What's the Point of Search Engine Optimization?

Some people will tell you the goal of search engine optimization is to improve your website's ranking in the search engines. I say these people are short-sighted.

(Read my related article on SEO tunnel vision.)

By themselves, search engine rankings are worthless. But they are a path to bigger and better things, and that's the important thing to remember.

So what's my definition of search engine optimization? I define it this way:

Search Engine Optimization - (noun) The act of improving one's website for better search engine visibility, with the end goal of (1) improving the reader's experience, (2) adding value to the website, (3) increasing usability and conversion, and (4) increasing the overall profitability of the website.

That's the Austin SEO Guy's definition. Is that the one you were looking for? It should be, because an SEO program that only focuses on rankings will only help you get halfway to the real goal.

Related item: Improving search engine visibility