Search Engine Optimization Forgets Humans

Search engine optimization puts the focus on the engine over the user of the engine -- humans. You know, you and me.

• Search engine optimization improves your rankings. Search optimization improves your rankings of terms people use to find your product/service.
• Search engine optimization increases your web traffic. Search optimization increases your web traffic by those people shopping your product or service.
• Search engine optimization improves the web experience for search engine robots. Search optimization improves the web experience for humans.

Instead of being called search engine optimization, perhaps it should simply be called search optimization?

How do you optimize your website for both humans and robots?

• Use technologies that both readily can scan through -- probably not Flash.
• Write copy that both can easily and quickly read -- probably not jargon heavy.
• Style the website with proper design elements so both can understand priority and importance -- probably not text over busy images or blinking widgets.

Whenever you are optimizing for search, realize it is not just for the engines.