I am in the process of constructing my website and have realised I know very little about SEO. I am seeking your thoughts and advice on the following:
1) Are there any easy-to-read-and-understand books or websites on the subject you could recommend?
2) Is there any simple, common sense advice you can give me, from your own experience?
###
Jay’s Answer: Search optimization is an art based on shifting sands. Everyone is trying to optimize their site based on algorithms for search engines that are constantly being tweaked to prevent "gaming".
First, a simple book to read: Search Engine Optimization for Dummies (Peter Kent).
What’s changing in the SEO scene is the area of social search marketing. Before, if you wanted to find something, you went to the big search engines and did an "impartial" search. What’s hot now is asking your "community" for recommendations, in the same way you’d find a local plumber. The social search scene is very young, and SEO experts are trying to figure out how to "game" it as well.
My suggestions is to focus on your site first. Make sure it has top-quality information, so that when you do get traffic, people immediately "get" what you’re selling, see your expertise, and convert into customers. Once you’ve got your site "good enough" (don’t get into the paralysis of trying to make it perfect from the get-go), then open the traffic doors. Yes, do the keyword optimization. Yes, understand how people who want your products/services would try to find you, and make sure you’re listed "there". And finally, your website is an island unless you build bridges from other websites (backlinks). Find other sites that you can "partner" with. Contribute articles on your expertise to article banks.