The overall TEXT content of the page is certainly the most important and valuable component in SEO. This is why we use only HTML code, the original code used to build websites when we design and build your website. It is still the underlying foundation of other scripts and codes that have been developed more recently. SEs can read HTML and, therefore, are able to quickly index and rank the website pages that contain it. Other types of website design codes and methods like, FLASH, JAVA SCRIPT etc cannot be read by SEs (or rather their robots - also known as crawlers or spiders). Consequently, websites made up solely, or even partially of these 'fancy' components are at a distinct disadvantage.

Obviously, aesthetics is important and the impressive graphic representations that can be achieved with say... Flash are indeed impressive. However, they are of no use whatsoever, if your website is never seen because the SEs can't read any content...!

There is nowhere near enough space or time to impart even a rudimentary understanding of SEO in it's entirety however, suffice to say, it involves the inclusion of specific keywords and phrases within the website text, in the right places, in the correct ratios, as laid down by some 'vague' instructions supplied occasionally by SEs. The most difficult aspect to SEO is that the SEs only give hints and guidelines, which must be adhered to, with regard to what may be effective and what may not.

There are also a number of 'rules' banning the use of certain methods and tactics, under pain of being banned from the SEs altogether and having no ranking whatsoever - These 'cheating' type methods have been devised, discovered and banned over time and are known as 'Black Hat' SEO. Unfortunately, some clever people who take it upon themselves to do their own SEO, without guidance and instruction, may mistakenly use one of these banned practices without knowing it is against protocol and end up officially banned from the SEs. So SEO should only be practiced by those who have had guidance and know what they are doing - or at least what they should not do. Better still, it should only be attempted by a specialist, most of whom have gained their abilities by learning as the Internet has changed and evolved. This experience cannot be understated.

Even so, specialists themselves are often debating the subject with regard to what works best, what is most important, what does and doesn't help etc. This is how much of a 'science' the practice of SEO really has evolved into over the last few short years - but an important science it certainly is!

For instance, the SEs all use an 'algorithm', which is a complicated mathematical equation that takes into account many aspects and nuances of a website in order to arrive at how it will rank for each specific Search. The 'algorithm' is not known to anyone except those in the highest echelons of the SE companies like Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. SEO specialists are aware of a number of the components of the algorithm, the more obvious ones, of course, and use this knowledge, their own individual insights and certainly their years of experience, trial and error etc, to devise their own particular SEO techniques, which work well for them. Of course, they are always being modified and adjusted for any number of reasons.

To complicate matters even more, the SEs change the algorithms periodically, presumably for two reasons: Firstly, I'm sure anyway, to ensure no-one (maybe some math genius) from getting too 'acquainted', but secondly and more likely, because they to are continually looking for a better and more accurate way to rank websites according to their value, importance and worth to their clients - the Internet 'Searcher'. It is without doubt, in the SEs interest to display the best websites possible to their clients in their results.

Even though I have painted quite a complicated picture of the methods used to gain the best SE rankings, I've said that there are definitely a number of 'certainties' when it comes to what does influence, what doesn't and what will count negatively towards a website's success in the SE rankings. Of course, I've mentioned the 'content' on the website or page, which is pretty much a given anyway. I could go through a list of do's and don'ts however, this would probably confuse more people than it would assist.

If you've ever heard the expression "a little knowledge is dangerous", SEO is certainly one topic that fits very well into the group to which this axiom applies. Far more damage can be done with a little knowledge, without the required understanding and wherewithal to tackle optimising a website for the Search Engines.

At the risk of insulting someone, which is definitely not my intention, it is for this reason, and no other, that I do strongly recommend again, that any significant amount of SEO not be undertaken by the 'average' webmaster or site owner, at least not without close advise and supervision from a specialist.

Thank you