What is SEO (search engine optimization) and how does it work?
The art and science of getting pages to rank higher in search engines like Google is known as search engine optimization (SEO). Because search is one of the most common ways for individuals to get information online, ranking higher in search engines can result in more visitors to a website.
Paid ads often appear at the top of the results page in Google and other search engines, followed by regular results, or what search marketers refer to as “organic search results.” To distinguish organic search traffic from sponsored search traffic, SEO traffic is commonly referred to as “organic search traffic.” Paid search is also known as search engine marketing (SEM) or pay-per-click advertising (PPC).
The advantages of SEO
Because search is one of the primary ways that users traverse the web, search engine optimization is an important aspect of online marketing.
Search results are provided in an ordered list, and the higher a site can rank on that list, the more visitors it will receive. For example, the top result for a normal search query will receive 40-60% of the overall traffic for that query, whereas the second and third results will receive much less traffic. Only a few percent of searchers go past the first page of results. As a result, even little improvements in search engine rankings can result in increased visitors and, perhaps, business for a website.
As a result, many organisations and website owners may attempt to manipulate search results so that their site ranks better than their competitors on the search results page (SERP). This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.
How does SEO work?
To choose which pages to show for any given query, search engines like Google utilise an algorithm or set of rules. To calculate the rankings of their SERPs, these algorithms have evolved to be highly complicated, taking into account hundreds, if not thousands, of various ranking parameters. However, search engines look at three key indicators to assess a site’s quality and where it should be ranked:
Links – In Google and other search engines, links from other websites play an important role in determining a site’s rating. The reason for this is that a link from another website might be interpreted as a vote of quality, as website owners are unlikely to link to low-quality sites. Sites that receive links from a large number of other sites gain authority (referred to by Google as “PageRank”) in the eyes of search engines, especially if the sites linked to them are also authoritative.
Content – In addition to links, search engines examine the content of a webpage to evaluate whether it is relevant to a given search query. Creating content that is targeted toward the keywords that search engine users are looking for is a big aspect of SEO.
Page structure is the third and final core component of SEO. Because webpages are written in HTML, the structure of the HTML code might affect how a search engine evaluates a page. Site owners can boost their SEO by include important keywords in the title, URL, and headers of their pages, as well as ensuring that their site is crawlable.
In order to rank higher in search results, the search engine optimization method entails tweaking each of these basic components of search engine algorithms.
Techniques for search engine optimization
Understanding how search engines function is only the first step in enhancing a website’s search rankings. In order to improve a site’s ranking, numerous SEO tactics must be used to optimise the site for search:
Keyword research – Looking at what keywords a site already ranks for, what keywords rivals rank for, and what other phrases potential buyers are searching for is generally the beginning point for SEO. Identifying the search phrases that people use in Google and other search engines can help you decide what existing content to optimise and what new material to generate.
Content marketing – After potential keywords have been found, content marketing can begin. This can include both updating old content and producing entirely new items. Because high-quality content is valued by Google and other search engines, it’s critical to research what’s currently out there and create a captivating piece of content that gives a great user experience and has a possibility of ranking higher in search engine results. Good content is also more likely to be shared on social media and to garner links.