MKT420 Book Review Blog Post #1 Introduction

I read The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization by Michael Miller. The reason that I choose this book was because I am interested in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and I wanted to learn more about all aspects of SEO. The most interesting thing about SEO for me is that fact that it is all free (unless you hire someone to do it for you). Organizing and optimizing the content on your site can make a huge difference in your search results. When done correctly it will drive more relevant traffic to the site resulting in more visitors or conversions (if you are an ecommerce site). This book was a great choice because it gave me a solid overview of everything about SEO. Before I start diving into what is in the book I want to provide a definition of Search Engine Optimization for those who are unfamiliar with it. According to SearchEngineWatch.com SEO is defined as,


“The process of making a site and its content highly relevant for both search engines and searchers. SEO includes technical tasks to make it easier for search engines to find and index a site for the appropriate keywords, as well as marketing-focused tasks to make a site more appealing to users. Successful search marketing helps a site gain top positioning for relevant words and phrases.”

I think this definition says it very well by calling it a “process.” There is a process that has to take place before your site is optimized and there is a process that needs to take place to keep it optimized. Before you jump into optimizing a site you must first understand how search engines and SEO works. Then from there you can optimize your site for search engines and finally you must maintain your site through analytics and management. Miller breaks the book into these parts which is how I will address them through the blog posts: how search engines and SEO works, how to optimize your site, and how to maintain your site.