SEO - Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization or SEO refers to the set of tactics utilized to increase ranking for organic search results on a search engine results page. These can be broken into 4 main categories: Content, Connectedness, Code and Competition.

Content

Content refers to the actual content on your site. This can be written, visual or video content. But the more compelling and engaging your content, the higher your site will rank. Search engines track how users engage with your content and factor that into a metric call domain authority in order to determine where you rank in their results.

It's also important to consider the search volume or demand, as well as the level of competition for those terms. Tools like google's keyword planner are a great way to research how often people are searching for specific keywords and how much other companies are bidding for them.

Connectedness

Connectedness refers to how connected your content is to other content on the world wide web. Similar to engagement, search engines can measure the connectedness of your site and quantify a score that is factored into your domain authority.  It's called a web for a reason! And that's why content that is well connected is rewarded. This includes backlinks from other sites, as well as content on your own site. In fact our indraU knowledge base is a great example of highly connected content. When it comes to external backlinks, the stronger the domain authority of the referrer, the better the impact on your domain authority score.

Code

Search engines also evaluate your code to ensure that it is accessible, properly tagged and structured and performant (especially on mobile). They do this because ultimately it is in their best interest to provide users with a quality experience and quality results. The more standardized and structured content on the web is, the better they are able to do this.

You can utilize several tools within google analytics including the site speed score to see how your site measures up.

Competition

The last factor to consider when building out a strategy is competition. Some categories and keywords are intensely competitive while others are less. Often a niche can be found by focusing on more specific search strings.

Ultimately, all four of these categories factor into your organic rankings. In the case of organic search, virtually all of the rewards go to the top handful of results. With this "winner takes all" dynamic, it pays to double down on all four if organic search is a key component of your growth strategy.

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How does SEO work?

SEO works by improving website content to make it more relevant to search engine algorithms. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, keywords, and other elements that can affect a website's ranking in search engine results.

What are the Benefits of SEO?  

The primary benefit of SEO is increased visibility and higher rankings in search engine results, which can lead to more organic traffic and potential customers for your business. Additionally, SEO can help improve user experience on your website by making it easier for users to find what they're looking for.

Search Engine Optimization Example

Let's say you have an online store selling handmade jewelry. You decide to implement SEO techniques to improve your website's visibility on search engines like Google. You conduct keyword research and find that "handmade silver earrings" and "unique gemstone necklaces" are popular search terms. You then optimize your website's content, product descriptions, and meta tags to include these relevant keywords. Additionally, you focus on creating high-quality, informative content about jewelry care and trends to attract more organic traffic. As a result of your SEO efforts, your website starts ranking higher in search engine results for these targeted keywords, leading to increased traffic and potential customers.

Types of SEO

• On-Page SEO: Optimizes individual web pages to improve search engine rankings and relevance for specific keywords.
• Off-Page SEO: Focuses on activities outside the website to improve its authority and reputation, such as link building and social media marketing.
• Technical SEO: Concentrates on the technical aspects of a website to ensure it is crawlable, indexable, and easy for search engines to understand.

How to Work on SEO

To work on SEO, you can follow these steps:

• Conduct keyword research to identify relevant and high-traffic keywords for your industry.
• Optimize your website's content, meta tags, and headings to include the selected keywords.
• Improve website speed, mobile-friendliness, and other technical aspects for better user experience and search engine rankings.
• Create valuable and shareable content to attract organic traffic and backlinks.
• Promote your content through social media and other online channels to increase visibility.
• Build high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your niche.
• Monitor and analyze your website's performance using analytics tools to make data-driven improvements.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing process; continuous monitoring and adaptation are essential to stay competitive and maintain high rankings on search engine results pages.

Fun Fact:

According to a 2019 survey by BrightEdge, "92% of marketers say that SEO is core to their business" (BrightEdge, 2019).