Having a web site for your business is essential in today’s online society. Customers expect to be able to find their favorite business online, and companies that refuse to use the technology available to them are often left in the dust. Simply having a web site, though, is often not enough. That website must be available to potential customers to be a valid source of advertising. The only way this can work is to have a high rank from search engines.

Search engine ranking gives internet users a way to determine if the page returned from the search they performed is of any value to them. The higher your search engine ranking, the more likely potential customers are to click on it. The lower your search engine ranking, the more likely customers are to never even find your website. There are three simple ways you can advance your search engine ranking and improve your business and your profits.

The first way to improve your search engine ranking is to pick your target key words carefully. When someone searches for something related to your business, you want your page to land in the top ten results offered by that search engine. Each page in your site should have more than one key word. Moreover, your site key words should be at least two words long. For example, instead of “stamps,” you might want to use “stamp collecting.” There are both free websites and pricey software that can offer you the best analysis of what key words you should use on your site. These can help you choose the right key words for your site.

Second, one of the main rules in search engine rankings is the frequency and location of key terms on your website. If the search term appears in your HTML tag, you are more likely to get a higher rating from a search engine. Moreover, search engines look for the key terms at the top of the page. Search engines are looking for the term in the headline or the first few paragraphs of the page. The nearer to the top, the more the search engine assumes the page is related to the topic the searcher is looking for. Another thing search engines look for is the frequency of the term. Search engines examine how frequently you use the term in relation to all of the other words on the website. They calculate the percentage and the higher the percentage, the higher your page ranking. It is important to remember, though, that some search engines are built to detect spamming, or using the term too many times to direct searchers to an unrelated page. Sites that detect spamming will not only exclude your site in their results; they may also ban your site from their results on a permanent basis. Deliberately spamming can be a lot of work as well. You have to constantly battle to keep your key words at the level the rankings will require. Deliberate spamming is ethically wrong, and you should not resort to it to increase your page rankings. Paying attention to the location and frequency of the search terms on your website can greatly improve your search engine ranking.

Finally, build relevant content on your page. Be sure that your page reflects the key words. Using HTML text wherever you can will help both search engines and your visitors to determine the relevance of your site. Using large graphics means the search engine cannot read your site. While they may look nice, they will not improve your search engine rating. That relevant content should include building on your text references. If your key word is collecting, consider offering an alternate key word of collectors. This can keep your site from being eliminated by some engines as redundant.

Increasing your key word rankings can really help increase your business. It can direct more traffic to your website that you ever thought possible. Remember though; do not get tied up in your rankings. Even if you do not see an improvement in your rankings, you will at least know you should concentrate on something besides your page rank that will help you improve your site ranking.