RIS Media carries a good article on search engine optimization (SEO). I say "good" not great because, while the article covers a number of key factors, it fails to mention one strategic tool for gaining search engine ubiquity, blogs.

I know, I know, you're thinking, "Of course you'd say that. You're company sells the darn things!" Indeed we do, but that's not the reason I mention blogs. As one SEO craftsman put it, the word BLOG stands for "Better Listings On Google."

Blog provide two things in particular that search engines are looking for: Fresh, updated content and relevant links.

Fresh Content
In a recent email to customers, a real estate Internet technology executive said, "Search engines value unique content above all else. Writing good, relevant, unique content about your local real estate market, the loan programs you offer or regional real estate news is one of the best things anyone can do for ranking. When search engines spider your site they're looking for content that's new since the last time they viewed your site. The best way to get noticed is to change it up."

Blogs provide precisely that type of content. Partly because of their ease of use, requiring no technical knowledge or expertise, blogs are typically routinely updated. When those updates are keyword-optimized, they literally become search engine magnets.

Relevant Links
Another statement made by the above-mentioned executive was, "Relevant, reciprocal links are good, but only if they're added at a reasonable pace, not thousands at a time." Blogs provide a credible way to create both inbound and outbound links. Here is a list of just some of the ways blogs facilitate link exchange:

• Outbound links to agent/company websites ' Google and other search engines reward sites, and provide improved search engine results, in part based on the number of inbound links to an agent or company website. A blog external to the website enables creation of many links from the blog to the business website, resulting in "Google Juice" and better listings in search engine results due to the value of these links from the blog to the business website
• Blogroll ' Woven into the fabric of blogging is the use of link lists called blogrolls. These are links to other relevant blogs and websites. Blogs, in essence, become mini niche-oriented directories. From a search engine standpoint that has great value as it enables Google, for example, to better understand the proposition of the site. Not only that, but as a blog gains credibility, other bloggers will link to his site, creating a wealth of inbound links from other relevant sites.
• Links from blog posts ' The best link a blogger could provide is one to a relevant site inside a keyword-optimized blog post, especially when keywords are included in the link itself.