The buzzword here is search engine optimization, or SEO, a highly complicated science that involves getting search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo! to list your Web site higher on the page than your competitors.

Scoring high in Web searches is complicated because millions of sites vie for the top spots and search engines use complex formulas to determine which Web site should match any given key word search. Search engines also guard their formulas for how they prioritize Web sites more carefully than Coca-Cola guards its recipe. And if that doesn't make it complicated enough, most search engines change their formulas regularly. (How regularly is also secret.)

The reason for all this secrecy is that the people who run sites like Google and Bing want to deliver the best results when someone conducts a search — not just a list of the sites that smart Web marketers figured out how to trick their way into top position. Because there's much money to be made at the top, Web marketers spend countless hours testing how search engines work to come up with their best guesses about the criteria that search engines are using and how best to move their sites up the list.

The result is sort of a cat-and-mouse game, with search engines changing the rules to thwart the most calculated efforts of specialist's in SEO, and people who specialize in SEO charging big bucks to figure out the secret formula that can put you on top.

For the most part, search engines score sites based on the words and images on Web pages and on how well their content matches the keywords that are searched. For example, if you own a B&B in Point Reyes Station, California, you should include at least the name Point Reyes Station on your Web site because the term B&B has many competitors and people searching for lodging in the area are likely to include the town's name in their search.

Achieving the best placement, especially for popular keywords, is a full-time job, but here are a few tips that most SEO specialists agree are likely to help you score better in search engine searches.

In addition to the "natural" results that search engines deliver when someone does a keyword search, buying keywords on search engines helps to ensure that your site is listed when someone searches for words that are relevant to your site, although the process is far more complex than most people realize. Search engine ads generally appear at the top and right side of most search-result pages.

Not all keywords sell for the same price. Using a complex bidding process, most search engines charge significantly more for the most popular keywords. Adding to the complexity, the results of those keywords for your site can vary dramatically based on a dizzying array of factors. For example, the expensive keyword Hawaii may bring the most amount of traffic to your site, but the lower-priced keyword luau may result in more reservations to your hotel. Because it's possible to measure not only the traffic from a keyword search but also the actions of the person who clicks on that keyword, you can measure and compare the effectiveness of nearly every aspect of search engine advertising.

Again, this process can be highly complex. Just developing a list of keywords worth purchasing seems easier than it really is at first. Sure, if you have a B&B in Point Reyes, you can likely make a list of a few dozen obvious words quickly. But the real art of developing a list of keywords for search engine advertising requires more than just brainstorming a few words related to your business. The best SEO companies come up with hundreds or thousands of keywords and phrases and then track the results to find the best return on dollars spent for paying customers. Thus, running a campaign with 10,000 words might not cost much more than running a campaign with 100 words, and might prove much more effective over time.

Add to that strategy the importance of landing pages and sales messages. The most sophisticated ad campaigns involve creating special Web pages to go with each keyword ad. For example, you can create a special page (often called a landing page) on your Hawaiian hotel site for people who click the search term scuba diving that is different from the page for those who click the search term health spa. You can learn more about how to make the most of your keyword ads by carefully reading the instructions and tips on any site where you plan to advertise.

In addition to buying ads on Google, you can include Google Ads on your own Web site to earn advertising income. In Chapter 14, you find tips on how to earn income from your site with Google Ads.

Social networking, the art of meeting and building contacts on the Web, is an increasingly popular way to increase your personal and professional contacts, make new friends, develop professional relationships, and even find a new job. You can also use social networking sites to promote your personal or business Web site. Netiquette (Internet etiquette) calls for a subtle approach to promoting your site in these kinds of environments, but simply including your Web address in your online profile can help drive new people to your site.

Here are some of the most popular social networking sites and what you can expect to find there:

Social bookmarking sites rank the popularity of Web pages by the number of votes they get. The result is that these sites are excellent resources for people who want to keep up with what's popular online. Most offer special software that makes it easy for anyone to vote on a site.

Getting your site listed on social bookmarking sites is a highly effective way to increase traffic. Dozens of these sites and services exist, with more sure to come, and they feature catchy and unusual names, like Digg (http://digg.com), delicious (http://delicious.com), StumbleUpon (www.stumbleupon.com, and reddit (www.reddit.com).

Although you can submit your own pages on any of these sites, it's generally frowned upon and if you do it too frequently, you can be banned. Besides, your one little vote won't make much different anyway. A better method is to add a button to your site from each of these services that makes it easy for your visitors to vote for you. If you're a blogger, you can add a button each time you post. You can get the buttons (chicklets) for free and add them to your pages by simply inserting a little code you generate on the social networking site. (Find instructions for adding code to your pages in Chapter 6.)

One of the best ways to improve traffic to your site is through repeat visitors, and regular updates to your site can make all the difference. If you want your visitors to know when to look for updates, consider making regular changes to your Web site. Add a post to your blog every Thursday morning, for example, or post your newest photos to the site on Saturday mornings. Regular updates help get people in the habit of visiting your site.

One of the best ways to create good habits in Web design is to visit other people's Web sites and study what works and what doesn't on their pages. While you're there, check out the title of the page, any descriptive text, or keywords that are used throughout the site. As you look at related Web sites, ask yourself what you like about the site and why you like it. Also, determine whether you can easily find the information you're most interested in and how easily you can navigate around the site.

Sometimes the best way to discover the problems in your own Web site is to look for problems on someone else's site and then return to yours with a fresh perspective.

Attracting traditional media attention to your Web site is not unlike attracting it to any other business. The trick is to tell a good story and get the attention of someone who can write about it in a publication that's read by your target audience. If you're looking for press coverage, make sure to include a Press section on your Web site with contact information, story ideas, and any other press coverage you've received.

Dear fabulous journalist <insert that person's name, of course>:

I enjoyed reading the article you wrote on the XYZ company and thought that you might be interested in what we're doing.

Keep your message brief, and try to include a news hook and story idea that go beyond just promoting your business. For example, rather than tell a reporter that you have the best B&B site in northern California, pitch a story about the best hikes in the area. With any luck, the article on great hikes will include a quote from you and a mention of your B&B's Web site (especially if the reporter can send readers to your online list of hiking tips).

Viral marketing is another of the marketing industry's new buzzwords in the digital age. The idea is that a message (a video, an article, or a photo, for example) is so exciting, fun, and compelling that people want to share it with each other, passing it on to their friends, who then pass it on to their friends, until it spreads like a virus. Such messages are often sent via e-mail, blogs, or chat, which can make the ever-expanding impact happen at an almost instantaneous pace.

Tap in to the power of viral marketing, and you can become an overnight sensation. Humor seems to be the most effective strategy. Among the mainstays of the viral phenomena are those silly photos of cats with clever sayings. Known as the LOL cats, these photos have spawned several Web sites, like Icanhascheeseburger.com. Funny video clips, the kind you would expect to see featured on a show like America's Funniest Home Videos, are also highly viral because they're shared around the Web.

To use viral marketing to attract traffic to your Web site, include a section with funny photos, industry jokes, or a Top 10 list, and you might just get visitors to tell their friends about your site.

Creating a blog and adding it to your Web site makes it easy to add fresh content because blogs are designed for frequent updates. When you become a blogger, you also join the ranks of a prolific group of writers who regularly refer their readers to each other's Web sites.

Instructions for creating a blog and integrating it into your Web site are in Chapter 11.

One of the most popular new forms of social media can be found at www.twitter.com. Described as micro blogging, Twitter makes it easy to register and start sharing your words of wisdom, but you have to keep it brief. Twitter limits users to 140 characters (about a sentence) of text per post. At first, many users complained that Twitter was a trivial place where people shared too many boring details, such as "I'm going to lunch at Red Lobster now."

But as Twitter has evolved, it's become an incredibly popular way for friends to stay in touch, and for businesses, actors, and others to promote themselves. Just visit www.twitter.com and register for a free account, and you can start posting short messages about what you're doing, what you're thinking, or questions you're pondering. Anyone who uses Twitter can subscribe to the Twitter feed of anyone else who uses Twitter and receive all their comments, called Tweets.

It might seem obvious, but many people are either too shy or too busy to reach out to their friends, family, and personal contacts when they launch a Web site. Don't overlook your most obvious supporters. Launching a new Web site, or redesigning an existing site, is an excellent excuse to e-mail personal and professional contacts. To make the announcement even more fun, consider sending an e-card with a colorful character, animation, or music to dramatize your announcement.

Hallmark.com is one of my favorite e-card sites because it has lots of free cards with clever sayings, professional designs, and interactive animations. Most of its free e-cards even include sound. BlueMountain.com is another useful e-card site, but you have to pay for the pleasure of sending its professional greetings. When choosing an e-card to announce your Web site, look for blank cards or the Friendship and Any Occasion sections, where you can find messages that are easily personalized for nearly any kind of Web site.