SeaRch EnGinE OpTimiZaTion

Search engine optimization.  Say that three times fast!  No wonder they call it SEO for short!  So, what is it?  According to the Beginners Guide to SEO, Search engine optimization is used to direct more traffic to one’s website. It is focused on growing visibility in (free) search engine results.  SEO encompasses both the technical and creative aspects required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness in search engines.  SEOs have many different components; words on a page, the way other sites link to you on the web, etc.  Sometimes it is simply a matter of making sure your site is structured in a way that search engines understand. 

So what about people and what they understand?  SEO’s are there to ensure that your site is better for people as well. 

Search engines are what most web traffic is driven by.  We are all familiar with the “big dogs”:  Google, Bing, and Yahoo!.  Even though social media and other traffic can visit websites, search engines are what most internet users rely on.  No matter what your site provides, whether it is content, services, products information, etc.  Search engines help people who are looking to find what you offer.  They target traffic.  Search engines are the tools that make this happen.  If they cannot find your site, or add your content to their data bases, traffic doesn’t get sent to your site, which makes you miss out on opportunities.  For more information, you can reference the 10 chapters outlined in “The Beginners Guide to SEO” linked here:  http://d2eeipcrcdle6.cloudfront.net/guides/Moz-The-Beginners-Guide-To-SEO.pdf

 One method of search engine optimization is geotagging.  Google actually ignores this, but Bing and Yahoo! Still use geotagging, so it is beneficial for SEO.  A geotag is “geographical information that is embedded into an object”.  It can be a photo, a website, or an RSS feed.  Geotags are associated with location.  Adding geotags to a web page is simple.  You can use meta tags as well.  Meta tags are more specific and can give latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, position, region or place names, etc.  

So why would Google ignore these tags?  According to sleeplessmedia.com, because they are mostly incorrect.  Correctness depends on the accuracy of the information that is embedded. 

Geotagging may or may not be for you.  By adding them to a website, search engines find it easier to locate you on the map.  This helps with boosting visibility on local search queries.  If you have a local or regional business, then geotagging will be a beneficial step to take. If your business has a physical location, this can also be a benefit.  National or International companies do not benefit from this as much.  Geotagging is highly recommended for retail or tourism websites. Because geo and meta tags are location based, there could be concerns with privacy issues. However, there are means to protect your privacy as a geotagger.  You should always consider which information you really want to be sharing on the web.  Happy tagging!

https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

http://www.sleeplessmedia.com/blog/should-i-geotag-my-website-for-better-search-optimization/