How to Optimize Your Dever Business Website for Great SEO Results

The vast majority of Internet traffic is driven by search engines. These sites, such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing, have sophisticated algorithms that rank pages based on a variety of factors. When a user enters a particular keyword, the search engine scans its database to find the best fit it can for that keyword. The term "search engine optimization" (SEO) is used to describe the process by which website operators make their websites more accessible to search engines and increase their rankings.

Businesses can see a tremendous boost in their traffic if they take steps to improve their ranking. Denver-based businesses who do their business locally will often see this translate into more business, as search engines cater their results to the location from which the user entered their query. Here are a few steps that Denver-based businesses can take to increase their search engine rankings.

* Improve search engine readability
Search engines are dependent upon the website to determine its content, and that generally means that only text content is visible to them. Website operators should ensure that images and Flash content are not the only sources of important data. For example, if the only places in which "Denver" is mentioned is in images and Flash elements, the search engine will not be able to deduce that the business is based in Denver and results from local searches will suffer. Website developers and operators can avoid this problem by mentioning relevant data within the title, headers or body text. Having the address of the business at the bottom of the page, for example, will tell the search engines that the business is located in Denver.

Another technique is to use what are called "meta" tags. These tags are used to relay content that does not show up on the page but can be read by search engines. These tags allow for titles, descriptions and keywords, allowing web site operators to emphasize what their website does.

* Improve keywords
Targeting keywords is a key tenet of SEO. Achieving a high rank for the term "dentist," for example, is a difficult task that may take years to accomplish. The term "dentist Denver," on the other hand, is much more manageable. Website designers should strive to include the term several times both on their front page and within several of their other pages.

Targeting multiple keywords improves the likelihood of being discovered. The phrases "dentists in Denver," "best Denver dentist," and "find dentist in Denver" can lead to more visitors for a dentist based in Denver.

* Build links
One of the primary means by which search engines rank pages is by tabulating links that point towards websites. A website with a large number of inbound links is likely to rank higher that a similar page with few inbound links. It is also important to ensure that at least some of the links are from websites and pages that have similar content to the website being linked to; a link to a Denver-based vehicle repair location, for example, will benefit more from a link with vehicle-related content than from a site about computer repair.

There are a number of ways to find useful links. Facebook and other social media sites can be a great source for quality links. Web directories allow users to submit their own websites. Another popular technique is to ask operators of other websites to engage in "link exchanges," where each website operator links to the other's website. Local business operators might consider requesting link exchanges with businesses in different cities who are not competitors.