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Search engine optimization is the process of tweaking a website to appear in the top listing of any search engines. Search engines were introduced to enable people to find organized information from the net using specific keywords. SEO is carried out by almost all websites who appear at the top of search listings. SEO can be carried out using software, online applications, and custom professional services.

Search engines such as Google typically have recommendations for sites to be configured to increase their search-ability. Essentially, SEO is developing a relationship between the informational site and the search engine it wishes to appear on. There is a great deal of free information on the web regarding SEO, but understanding and using it is often a difficult task. Coupled with the fast-pace at which relevant SEO information changes - it is very difficult for individuals or hobbyists to be successful with SEO.

The terms used among SEO professionals are usually enough to push most people away from managing their own SEO. This creates a problem where sites pay a great deal of money to have 'SEO Professionals' come in to optimize their site - but there is no one way to hold these 'professionals' accountable for their work. This problem created the need for online applications that automatically do the work of SEO professionals, and display statistics related to the sites progress. This way users can see the effectiveness of the work being done.

When SEO first became popularized, the only tools available were downloaded applications and SEO professionals. There were many problems with these two methods - software often contained viruses or were too general, and professionals were expensive. This led to the development of rich internet applications that were inexpensive, customized to the user, virus free, and have the ability to track results easily. These rich internet applications allow the user to use the same tools as SEO professionals without having to fully understand the vast technicality of SEO.

The whole process is fairly easy to understand when the details are removed. Search engines have little robots that go to every website. These robots are given rules by the search engines, and told what to like. The robots then report back to the SE and say "I like this site, I give it a 4 out of 10". Then the search engine displays that site in the 4th slot when people search a topic that is covered by the site. While very general, this is 90% of what is going on with SEO. The problem comes into play with convincing the robots to like you.

Many SEO professionals will try to trick the robots. Methods used by SEO professionals are done to give a short-term increase in traffic so that websites have to continue using the expensive SEO professional to maintain their traffic. Google is constantly finding ways SEO professionals take advantage of the system, and block their methods. The SEO professionals just keep coming up with new tricks. This behavior not only hurts the relationship between the site and search engine but can ultimately lead to a website being banned from the search engine entirely. Be careful who you trust with your SEO...we recommend that people stay away from downloads in general - but to also find a good online SEO suite instead of using expensive SEO professionals.