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Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of
improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site
from search engines via "natural" or un-paid ("organic"
or "algorithmic") search results as opposed to search
engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion.
Typically, the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the
search results list, the more visitors it will receive
from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds
of search, including image search, local search, video
search and industry-specific vertical search engines.
This gives a web site web presence.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how
search engines work and what people search for.
Optimizing a website primarily involves editing its
content and HTML and associated coding to both increase
its relevance to specific keywords and to remove
barriers to the indexing activities of search engines.
The acronym "SEO" can also refer to "search engine
optimizers," a term adopted by an industry of
consultants who carry out optimization projects on
behalf of clients, and by employees who perform SEO
services in-house. Search engine optimizers may offer
SEO as a stand-alone service or as a part of a broader
marketing campaign. Because effective SEO may require
changes to the HTML source code of a site, SEO tactics
may be incorporated into web site development and
design. The term "search engine friendly" may be used to
describe web site designs, menus, content management
systems, images, videos, shopping carts, and other
elements that have been optimized for the purpose of
search engine exposure.
Another class of techniques, known as black hat SEO
or spamdexing, use methods such as link farms, keyword
stuffing and article spinning that degrade both the
relevance of search results and the user-experience of
search engines. Search engines look for sites that
employ these techniques in order to remove them from
their indices.
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