO effectively then you are likely to have greater success with your web site. It's that simple.

Can I Handle My Own SEO?

Many Internet marketers make the mistake of thinking they need to hire someone to handle their SEO. While search engine optimization is important, you can usually do this on your own without the extra expensive of a professional. All you need to know is which keywords to optimize your content for and how densely you want your content to be optimized. Another important point though is SEO is not just about writing a whole bunch of words and randomly throwing in a few keywords. The content needs to be strong.

Some search engines can tell when you've written a bunch of fluff for SEO purposes. Even if you do manage to score a high ranking with poorly written material, you won't be able to hold the interest of those potential customers long enough to close the deal.