SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps people find answers online when they have a question. They use computer programs called algorithms to find and rank web pages based on keywords. Social media algorithms also play a role in search results.
How SEO works:
- Crawling
Search engines use web crawlers, which are also known as spiders, robots, or Googlebots, to discover new web pages and update their information. Crawlers follow links on web pages to find new content. - Indexing
After crawling, search engines decide which pages to include in their index. Pages with unique and valuable content are added, while duplicate, low-value, or inaccessible pages might be left out. You can see which pages are indexed by searching `site:yourdomain.com` or checking the Index Coverage report in Google Search Console. - Ranking
Once a page is indexed, it can be ranked. Search engines use more than 200 factors to rank pages, including keyword usage, page load speed, website reputation, backlinks, content quality, and mobile-friendliness.
9 Elements of SEO:
Keywords Research
Keywords are the words or phrases that you want to show up for when people search online, like on Google. By doing this, you can bring more visitors to your website or store. For example, a beauty brand might use keywords like “best foundation for oily skin” because they sell these products and want to show up when people search for them. Also, by doing research, you can discover popular topics that people are searching for online. This helps you create content and ads that match what your audience is looking for.
Target Audience
A target audience is a group where people share similar traits, like women who do extreme sports and are between 18 and 25 years old. Businesses focus on these groups to shape their marketing plans. Knowing who the target audience is helps businesses decide where to spend money on ads, how to attract customers, and what products to make next.
To better understand your customers, you can use Hubspot analytics, create a profile of your reader for blog content, review social media analytics, use Facebook insights, check how well your website is doing, and interact with your audience on social media.
Page Speed
The Page Speed reports show how fast users can see and interact with your website’s content. These reports help you find areas that need improvement and track your progress.
The Site Speed reports measure three things:
1. How long does it take for a page to load for a sample of users? You can view this data from different angles, like different browsers or countries. This data is found in the Page Timings report.
2. How fast specific actions happen, like image loading or response times, when buttons are clicked. This data is available in the User Timings report.
3. How quickly the browser processes the page so users can interact with it. You don’t need to set anything up to see this data, which is available in the Page Timings report under DOM (Document Object Model) Timings.
Content quality
Content refers to any text, audio, or visual material on your website. SEO techniques can improve all types of content. The phrase “content is king” is common in digital marketing because content is the most important part of any website. It should be the main focus of SEO efforts.
Backlinks
Backlinks, also known as inbound or incoming links, are part of off-page SEO. A backlink is created when one website links to another. Having more backlinks helps improve your SEO because it tells Google that your site is trustworthy. It’s like getting a “vote of confidence” from another website.
Meta description
A meta description is a summary of a webpage that is written in HTML. It appears in search results to help users understand what the page is about and how it connects to their search. Sometimes, Google may change your meta description to match better what they think the user is looking for.
Over time, the rules for writing meta descriptions change, but it’s currently suggested to keep them between 50 and 160 characters (including spaces).
Schema
Schema markup, or structured data, is code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. It allows your content to be displayed more appealingly in search results.
Schema markup is important for SEO, not because it directly improves your ranking but because it has other benefits.
First, it helps search engines understand what your pages are about. This can lead to your pages showing up for more relevant searches, bringing in more visitors.
Second, schema markup can make your page look better in search results. This makes people more likely to notice and click on your page, improving your click-through rate (CTR).
Finally, using schema gives you an advantage over other websites that don’t use it. It helps your website stand out. All of this can help your website perform better in SEO overall.
Meta Title
Writing good meta titles is really important for SEO and ranking high in search results. Search engines look at these titles to understand what your page is about and decide where to rank it. Think of meta titles like library catalog cards: the search engine is the index, and the meta titles are the cards in that index. Here are some tips for creating effective meta titles:
- Keep them under 55 characters
- Be clear and to the point
- Use important keywords
- Add strong, relevant words
- Make them engaging
Website Architecture
Website architecture is how your website pages are organized and linked together. This setup helps users find what they need and helps search engines understand how your pages are connected.
Good website architecture improves the user experience. When your site is well-organized, users can easily find information, and this can also improve your search engine rankings. Users will spend more time on your site and may link to your pages, which shows your content is valuable.
A strong website architecture also:
- Helps search engines explore your site effectively.
- Encourages users to visit more pages by making navigation easier.
- Spreads “page authority” evenly so that no page is neglected.
- Builds authority on specific topics with good internal linking.
- Increases conversions by making it simpler to find products and important content.
SEO Tips for Beginners:
SEO can be complicated and keeps changing, which can even confuse experienced experts. For beginners, the best way to start learning is by getting a complete SEO education. Here are some helpful resources, such as MOZ SEO Learning Center, Hubspot, Google Webmaster Central, SEMrush, Yoast, and many more.
There are also formal courses available that focus on SEO and digital marketing that offer a Fundamentals of SEO and Marketing Analytics Program. This program includes several classes that cover everything about search engine marketing and SEO.
