What a New Writer Should Know About Search Engine Optimization

I have not been writing for the internet for a long time. In fact, it's been less than a year since I put my first article online. I became aware from research that I did online, that internet writing was different from other forms of writing.

One site that I have used for reference material on Search Engine Optimization is the Yahoo Styleguide. A particularly interesting section of the Yahoo site was under the Research Section. This section has a lot of useful information. It helped me to develop a method by which I could learn the mechanics of good SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It covered a lot of tools that are useful for people that are just starting out with internet writing. These tools give a writer a jumping off place from which to learn the basics of good internet writing.

Why write for the Internet?

The Internet is a place that has something for everyone. People thirst for information. The explosion of the Internet and the information it provides is phenomenal. You can find information on literally any subject. Personally I have always loved writing and researching. I found the Internet a good source for writing, but I also found that, in order for anyone to find my articles, I had to learn Internet skills like SEO. You can build your own website, blog, and write for various internet sites like, Associated Content by Yahoo. There has never before been such an easy way for individuals to get their point of view across to other interested individuals.

Why be Concerned about Search Engines and SEO?

Finding information on the Internet is like driving an automobile. The individual doing the searching is the driver, but the Search Engine is the steering mechanism for finding the information an individual is searching for. As an Internet writer, the point is to have what you have written be relevant to what people are looking for, and for the search engines to steer people to what you have written.

How do Search Engines Work?

Everyone uses search engines. So you know that you type what you're looking for into the search engine, and the search engine provides you with a lot of choices. Search engines search for and rank information according to keywords within a sites content. Your job as a writer is to figure out what keywords to use in order for search engines to give your information a good ranking. Search engines also rank information according to how many other sites have found your information useful, and link to it.

What Is The Importance of Getting Good SEO Rankings?

It's pretty obvious, then, that you want your information to rank as high as possible so that people will discover your information. No matter what type of writing you are doing, if the search engines don't rank your information high, you won't have anyone reading your ideas, advertising, or information. The ideal goal would be getting your information listed on the first page of the search engines. That's why SEO is so important. I continue learning as much as I can about SEO. It's an ongoing process in which I am continually learning.

Search Engine Optimization isn't something that a writer can learn in a couple of hours. It's an important topic and the Yahoo Styleguide is a resource that gives a lot of information for a new writer to absorb. It's something that I will continue to work on until I get it right.

Source:

http://styleguide.yahoo.com/

http://styleguide.yahoo.com/resources