“SEO” stands for “search engine optimization”. That’s just a fancy way of saying “making your website easier to find”. Every search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and a host of others) sends out little bits of code, called web crawlers, that scour the vast reaches of the Internet and catalog the sites they find. When someone types a word or phrase into a search field, the search engine checks the catalog for the best matches, based on factors such as search-term density and whether or not the site seems to be an authority on the subject matter.

So what does that mean for your website? Consider the fact that over two-thirds of searchers only click on the top three organic (non-sponsored) links returned by search engines, and you can begin to see the importance of optimization.

There are numerous SEO techniques blogs and sites with free SEO tips and tricks to get you started. These include such things as how to do keyword research, what your content should offer, and certain programming tips to streamline your site’s load time. And interestingly enough, many of the best SEO tips blogs are written by SEO professionals, who also sell their services to clients and customers.

But why would someone whose job it is to sell their services ever simply give away free SEO tips about how to do it yourself? Two reasons, mostly. The first is right in line with a core principle of SEO, which is to make your articles and blogs useful and helpful. By positioning yourself as a source of good information and advice, you will earn the trust of search engines and human searchers alike, which makes them more likely to purchase your services down the road.

The second reason? Doing effective, consistently productive SEO is hard. You need to employ a large and diverse staff, you need to devote massive amounts of time and energy to it, and you need to keep a constant eye on the many changes in the industry that can occur on a near-daily basis. Free SEO tips help people understand the process, and once they understand the process, they realize the benefits of hiring professionals to see it through.