Search engine optimization (SEO), a subset of search engine marketing,
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. SEO can also target specialized searches such as image search,
local search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.

SEO is marketing by understanding how search algorithms work and
what human visitors might search for, to help match those visitors with
sites offering what they are interested in finding. Some SEO efforts may
involve optimizing a site’s coding, presentation, and structure, without
making very noticeable changes to human visitors, such as incorporating
a clear hierarchical structure to a site, and avoiding or fixing problems
that might keep search engine indexing programs from fully spidering a
site. Other, more noticeable efforts, involve including unique content on
pages that can be easily indexed and extracted from those pages by search
engines while also appealing to human visitors.

The term 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 of site owners who may perform
SEO services in-house. Search engine optimizers often offer SEO as a
stand-alone service or as a part of a larger marketing campaign. Because
effective SEO can require making changes to the source code of a site, it
is often very helpful when incorporated into the initial development and
design of a site, leading to the use of the term “Search Engine Friendly”to describe designs, menus, content management systems and shopping
carts that can be optimized easily and effectively.

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