Getting to the top of Google for your most important keywords ought to be the target for any ambitious online business. Forget egotism or prestige, this is about getting high volumes of targeted traffic delivered directly to your site for free.

Unfortunately there is a stigma surrounding SEO. Some can't see past the cynical view that SEO taints search engine rankings and is only performed by charlatans, the truth though is very different There are plenty of those who continue to cast a cynical eye over Search Engine Optimisation; these detractors often see it as some kind of voodoo practiced by money hungry marketers. The truth though is very different.

The critics arguments aren't without some shred of merit. Search Engine Optimisation is straightforward enough, it is just a best practice ticklist for websites. It is open to all, it is entirely free, the only drawback that most soon discover is that it isn't exactly quick to educate yourself on all the finer points. The rules are set out by the search engines and there are plenty of resources out there waiting to teach you the inner workings. Your only real decision is as to whether you get an experienced hired hand to do the optimisation or choose to do it yourself.

Even the most ardent cynic should be able to look beyond their judgements on the industry and see the benefits of the practice. You just can't ignore SEO if you have any ambitions of topping Google. Without SEO you will not get to number one on Google. Here are just a few reason why:

1. Site Content - At the very heart of SEO is content. If you are writing text to go on the pages of your site, then you are (knowingly or otherwise) contributing to your site's overall strength. You can't simply choose between the two; content is integral to SEO and if you are writing text for your site you are optimising it at the same time.

2. Site Links - Without these you'd have no strength and very few paths into the site, essential SEO. Links might not be the first thing you'd think of when it comes to developing a site; however, that isn't to say links are any less significant when it comes to your site's success.

Google's trust in your site's authority will be largely judged on the quality and variety of links that you can secure. If you don't bother to work on building your links, the search engines won't have as many entrance sources to your site, neither will visitors and your ranking will suffer as a consequence.

3. Meta, Internal Link Structure and Page Load Time

Google made page load time a ranking factor in their recent Caffeine update. Whilst it may only be one of over 200 factors (and is most likely pretty far down the list) it can still influence where you finish up in their standings; so however you look at it, site speed is conjoined with SEO. Optimisation aside, page load time should be something you look at from a visitors point of view anyway. You don't want to be giving your visitors any reason to leave; so whether it's page load time or content, you should be looking to do what's best for them first.

As Meta descriptions actually show up on Google SERPs, they have the ability to sway searchers into visiting your site. The Meta title is a great way of really hitting home your keywords to Google and making sure they know what terms you should be ranking for. Many people would question just how much impact Meta has on the overall ranking of a site, but even just a slight benefit is well worth chasing.

Internal linking is vital to any website and will often fall under the duties performed by a developer. By mapping out your site effectively, you can ensure that search engine spiders and human guests are able to navigate from one place to another without any problems. Not only should your link profile be logical but it should also be optimised. Use keyword filled anchor text links where possible and leave the search engine spiders in no doubt what you should be ranking for.

So if you are against SEO in its entirety, as you can probably tell, you aren't going to get very far in the search engines. Of course you could still have some form of nightmarish flash filled website if you were to renounce SEO; online promotion doesn't start and stop at Google, but you wouldn't be helping your chances by ignoring SEO

You shouldn't just abandon any aspirations to perform SEO just because of a few negative comments. To get to the top of Google I'm afraid you have to use SEO; no matter what your aversion may be, there is no way around it if you have genuine aspirations for online success.