When I started researching Search Engine Optimization I got completely overwhelmed. I have found everything from programing tips to how to write content. Obviously, content is where I feel most comfortable so that is where I am going to start. For a future post I would really appreciate a local SEO expert writing SEO 101 for the blog readers. Please send me a quick email if you are interested in providing a post.

To start, what is Search Engine Optimization? According to Wikipedia "Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results for targeted keywords. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results, or the higher it "ranks", the more searchers will visit that site. SEO can also target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines."

Ok, so the higher a website ranks in search engine results, the more likely someone will click to the site. That left me with two questions. 1) how do you get to the top of the results and 2) How do you make sure you are getting to the top of the RIGHT results so that the right reader is clicking through to the site?

PR Newswire provides a 1 pager called "How to Write a News Release for Better Search Engine Optimization" they say that "Search engines are the primary driver of Web site traffic for most companies and organizations...Releases that are optimized for search are more easily found, and are found toward the top of relevant search results..." Here is a shortened version of their advice.

1) Choose your Keywords wisely.

• Choose keywords that will depict the central theme of your release by first DEFINING WHAT YOUR RELEASE IS ABOUT, WHO THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS AND HOW IT WILL TIE BACK TO YOUR BRAND OR COMPANY WEB site.
• Once you've defined a theme, determine a list of key words that represent that theme.
• Decide which keywords your release will focus on. IN general, identify two or three relevant search terms your audience is likely to use when performing a search.

2) Write a keyword rich, contextually thematic headline
3) Utilize keywords in the first sentence of the initial paragraph and throughout the body of the release.
4) Write naturally to get your message across in a human manner
(here is the sales pitch)
5) Use PR NEwswire's Keyword density tool

• Search engines use keyword density to determine the relevance and classification of a document.

I am going to keep researching (and hopefully hear from an expert) and posting on this subject.