I haven’t written much on search engine optimization, for a couple of reasons. For one, there are far too many self-styled experts on the matter, many of whom bilk unsuspecting folks out of hard-earned money while getting themselves and their clients on Mountain View’s hit list; mom told me never to hang with a bad crowd. Additionally, I’ve been working at firms that had staff dedicated to the matter, so I spent my time pestering them to write about it.

But SEO principles are always on the mind of a content strategist and creator, else the world turns without being made aware of a wonderful highlight of the 2010 GMC Whatever. Moreover, most of the available quick-and-dirty content on search engine optimization principles or strategy often focuses on 1-5 tactical considerations. Unless you’re willing to plunk down in your chair for a webinar or attend a full-blown conference, you may be left with the impression that SEO is all about backlinks, keywords, and Twitter trends.

Ultimately, search engine optimization is a complex subject with many moving parts. I’m destiny-bound to omit a few here, but what follows is a list of things I consider when people ask me about SEO:

Site Components

Your website is where optimization begins (and ends, if your SERP position is too low), and most web professionals consider SEO an integral part of their services. Content strategists, however, often come into a project after a site is established—though that’s slowly changing, thankfully—but if there enough deviations from best practices in an existing site, you can bet we’ll say something.

• Hosting. Uptime, speed, and operation can all affect your SERP position. If you move hosts, you could have URL migration issues and DNS problems that could affect how your site is indexed.
• Domain. The right keyword in a domain name has semantic value for both users and search engines.
• Location. Localization isn’t just a fad—it’s a key component of how results are posited. Unless your clientele has no physical or financial boundaries, this is important for your site.
• Navigation. Things like JavaScript-dependent navigation and image links can cause indexing problems—and are usability issues, come to think of it. Your best bet is to stick with text links and CSS.
• Architecture. A good architecture serves multiple masters—SEO, usability, organizational goals, even personal preference—so I may have to address the salient points later. Suffice it to say your site needs a logical flow that will appeal to both end users and Google.
• Web Standards. If you build a Ford with Yugo parts, you can expect problems.

Linking Components

Linking is a bit of a high-wire act—it’s pretty easy to stumble off in any given direction, but getting through the experience can garner large crowds. Moreover, it’s probably one of the most-neglected circus attractions around. In my view, there’s a lot of work to be done in exploring the effects of linking on search engine optimization, but there are some baseline procedures on which most can agree.

• Outbound Links. This isn’t just a matter of linking to the right sites—not to mention judiciously using said links. Using keyword-rich anhor text to construct external links and avoiding things like “click here” can make a huge difference.
• Authority. I’ve seen plenty of debate about this, but it’s fair to say linking to sites with quality content can only help your ranking. In addition, you may build a perceived expertise in users’ minds as an arbiter of quality content.
• Inbound Links. The more other sites link to yours, the more likely search engines will view your content as relevant and authoritative. One way to start is by spreading your own links through commenting, social media, distribution sites, etc., but the real challenge is in cultivating inbound links from others.
• Internal Links. This includes your URL structure, which should be constructed cleanly, as well as avoiding dead ends and 404s (which your content audit should have discovered). Good internal linking ensures that pages are properly indexed, boosts ranking, and builds keyword relevancy.
• Maintenance. This is the difficult part—impossible, even, if you don’t have a content inventory. Dead links can drag down your rank, so it’s important to stay on top of each link on your site.

Content Components

Content is king, as they say, but weak or ineffectual kings often are deposed and relegated to BBC serials. Thankfully, this area is where change can be made quickly—and through relatively simple, intuitive tweaks in the publishing process.

• Keywords and Subject Matter Relevance. The linchpins of search engine optimization. I won’t get into the specifics, since that could take volumes; just remember, this needs to be about your audience, not you.
• New/Updated Content. Simply put, having fresh site content is one of the best things you can do to impress search engines—and your users, who likely expect updated information.
• Header Tags. This is another area where I’ve seen a bit of recent debate, but making good use of H1, H2, and H3 headings won’t hurt, and they also help break up your copy into manageable pieces.
• RSS Feeds. In and of themselves, these are just simple tools, but they can be used in a variety of ways to boost your search presence. Personally, I think they’re better for building relationships with socially minded customers and fans.
• Comments. Not all content should be open for critique, but a closed shop won’t do much business. If your content is compelling—and if you’re taking an open and honest approach to your publishing—people will tell you. They’ll also tell the rest of the world, if Google doesn’t.
• Meta Descriptions. Ok, so this may not be strictly about optimization, but you do want people to click through the SERP to your site, right? Look at this as an opportunity to develop your short-form copy skills.

Conversions and Conclusions

Conversions are part of this discussion because they are inextricably tied to optimization—or should be, at least. Traffic is a means to an end, not the end itself, so search engine optimization isn’t terribly useful if conducted in a manner that does not also increase conversions.

I won’t pretend this is an exhaustive list, and I’ll likely update it as more things occur to me or as others remind me of things I’ve left out. Additionally, the science of search engine optimization changes over time, so half of this may not be relevant by the new year. Until then, I have Christmas presents to wrap.