Search engine optimization or SEO refers to the practice of improving web design, development and content so that it is more accessible to search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN etc). The main intention of SEO is to get a website discovered by its target audience through higher rankings (earlier appearances) on search engine results pages (or SERPs) for specific search terms (keywords). In essence, SEO connects a website with its most interested users using the fundamental principals of search engines.

To explain what SEO does, it helps to know what search engines are and what they do. In attempts to organize the vast amount of information on the Internet, search engines comb the Net (using search engine spiders) and index web pages. Each search engine has their own patented, secret algorithms that they use in order to accomplish their goal of prioritizing websites. Prioritization is solely based on relevancy for specific search queries.

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Wikis are among the most popular software tools to be found on the web. Why? Because they allow multiple users to collaboratively create, edit and link sites with ease, building strong internet communities that are focused on sharing knowledge.

The impact wikis have had on the web is enormous. They allow information to grow exponentially online rather than remaining static. Perhaps the most well-known wiki is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that allows users from around the world to edit and create articles in dozens of different languages.

Wikis are usually open to the public for commentary and published pages can be updated almost instantly online. This is because all text can be edited in an internet browser using one markup language (usually in plain text which is easier to read than traditional HTML). For security against abuses of this open-ended system, many wikis have user accounts that require signatures and log-ins to track who is editing what and when.

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