Search engine optimization (SEO) has become a more complex and complicated task since we first began discussing it back in 1998. With the advancement of search engine technology and the constantly changing alliances, search engine optimization now requires a whole new level of dedication. What used to be considered common practice (like loading your meta tags with keywords) is now often considered “slamming” by search engines and can even get you banned from being listed at all.

One of the factors that seems to be evolving at the moment is the treatment of keywords by various search engines. For example, we were curious whether surfers generally surfed for the term “website” or “web site” and discovered that Overture doesn’t even recognize the one-word spelling. So, we thought we’d dedicate this week’s tip to discussing some things to keep in mind when optimizing your site’s keywords for some of the major search engines.

Google

Google’s crawler-based query results currently appear on Yahoo!, Netscape Search, AOL Search, iWon, and the InfoSpace network. When optimizing your site for Google, you’ll want to be aware that adding an “s” or an apostrophe plus “s” to your keyword search phrase makes a difference in the search results. For example, “marketing service” will yield different results than “marketing services.”

Adding a space or a hyphen will give you the same results (ex. e-mail marketing = e mail marketing) but deleting the space will yield different results (ex. email marketing vs. e-mail marketing).

Google includes a spell check feature which automatically looks at the user’s query and checks to see if they’re using the most common version of a word’s spelling. It presents an alternative spelling when it assumes you have misspelled something (“Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”).

Speaking of spelling, you’ll still want to include common spelling variations (ex. racket and racquet) as well as commonly misspelled terms (karaoke vs. kareoke) to increase the chances that your listing will be displayed for all relevant searches.

Google’s paid-for advertising program, AdWords, let’s you further refine your keyword choices by specifying whether you want your ad to appear only for certain searches on your keywords. The Google Keyword Matching Options include:

Broad Match
Simply enter your keywords. (example: tennis shoes) [Your] ad shows when users search on the keywords tennis and shoes, regardless of other search terms used or of the order in which they are entered.

Exact Match
Use brackets around your keywords. (example: [tennis shoes]) [Your] ad shows when users search only on the phrase tennis shoes. Ad will not show if “red tennis shoes” is searched.

Phrase Match
Use quotes around your keywords. (example: “tennis shoes”) [Your] ad shows when the phrase tennis shoes is searched, but search can contain other terms. Ad will show for “red tennis shoes” but not for “shoes for tennis.”

Negative Keyword
Use a dash before your keyword. (example: -red) If your keyword is tennis shoes and your negative keyword is -red, your ad will not show if a user searches on “red tennis shoes.”

Overture

Although few people perform searches directly on the Overture site, since, like Google, Overture’s search results are syndicated to so many other sites (Yahoo!, MSN, Alta Vista, Go.com, AlltheWeb, Lycos, iWon), it’s important to understand how Overture serves its search results. Unlike Google, in most cases Overture does NOT differentiate between singular and plural search terms. Searching for “vitamin” or “vitamins” will yield the same results. There are a few exceptions where plural and specific terms have very different meanings where this rule does not apply. Spaces and hyphens will also all produce the same results (ex. email marketing = e-mail marketing = e mail marketing).

Overture also features a spell check function, but it will automatically deliver correctly spelled search results instead of asking.

In the fall of 2002, Overture introduced “Match Driver” to, in their words, “deliver more qualified leads to our advertisers while ensuring that users get the best and most comprehensive search results we can offer.”

Match Driver maps an advertiser’s highest max bid on any form of a primary search term to the terms that Overture deems to be related to the intent of the searcher and the advertiser’s site or service. As an advertiser, this means you could actually pay for terms you didn’t bid on. Since Overture determines “related intent” primarily by the advertiser’s title tag and description, it is therefore essential that you take great care in choosing your words.

Teoma

Teoma, which syndicates its search technology to Ask Jeeves, Excite, InfoSpace and HotBot, also identifies query misspellings and offers corrections that help improve the relevance of search results. Their spell check is available on Teoma.com and AskJeeves.com.

Like Overture, Teoma doesn’t recognize words using spaces (like e mail or web site), but instead suggests “did you mean: e-mail or website?” On the right-hand border of the results page you can refine your search by following one of their suggested links.

AlltheWeb
AlltheWeb distinguishes between plural and singular and, like Overture, recognizes misspelled words and automatically rewrites your query. Like Google, AlltheWeb treats hyphens and spaces the same but taking them out changes the query results.

Summary
Knowing the playing field and which search engines pick up on what kinds of spelling nuances is important in achieving high search engine results for your key terms. Best to identify all variables and cover all your bases. Then of course, you could always hire a professional firm like WebAdvantage.net to take care of all of this for you!

Related Links:

Search Engine Dictionary
Keyword Matching Options from Google
AlltheWeb’s Query Language Page>

Related WebAdvantage.net articles:

Secrets of Search Engine Optimization 2001-Part I
Secrets of Search Engine Optimization - Part II
Driving Search Engine Results - Does it Pay to Pay?

 

Related posts:

1. Link Popularity and Search Engines
2. Driving Search Engine Results - Does it Pay to Pay?
3. Secrets of Search Engine Optimization 2001-Part I
4. Guaranteed Search Engine Rankings

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