Website owners continuously search for the ever elusive increase in search engine rankings. The reality is that increasing your ranking does not have to be as elusive as it might seem. There are several different factors involved in the increase of a site’s ranking among major search engines. You can view these factors as ingredients, so to speak. The ingredients must be combined to create a cocktail of success. It is important to understand that search engines constantly tweak the ways in which they classify and then produce search-relevant webpages and material. The goal for search engines is to provide the most direct path to the user’s intended result.

So how does one go about increasing their web site’s ranking through search engine optimization? For starters, you must understand the different types of searches which are at play. The search intent of the people performing the searches is an important factor when it comes to increasing a site’s relevancy when a more general query is entered. There are different types of searches which people conduct on a daily basis. Some of these searches are categorized as navigational, transactional and informational. Let’s take a deeper look into each of these types of searches to help you to better understand how they factor into creating quality content on your web site.

Transactional searches include much more than purchase history or selling and buying goods online. Creating a new e-mail account or searching the best seafood restaurants in town are also forms of transactional searches. Informational searches are conducted perhaps more than any other type of search. Weather conditions, the names of famous actors and obtaining directions through Google Maps are all forms of informational searches. The last type of search you need to be aware of is navigational searches. These searches refer to times when a person knows the exact web site that he or she wishes to visit. If the person conducing the search does not know the exact URL, then a search engine can direct them there. So how does all of this factor into SEO and increasing your site ranking?

Understanding the types of searches people conduct is half the battle. The other half involves meeting the criteria for these different search intents. It might be difficult to appeal to each of these different search criteria, depending on what the purpose is for your website. However, it is certainly not impossible to do so! Concentrate on providing creative and engaging content. The use of images and quality writing practices also helps you to appeal to a wider range of search results. When a searcher comes to your website, you want them to be fully engaged. This same concept is used in the teaching profession. It is much more effective to present information in a light-hearted, entertaining fashion, as opposed to in a static or boring way.

Once you understand the intent behind those who enter search criteria, you can concentrate on making your content rich and relevant. This might appear to be an obvious step, but website owners often leave out important aspects of information if they act in haste. Your website should be easily navigable, and contain clear instructions. This is especially important when it comes to sales. Customers must feel comfortable as they are led through the sales transaction. Frustration can cause someone to leave your website to see if the same products are offered elsewhere. Understanding and appealing to multiple target audiences might not be easy, but it is necessary to ensure a higher ranking during search results.