Search is constantly evolving. It is impossible for us to anticipate all the ways in which it will change, but it is safe to assume that all these changes will be driven by the need to create the best possible search experience for users. As an optimizer, it is in your best interest to align your goals with that of the search engine: providing the best possible user experience.

This is the first principle of search engine optimization: Make your website useful. As search engines and searchers both get smarter, it becomes increasingly crucial for website owners to create original, useful content that will provide true value for visitors. Even commercial and company websites now have blogs and sections devoted to resourceful information for the users. The more the vol‐ume and quality of your content, the better your chances of turning up in search results for relevant queries.

Second: Make it usable. Make it as easy as possible for spiders to visit, crawl and index your website. Create a clean site with clear structure and error‐free code, with a well defined sitemap and a strong linking scheme. Highlight relevant text; choose page titles and define Meta tags carefully to give the search engine a clear idea of what each page is about.

Third: Choose the right keywords. It is absolutely imperative to perform key‐word research on the subject of your web site and of each individual page, so that you can accurately align what you are offering with what users are looking for. Simply put, if you pick the wrong keywords, you will target the wrong traffic.

Fourth: Make it popular. Spread the word about your website and generate publicity for it by providing good content and advertising. Create content and tools that will get people talking about you, and use press releases and online and offline advertising to reach out to them.

Fifth: Don’t spam. Don’t violate the first principle of optimization. Write for people, not search engines. Don’t generate fake publicity by creating bogus web‐sites for backlinks, presenting different pages to spiders and users, or using other unscrupulous methods to attract traffic. Not only will you annoy and alienate your visitors, but you will always be at risk of being caught and penalized.

These are principles of White Hat SEO. Note that white hat SEO increases your visibility in search engines, while black hat SEO, which uses the same overall principle (thinking like a spider) to try to outwit search engines in unethical ways, are open to penalty by search engines and have a short life since they provide no real value to users.

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