Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization refers to steps or processes that can be taken to improve search engine result rankings. This is particularly important for the Google search engine as it makes ranking decisions based on an assortment of factors such as popularity, inward page links from reputable sources, grammar, original content, etc. A good Google ranking can direct millions of people to a website, so the significance of search engine optimization should not be made light of.
Vanity URLs
Search engines use keywords from a variety of sources to determine the rank of the site, and of each page. One of the best search engine optimization tactics is to make sure that every single html page on the entire site uses a vanity URL. A vanity URL is a descriptive file name that uses dashes or underscores to create short, logical descriptions of the content of any given page by using the most appropriate keywords for each file name. According to Belew & Elad (2009), “Greater weight is given to a web page whose referring links use the main keywords for that page in the text for that link.” This will help search results appear like categories when it displays results for your page.
By Jack Johnston, MA TESOL, MBA, MSML