Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines' "natural," or un-paid, search results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search, academic search, news search and industry-specific vertical search engines.

Ten Basic SEO Rules

Below is a keyword checklist to ensure that you follow the basic top tips to optimize your pages correctly including existing, main pages and secondary ones so to present them to the search engines in a acceptable manner, generally accepted search engine algorithm rules.

1. URL: Get your primary keyword as close to the beginning of the URL as possible.
2. Title Tag: The title should be between 10 & 50 characters and include one or more keywords while still being descriptive.
3. Description Meta Tag: The description meta tag should be insightful and useful but it should also contain one or two of your more important keywords.
4. Keyword Meta Tag: It makes sense that you should include all of your keywords in the keyword meta tag. Do not include any words that don’t appear in the body of your text.
5. Keyword Density: Your content should be made up of all of your keywords and other text. A total keyword density (all keywords) of around 12% is the maximum you should aim for if you exceed this you could fall foul of Google’s acceptance and cross the line and commit the sin of ‘spamming’ and key word stuffing. Anything less than 2% is unlikely to yield good results. Density for a single keyword should be between 1% and 7%. 1% seems too low and 7% a little too high. Wherever possible aim for approximately 5% with the primary keyword and 3% with secondary and subsequent keywords. This is balance which requires very careful consideration and calculation. SEO experts are more skilled at this fine balance and you should seek advice on this subject.
6. Header Tags (e.g. H1 and H2 tags): More weight is given to keywords that appear within H1 tags, then H2 tags and so on.
7. Text Formatting Fonts (e.g. strong, bold and underline): This may not offer much weight in algorithms, but generally if you bold the first instance of your keywords and the last instance of your primary keyword you should see some positive results.
8. Beginning of Text: The closer you can get your keywords to the beginning of your page content the better. Try to include your primary keyword within the first sentence or two and also within the last paragraph.
9. Key-Phrases as Whole Phrases: If you are targeting Internet Marketing as a key phrase then do not split the words up if possible. Some effect is noticed if the words are split, but much more benefit is received by including the phrase as a whole.
10. Images Alt Text: Include your keyword at least once in the Alt tag of any images. Ensure that the text is relevant to the image and gives some information.