Book Review: Search Engine Optimization for Dummies (3rd Edition, 2008)

Anybody with a website, a blog or a nascent career in writing for the internet will benefit from this book, since search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to being read at all. Packed with information on how to make sure your efforts don't languish on page ninety in the search engine results, this third edition of 'Search Engine Optimization For Dummies' is an easy for beginners, especially considering that it has to grapple with potentially tedious technical matters.

Like all books in Wiley's 'Dummies' series, 'Search Engine Optimization For Dummies' really is perfect for the uninitiated. E-commerce consultant Peter Kent assumes only that you have internet access and, if you're seeking to promote your own website, that you have a basic understanding of what html is and does. Even if you think you know the basics of search engine optimization the book includes tips and explanations of how things work that are guaranteed to be helpful.

After introducing search engines and how they work, Kent explains how to build 'search engine-friendly' sites. Though the book is geared towards search engine optimization of websites, much of the info he provides is just as useful for e-writers producing content. For relative beginners in the mysterious field of search engine optimization, his chapter on 'Picking Powerful Keywords' is essential reading. For website owners, its fascinating to discover that some of those pretty sites packed with bells and whistles may look good to readers, but the search engines can't read half of it and don't care. Sometimes less is more.

The author summarizes the various ways that you can use search engine optimization strategies to boost your writing, page, site or business in the results rankings, depending on your aims and products (how do you get creative if you're selling ball bearings, for example?). Part III highlights the key matter of getting into the search engine indexes and directories. Part IV deals with the all-important links to your site that the search engine love, and promoting your pages via shopping directories and advertising programmes such as Adsense and Pay per Click programmes.

The book concludes with great tips on another facet of search engine optimization: upping your profile, including how best to stay updated so the search engines know you're current. Chapter 20 covers 'Ten myths and mistakes' - this is another chapter that everyone should have taped on the wall in front of their desk. The book concludes with ten more really useful facts about search engine optimization that no-one can ignore, and includes an appendix on 'Staying Out of Copyright Jail' - worth a read!

If you're looking for authoritative information and top tips on search engine optimization, clearly presented and drip-fed in manageable doses for dummies, this up-to-the-minute manual is for you. Not only will you learn a lot but you'll be entertained too. Search engines may not have a sense of humour, but this author certainly does. If you're looking for an introduction or a reference work, 'Search Engine Optimization for Dummies' is an essential for your library.

Peter Kent. 2008. Search Engine Optimization For Dummies. 3rd Edition. Wiley Publishing Inc. ISBN: 978-0-470-26270-2.