Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to the process of making your particular site friendlier to search engines so that it can receive more organic (or unpaid) visitors. Although it began with the development of search engines in the 1990s, it is regarded as a vital marketing strategy and industry today. Bear in mind that organic outcomes of searches is what SEO focuses on. SEO does not include PPC advertising. Still, SEO and PPC are both parts of Search Engine Marketing.
Key SEO Elements
For you to be able to do SEO, it’s important to appreciate its three main elements:
1. Technology: This refers to the setting up and maintenance of the basic features of your site, like making sure that it can be crawled and indexed by search engines, improvement of site loading speed, and conversion of the site to be mobile responsive.
2. Content: The site content should be useful, appropriate, and captivating to the paragraph and audience you are targeting.
3. Links: Gaining trust links from websites with authority builds trust on your site. This increases your site’s trust in the search engine.
Important SEO Vocabulary
When you embark on the journey of understanding SEO, there are specific keywords related to its features that you are bound to come across.
• On Page SEO: This involves any action that can be taken aesthetically on the website to have an impact on the positioning of the website in the search results. This relates to content optimisation, title, meta tags, internal link structure, and the URL. The aim is to achieve quality content and a good user experience while at the same time conveying to the search engines what the page is about.
• Off Page SEO: This targets actions done outside the website that has an effect on the website authority and reputation, mainly achieved by quality backlinks. This includes guest posts, email campaigns, and building new links to replace broken ones. Off-page SEO is also linked with social media and branding which enhances the reputation and authority of the website in a different way.
• White Hat SEO vs. Black Hat SEO: In broad terms, white hat SEO are the practices that are legal in the area of search engine marketing. The opposite of these practices are referred to as black hat where the marketer uses grey areas or unethical activities that could involve penalisation like keyword spamming or cloaking.
A Closer Look at Search Engines
Search engines are regarded as specific software applications which are utilized to scour the web in order to locate requisite details. Google undoubtedly has a huge share in the market and is the biggest servicer of search engines across the globe. Although each search engine functions separately, it is safe to say that clients do benefit from Google optimization as it improves their website for other search engines as well.
How Search Engines Work
To come up with relevant information for the user, search engines carry out a range of processes which include:
1. Crawling: Bots from the search engines try to find webpages that are available for public consumption. They utilise links and sitemaps.
2. Indexing: The pages that were found are thoroughly examined and stored into an enormous system’s database paying attention to content relevance and quality.
3. Ranking: During a search, the pages that have been indexed are listed according to their relevance to the query and other rank related factors.
How Google’s Algorithm Works, and its Ranking Factors
Every search engine has its own algorithm, sorts of rules that are set to underlining principles that govern sorting. Google’s algorithm is special because it is too detailed to share all of the rules, as every single one is a closely guarded secret. However, certain known ranking criteria include:
• Content Quality: Content that meets the searcher’s query and relevant intent.
• Backlinks: Refers to the quantity and quality of external websites accommodating links to your content.
• Technical SEO: Parameters like site speed, mobile device compatibility, and HTTPS connections.
Addressing and perfecting these elements can improve the reach and rankings of your website in search engine results pages.
