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Many Search Engine Optimization experts often target search engines such as Google and Yahoo! in general -- without looking at other alternatives. Targeting those highly-trafficked search engines is fine, but when it comes down to making a 'niche' website which already has a search engine or a directory specialized in its category, why target the giants?

The benefits of targeting a specialized search engine is pretty straight-forward.

For example, if I were making a website which is targeted for audience aged between 8 and 14, optimizing for a search engine like Yahoo! or Google would be an insufficient choice. Research done in the past have shown that kids prefer to use a search engine such as AskJeeves or Dogpile because of their child-friendly interfaces, rather than a search engine like Google, Yahoo! or MSN. However, this need not mean Google, Yahoo!, or MSN get zero percent traffic from kids -- but a percentile of traffic coming from children aged between 8 to 15 is more likely to go to a search engine like AskJeeves or Dogpile, than to Google, Yahoo! or MSN.

Having targeted optimization helps -- the scientific reason for this would be if Google gets 26% of its traffic from children, AskJeeves is more likely to get 84%, which means a 82% difference in traffic.

Therefore, the bottomline is that targeted optimization is much larger and "targeted" than general optimization. It can bring you much more traffic and if you are on a program such as Google AdSense, help you increase your CTR by getting you traffic which is 'made' for your website.

Sid Yadav is the CEO of HoverScore, Inc. (www.hoverscore.com) -- a web development firm founded in mid-2004. Being an expert in the search engine field, Sid has been practicing SEO consultation since the late 90s. Prior to his consultation career, Sid co-founded FeedPlex (www.feedplex.com) in April 2004 and currently operates as the CEO and President of the company.

Along with his corporate achievements, he is the all-time editor of Daily Rundown (www.dailyrundown.com) and is currently authoring a book by the name of "Dollar Dreamz" which is set to release at the end of 2004.