For years you've known how important it is to be found in the search engines. If you have not found success increasing your rankings then you've probably wondered how to do it.

In my book, "Do It Right: A CEO's Guide to Web Strategy" I talk about the three components of SEO or search engine optimization being content, code and links. Since my book is strategic in nature, I don't spend a lot of time discussing what to do what that information.

There are some simple things you can do right now to help you on your way.

The way that search engines such as Google and Bing discover and rank your website changes regularly, so you want to make sure that you are always on top of the ever changing requirements. In recent years, search engines, Google in particular, have been placing an increased focus on fresh, relevant content on your website.

Here are three things you can do right now to help your search rankings.

• Blog regularly: (content) Writing regularly is one of the best ways that you can increase your visibility in a search engine. The more content you have, the more search engines will have to index. Blogging is one of the easiest ways to achieve regular content updating. Ensure that you are using relevant keywords that you want to be found for and blogging about topics relevant to your industry or target audience. Although this will not directly drive traffic to your website, it will create a greater likelihood that searchers will find your site for terms you had never considered.
• Fill out meta data: (code) Meta data, such as meta tags and meta descriptions, is extremely important. While Google has said they do not put as much of a focus on this information when ranking your website, it is still a very important component of SEO. Taking the time to add three to four keywords and a 150 character description to your meta information can help more than you might realize. In fact, if your site visitors share your content, the meta description is what LinkedIn and Facebook pull by default as the description for the page.
• Build Inbound Links: (links) Consider search engine optimization as a popularity contest. The more popular the page the higher in the rankings you'll find it. Inbound links to your website act as a vote from one website to another. Social bookmarking, online directories, and guest blogs are just a few of the ways that you can boost the credibility of your website in the eyes of Google.

You should understand that while search engine optimization is not meant to be a direct traffic generator it does generate traffic. You should consider your efforts in search engine optimization more like brand awareness. The more aware your audience is about you the more likely they are going to click on a link. The way you craft the title and the meta description will entice people to click through when they do find you in the search engines.

Start now by experimenting with new content. Write your content then monitor your rankings. If something doesn't work, try something new.