“Rebecca’s book is chapter-by-chapter gold for anyone who needs to understand how we find information on the Web.” Kevin M. Ryan, Motivity Marketing, Inc., and Chairman of Search Engine Strategies Advisory Board In this book, leading search optimization expert Rebecca Lieb brings together more than 50 absolutely crucial facts and insights decision-makers must know to drive more web traffic through better search engine placement. The Truth About Search Engine Optimization doesn't deliver abstract theory: it delivers quick, bite-size, just-the-facts information and plain-English explanations that executives, decision-makers, and even small business owners can actually use, no matter what kind of sites you're running, or what your goals are. You will learn how to set realistic goals for search optimization... attract qualified traffic, not just "any" site visitors... incorporate search engine optimization into both new sites and redesigns... write for users... implement search-friendly content management... avoid problems with rich content technologies such as Flash and AJAX... create metatags that actually work... use public relations, blogging, and other techniques to drive traffic... budget and manage search optimization projects... and much more. This book reveals 51 PROVEN SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES and bite-size, easy-to-use advice that gets results including The truth about page rankings The truth about best SEO practices and SEO no-no’s The truth about link love, keywords, and tags Introduction     vii Foreword by Fredrick Marckini     ix Part I: The Basics of Search Truth 1: Getting noticed by spiders, robots, and crawlers     1 Truth 2: Learn to do the Google dance     5 Truth 3: It's not about traffic–it's about qualified traffic     9 Truth 4: Your reputation is on the line     13 Part II: The Truth About Being Site-Specific Truth 5: SEO is an ongoing project, not set-it-and-forget-it     17 Truth 6: SEO is not an afterthought     21 Truth 7: SEO results aren't immediate or lasting     25 Truth 8: You don't have a homepage anymore     29 Truth 9: Think like a publisher, even if you're not     33 Truth 10: Site and page design count     37 Truth 11: Write for users and search engines will follow     41 Truth 12: Keywords are key     45 Truth 13: Use analytics and keyword research tools     49 Truth 14: Site stats share the bad news, too     53 Truth 15: Think twice about hot new technologies     57 Truth 16: Content manageme...