Search Engine Optimization For Dummies

I recently read Search Engine Optimization For Dummies by web consultant Peter Kent, seeking magic answers to my SEO difficulties. I didn't find any, but the book seemed thorough enough that I'm led to believe there are no magic answers.

Much of the book won't be much help to people who have a basic understanding of search engine optimization. If you know that search engines like lots of content, <h> and <title> tags, and description and keywords meta tags, while they don't like Flash animations and text embedded in images or hidden in JavaScript, most of the book will be a quick read.

Where the book may help you is in its advice for how to pick good keywords, how to submit your site to various directories, and how to find other sites to link to yours. Picking the right keywords is important because most people make bad assumptions about what their prospective visitors are searching on, thereby missing out on a lot of easy traffic. Getting links from directories and other sites is important for boosting your PageRank and getting more traffic, and the book includes specific places to get these links.

If your website sells products, you'll benefit from the detailed information about shopping directories. There's also a quick introduction to pay-per-click, a primer on copyright law, and miscellaneous tips scattered throughout.

Bottom line: this book is probably helpful for most website owners to peruse, and a must-read for anyone who's making disastrous mistakes with their website. How do you know if you're making disastrous mistakes with your website? If you're not sure, you'd better read the book.