What is SEO?
SEO definition: Search Engine Optimization is a set of practices and tactics used to increase the traffic (number of visitors) to a website by obtaining a high-ranking position on Google and the page results of other search engines.
The importance of SEO is easy: several users will click through the second page of Google search results; to be seen you have to be on top – the winner takes it all.
SEO basics
How to make your website attractive to search engines?
The main purpose of every search engine is to refer users to the most relevant content on the most relevant website. How do search engines determine the relevancy of your website? There are 3 main factors:
- Content: Is the content of your page, its title and description relevant and consistent?
- Performance: Does your website perform properly and fast enough?
- Authority: Do sites with a high reputation use yours as a reference?
Search engine algorithms also analyze the User experience of your site, whether it is easy to navigate, safe and user-friendly.
What should you avoid when optimizing your website?
You can use black hat techniques to increase the ranking of your website, but we would advise against doing this. Below is what search engine crawlers will punish you for:
- Overuse of keywords on your pages. The days when this worked are gone. Your main keywords should be sprinkled in the title, two or three in the body and a quick mention in the last paragraph.
- Buying links. It is a dead-end: the profit is doubtful but the chance to be black-listed by Google’s searching algorithm is extremely high. What good will that do for you?
- Awful User Experience. Don’t go overboard with ads and make it easy for people to find what they are looking for. Look at your bounce rate. If your bounce rate is high – it’s time to think about what you are doing wrong.
Keywords
Keywords are the words that people use to search for things they need on the web. All your content should contain relevant keywords to help users find them. The more people search these words – the higher the competition. One of the popular SEO tools for finding the best keywords for your needs and analyzing search volumes is the Google Keyword Planner.
You should take into account three main factors when choosing the keywords for your web page:
- Relevance. Don’t choose frequently searched keywords that have nothing to do with your business. Determine your audience so as to get in front of them with something they’ve been looking for. This is where the “first touch” can turn an occasional visitor into a customer.
- Search Volume. This refers to the number of people searching for this keyword. The more the people – the higher the competition.
- Competition. The higher the competition – the more difficult it will be to sidestep rivals. So you have to consider the costs of reaching the wanted rank.
Content
Content is King, so the user is. Search engine algorithms are steadily getting smarter, and they are seeking for the best and relevant content for users. Create a great and engaging content with carefully selected keywords to target your actual audience.
Meta tags
Special information about your page: what it is about, what it refers to and what search engine crawlers should do with it. You can learn more about meta tags here.
Some useful SEO tools
- Google Trends. It shows the changes in search query volume for specific requests.
- Ahrefs. Analyzes the competitors’ backlinks and tracks your position by a predefined set of keywords.
- SEO Quake Toolbar. It shows a lot of data including traffic, links, social shares and a lot more.