SEO is the process of improving the amount of visitors that a website gets from search engines, such as Google, via the natural search results. Usually, the higher a site ranks in the list the more visitors it will attract.

In less than a decade years search marketing has gone from a niche and widely ignored marketing tool to one of the most important methods available to marketing professionals. Even in recession, research shows that there has been an increase in search marketing budgets - bucking the trend of traditional marketing budgets being squeezed. The change has been phenomenal and SEO is now something that should be on most business agendas.

Search marketing is a young practice, constantly changing and developing, and as such even senior figures in the industry lack formal education and training in the field, and accepted knowledge is regularly moving out of date. As a consequence some prefer to cast themselves in the role of providing ‘dark arts’ practices, which are only understood by those in the know. This isn’t a good idea.

Although it may suit some search marketers to portray their activities as elitist it’s not in the interest of the wider marketing community. SEO companies need to be transparent and open when educating their clients as to exactly what they can achieve and by what means. Only with greater understanding of the potential of search marketing, will businesses be able to realise the maximum benefits of this channel of marketing.

The UK search engine market is dominated by Google, with Yahoo, Bing and Ask all taking very small percentages of the market. YouTube, the video posting site, is now actually the 2nd biggest search engine worldwide. Search engines use a complex mathematical equation known as an Algorithm to rank sites, and these factor in lots of variable aspects of a website. The Algorithms are updated regularly meaning SEO practitioners must try to keep up by constantly developing their techniques.

SEO has grown exponentially and continues to do so as businesses realise the value of their online market. If you haven’t already considered investing in it, now is the time to do so.