External Factors of SEO

Both internal and external factors affect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of a web site. External factors are not directly under the control of the web site’s operator. Read on to learn more about the external factors of SEO and how to best manage them.

Inbound Links: Web site owners or promoters can encourage these in various ways, but don’t have control over links from web sites they do not operate. External links can increase search rankings and affect which keywords a site shows up under. In a few situations they can be detrimental for SEO, such as when a web site which has used “banned” promotional techniques links to your site.

Search Algorithms: These determine how search engines rank or list individual web sites. Although SEO experts understand how these algorithms work in many ways, they are not released to the public and can change at any time. Even the best-optimized sites occasionally need adaptations to keep up with changing search engine policies. Reading blogs and forums on SEO can help keep you up-to-date on these factors.

Popular Keywords: Different words become more fashionable as the months and years pass, increasing the number of searches for them, to the benefit of web sites which have been SEO targeted for those keywords. For example, in the early- and mid 1990s there were probably more searches for the phrase “computer peripherals”, whereas “computer accessories” is now the more popular wording.

Duplication: There is always the possibility that external web sites will duplicate a site’s content or add new content which supplies the same information. This increases competition for an SEO keyword the site may have previously dominated. Adding copyright notices, looking for directly-copied material, and requesting its removal can help alleviate this problem to some extent.

Engine Popularity: A variety of search engines have been most popular at different times in the past. Engines like AltaVista, America Online, and AllTheWeb once played a major role in providing search results, but are now “powered by” Google or Yahoo. External changes of this type mean that SEO marketers must focus on optimizing websites for different search engines which have become more popular in recent years.

Make sure the internal SEO factors of your web site are well-addressed before becoming concerned with external factors. These factors include META tags, site maps, navigation, keyword density, and page titles created with SEO in mind.