Introduction to An Overview of SEO

Online search services mainly fall into two categories, directories (such as Yell, Thomson Local, Find Us In Spain.com etc) and search engines (Google, MSN/ Bing, Yahoo etc); some people confuse the two or don't recognise the difference as they appear to provide the same or similar user experience. For the purposes of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) it is important to acknowledge the different strategies required for optimising placement in search engine results provided by the different search services.

It is important to note that the search and directory services trade and exchange information in a web of commercial arrangements. Being aware of these relationships provides global perspective and aids the planning of a strategy for SEO activity.

A reference for these relationships may be found in this Search Service Data Relationship chart (scroll over each logo to see the data relationships between the various search services). Understanding these relationships and considering them in conjunction with your own business objectives for engaging in SEO activity in the first place, should provide the foundation for an effective SEO strategy.

Different techniques are required for SEO for directories and search engines and these techniques further differ between services in these categories, the rest of this publication will focus on SEO for Google as this is the service currently of principle commercial interest in the UK. The information provided in this publication does not take into account Pay-for-Inclusion and Pay-for-Placement arrangements.

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