Hundreds of people will head straight to your website every day if you have a "top ten" ranking with the major Internet search engines. By controlling several "top ten" rankings, thousands of qualified visitors will flock to your website daily. With established search engine placement strategies, you will be able to achieve top rankings on Yahoo! and Google for your most important web pages. The following four steps can help you achieve those profitable "top ten" rankings.

Step One - Targeting Keywords

The trick to a profitable website is knowing the specific keywords people type into the search engines when looking for information on the Internet. Good use of keywords is vital if you want top search engine placement. If your website shows up on the first page of listings after a search, the chances that searchers will click onto your website is high. The key element is targeting the best keywords. To come up with the best keywords you need to know which keywords or keywords phrases best match your website's goals. For instance, if your website sells cowboy hats, you may get visitors to your website by targeting "hats," but you will get more targeted and qualified visitors by targeting "cowboy hats" or "buy cowboy hat." If you can learn to identify and use the best keywords in targeting your website, you will achieve higher search engine placement.

Step Two - Search Engine Optimization On-Page

After identifying the best keywords, you must use them smartly in the pages of your website. Place your keywords and keyword phrases in the HTML title tags and heading tags of your website. You should also use them frequently in your website content, but make sure to use your keywords naturally so that your visitors find it professional. These techniques are known as "on-page" aspects of search engine placement. If you are unsure about how to work with HTML, you should consider a search engine optimization specialist.

Step Three - Search Engine Optimization Off-Page

With the evolution of the Internet, the algorithms used to determine where websites rank in search listings have changed. Google tends to determine a website's ranking by listening to what others have to say about it, largely by scanning inbound links to the website. Inbound links directing people to your website (or a certain page within your website) is most successful when those inbound links contain relevant anchor text. As with the example above, when a person searches "buy cowboy hat," Google is much more likely to rank your website high. To achieve good search engine placement, take the time to create inbound links with relevant text.

Step Four - Compelling, Well Written Content

One search engine placement strategy often overlooked is creating compelling, well written content that informs, teaches, or entertains your visitors. This is crucial for several reasons. Most importantly, compelling, well written content will attract relevant inbound links as other sites find it. This snowballs when Google sees numerous links pointing to your website. Compelling content will also fascinate your visitors, keeping them longer on your website and giving you the chance to establish a relationship and move them toward making a purchase.

Working Alone vs. Working With a Search Engine Optimization Specialist

The four steps of search engine placement included above are simple enough to be undertaken by anyone, requiring only expertise and the time to accomplish them. "Time" is the vital word as it can take many hours to research keywords, include them on the pages of your website, build relevant inbound links, and write compelling content that leads your visitors to action.

Many website owners realize their time is better spent building their business, so they decide to work with a search engine optimization specialist possessing the professional experience to do the job in a profitable and timely manner. If you have the time to dedicate to search engine placement, make sure you set aside a great amount of time, but realize that the time you are spending is an investment in creating a successful business. The key to building a thriving Internet business quickly is achieving top search engine rankings.