Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic from search engines. SEO targets organic (non-paid) results rather than direct or paid traffic. Let’s dive into the details:
What Is SEO?
- SEO stands for search engine optimization. It involves optimizing websites, web pages, and content to rank higher in search engines like Google.
- The goal is to improve the appearance, positioning, and usefulness of various types of content in organic search results.
- Types of content that can benefit from SEO include web pages, video media, images, local business listings, and other assets.
- Since organic search is the primary way people discover online content, following SEO best practices is crucial for increasing your website’s organic traffic.
How Search Engines Work:
- Search engines use crawlers (also known as spiders or bots) to gather information from the internet and populate their databases (called “indexes”).
- Crawlers start from a known web page and follow links to other pages. For example, if Google already indexed a page on Patagonia.com about used clothing, it can crawl to related pages on used jackets, hiking boots, and flannel shirts via internal links.
- Contextual links help search engines understand what a page is about and how it relates to other pages within their index.
- When people search, search engines use semantic relationships to determine which results to display. Links from relevant content to specific resources influence rankings.
Categories of SEO:
- On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages by improving content, meta tags, headings, and internal linking.
- Off-Page SEO: Building external links and promoting content through social media, influencer outreach, and other channels.
- Technical SEO: Enhancing website performance, mobile-friendliness, site speed, and crawlability