Search Engine Optimization All-In-One For Dummies®

Chapter 5. Knowing What Drives Search Results

In This Chapter

• Searching like a power user

• Using advanced operators to supercharge your search engine optimization

• Finding specific file types in the vertical search engines

• Understanding the difference between high traffic and high conversion

• Capturing more conversions using the Long Tail approach

In this chapter, you discover how to use the search engines like a pro through the use of advanced operators, targeting vertical engines. You also find out the difference between high traffic and high conversion terms, plus why it's imperative to capture the so called Long Tail of search. Becoming an expert searcher gives you an edge for doing market research, keyword analysis, and much more. The expert-searcher skill set definitely complements your role as a search engine optimizer, so we're devoting a whole chapter to it. At the end of this chapter, you get to apply your new-found skills to enhancing your Web site with keywords targeted for your audience.

A typical search returns many results (commonly in the millions) and may include lots of irrelevant listings. Because search engines find what you tell them to search for, an overly large result set can be chalked up to a too-broad search query (the terms typed into the search box). You probably already know some simple techniques for narrowing a search, such as adding more specific terms (such as [bass fishing vacations] instead of just [bass fishing]), or including quotation marks around words ...