Exploring Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Techniques for Dynamic Websites

Abstract: ABSTRACT Context: With growing number of online businesses, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become vital to capitalize a business because SEO is key factor for marketing an online business. SEO is the process to optimize a website so that it ranks well on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Dynamic websites are commonly used for e-commerce because they are easier to update and expand; however they are subjected to indexing related problems. Objectives: This research aims to examine and address dynamic websites indexing related issues. To achieve aims and objectives of this research I intend to explore dynamic websites indexing considerations, investigate SEO tools to carry SEO campaign in three major search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing), experiment SEO techniques, and determine to what extent dynamic websites can be made search engine friendly on these major search engines. Methods: In this research, detailed literature survey is performed to evaluate existing knowledge for SEO for dynamic websites. Further empirical experiments are conducted to address dynamic websites indexing problems; and to evaluate SEO techniques used in empirical experiments. Results: It is found that all major search engines, including Google, cannot fully index dynamic websites. I used some SEO techniques which I explored during this study to help dynamic webpage(s) get indexed in major search engines. The experiment results reflect the effectiveness of SEO techniques including URL encoding /friendly URLs on major search engines. Conclusions: I conclude that, dynamic websites are subjected to indexing related problems and require additional SEO efforts to appear in SERPs. Not all SEO techniques are equally effective on all search engines to improve indexing of dynamic webpage(s). Each implemented SEO technique has different impression on major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and AOL). As, the encoded URLs technique is effective on all major search engines. However, Yahoo and Bing prefer friendly URLs over typical URLs with parameters. Therefore, presentation of dynamic URL could be quite paying if it is needed to index dynamic website on search engines other than Google.