Stand out in a crowd

Search engine optimisation is the process of refining the content of a website to improve its ranking on search engine pages. You can spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds on this kind of service, for which there are many providers.

A website's ranking is based on the score it is given, ranging from zero to 10; there are only one or two sites with a score of 10 and those with four or above are doing well. These scores are based on a series of relative strengths and weaknesses and so the stronger the site the higher its score and, therefore, ranking. Good looks alone are just not enough.

Good text content is essential as is having carefully thought out meta-tags. Sites with well-written tags have a clear advantage and spending time on these will make a big difference to the way a website is reviewed and listed: without them, a page, or even an entire site, may not be listed at all.

The page title tag is often seen as the most important and is usually the first text that search engine spiders see when reviewing a web page. The more succinct and relevant the data, the better: search engine spiders do not like spending time reading long descriptions, especially if they have little or nothing to do with what is on the page.

Alt-tags offer another chance to mention keywords; they may not make a huge difference but are certainly worth including.

Because most firms want to be found on Google before any other search engine, it is worth ensuring the search engine can read and review all the pages. To help, Google offers XML code to embed into websites to make website pages easier to read. A site may be listed on Google but only for one or two pages; if the page titles are obscured by programming code or are hidden behind navigation buttons then Google may not be able to see all the pages. A Google Sitemap lists all the page titles in plain, easy-to-read XML code, making it more likely that the entire site will be listed.

Search engines like sites with lots of inbound links. A high number suggests a level of importance and credibility, often to be rewarded with a higher score. Over time, the number of inbound links should grow but if your site has fewer than 50 then consider subscribing to a link-building service: this will submit your site to hundreds - if not thousands - of other sites, including links from website directories, trade associations and business connections both through the trade and locally.

Search engines pay attention to social networking sites because they attract thousands of visitors each day; associating yours with these huge sites can boost its ranking and credibility. Bookmarking on the 100-plus social networking sites has become popular and quick and an effective way to develop the online presence of your website. While bookmarking in this way may not generate direct enquiries, it is another kind of link that search engines value and use when scoring websites.

Securing a first-page entry at the top search engines is not easy but, by paying attention to the features they value and consider important, your website has every chance of securing that elusive and much sought after top ranking.