FAQs

1. What is search engine optimization?

   Search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (SEM) is the process of making your site easy to find through search engines. It requires research, writing and coding optimized search phrases in order to achieve high rankings on search engines.
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2. What does a search engine marketing campaign involve?

   At a minimum we research key phrases that your audience is really looking for, and suggest where to put which phrases in order to optimize your pages. We do this is a way that the pages appeal to both search engine spiders and your human visitors. And we don't use optimization methods that might offend the search engines. Please take a look at some practices that used to work, but have now been cracked down by search engines. This will give you a presence with search engines. For top positions two other elements come into play: link development and link popularity.
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3. Why would I need a link development campaign?

   More and more the search engines have reduced the weight they attribute to the meta keywords, in favor of link popularity. It is not about what you know, whom you know. We can help you develop a campaign to find quality links, which will increase your ranking with the search engines. And we don't mean links from so called link farms or free-for-all sites.
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4. What are search engine spiders?

   A spider (also called "robot") is a software program that tries to index web pages on the world wide web. It does this by following links, thereby "crawling" through the Internet while cataloguing pages. Some search engines also index PDF files, images, and sound files.
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5. Can't I just put a ton of meta tags in the HTML code?

   In the early days search engine optimization it was about the meta tags, and especially the keywords. Just dump all the keywords you thought people were looking for in here, with some well searched words like "free" or "sex", as well as the names of your main competitors, and you would be at the top of the lists. Nowadays this "keyword stuffing" doesn't work anymore. Keywords have decreased in value dramatically. Because of all the abuse. You didn't know this? Then you better read about some other practices that used to work, but might put you into trouble now...
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6. Can't I just trick the search engines?

   Several people have tried, and keep on trying. Things that are now considered worst practice by the search engines:
   • Nearly invisible text (tiny text, or text with (almost) the same text color as the background of the page);
   • Keyword stuffing (meta keywords="books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books, books")

   One-pixel images: invisible to the eye, but containing key phrase-rich text in the explanatory text attached to it (ALT tags).

   • Feeding highly optimized pages to search engines, but redirect visitors to different pages (doorway pages, cloaking).

Basically any trick that only serves search engines, and not your target audience, should be considered spam. That's why U-C WEBS practices ethical search engine optimization.
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7. Do you offer any guarantees?

   We guarantee our best effort. We feel that's the best we can do. In a dynamic field with changing competition, and rules that the search engines use, we have too little control over the variables to guarantee any ranking positions. Some firms guarantee e.g. "10 top 10 positions", but that might mean achieving top 10 positions for only one highly specialized phrase. Things are not always what they seem. We want to make sites easy to find + easy to use ™: your success is our success.
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8. Does a search engine marketing campaign need maintenance?

   It is definitely recommended to continue optimizing your pages, and building your linking campaign. Links will increase your popularity, hence ranking, but you also increase the number of places where your target audience can find you. A Search Engine Optimization maintenance program allows you to monitor your website rankings, and respond to dropping search engine rankings almost immediately. The Internet is a highly dynamic place. If you snooze you lose. Maintenance is recommended in combination with visitor analysis: if you measure it you can improve it.
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9. Which search engines do you submit to?

   We usually optimize and submit only to the major search engines and directories, which account for about 80% of all Internet traffic. Based on your specific needs we might target specialized industry directories, or foreign language search engines and directories. More information on submissions to global search engines on a dedicated page.
   We currently mainly submit to:

   • Altavista
   • Inktomi (powers HotBot, NBCi, MSN)
   • Google
   • Lycos
   • Fast/All The Web
   • Teoma/Ask Jeeves
   • Yahoo!

   • Open Directory Project (DMOZ)

   
   Looksmart recently changed to a pay-per-click directory. There is a lot of controversy about the cost and effectiveness of this change, and we currently don't recommend using it.

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10. Is Yahoo! A search engine?

    No, Yahoo!, as well as Open Directory Project (DMOZ) is a directory. Directories require a different approach. Directory optimizing is about creating effective and appealing descriptions, and selecting the appropriate categories for your site.
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11. Is Overture/GoTo a search engine?

    Overture (formerly GoTo) is a pay-per-click search engine. You can bid on a specific key phrase so that your link achieves good ranking. Every time someone clicks on your listing you pay for the click. U-C WEBS can assist you with research for an appropriate, available key phrase to bid on, bid management, and the crafting of an appealing description to maximize click-throughs. Some other pay-per-click search engines programs are Google Adworks*, FindWhat, Kanoodle and Sprinks.
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12. What's the difference between pay-for-placement (PFP) and pay-for-inclusion (PFI)?

    With pay-for-placement (PFP), or pay-per-click (PPC), you pay a specific amount (a bid) for a specific position with a specific search engine or directory. These are sometimes shown as "sponsored links", and you can find them offered by Overture, Google Adworks* etc. With pay-for-inclusion (PFI) you pay a yearly fee to be included in a database. Sometimes, like in Yahoo!'s case, this only guarantees a review; it doesn't guarantee inclusion. Pay-for-inclusion is often a flat fee, although Looksmart recently changed to a paid-inclusion-per-click model. Read more information on Pay Per Click campaigns in our services section.
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13. Why use a pay-per-click (PPC) engine?
    

    Pay-per-click search engines deliver almost immediate traffic. This can be used either to cover the period until better free search engine rankings can be obtained through ethical search engine optimization (SEO), or as supplemental Internet advertising. It can become less economical with increased competition and higher fees. U-C WEBS can still purchase keywords that are highly targeted yet with little competition. We will increase your click-throughs by crafting an appealing ad.
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