SEO is vital for your products and services to be found on-line. Let’s look at the basic elements of what SEO is. Furthermore, let’s see how it can benefit not only your on-line business but also the users that search the web for your products and services.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
This is the on-going practice of understanding how search engines work but also how to use the latest techniques to ensure your website ranks top on search engine results pages, also known as SERPS. The technical part of SEO means that these search engines use sophisticated search algorithms to continuously crawl, index and rank the most relevant webpages. These pages are then listed as the top search results for a search query.
Why should you care about Google ranking?
You can use Google or any other search engine to search for ideas, compare products or look for local services nearby you on the internet. The serious business of SEO allows businesses to pay for certain keywords to have their website rank top. This is the reason you will find the first listings prefixed with ‘Ad’ followed by the website link and description. Those are websites who have paid to have certain keywords in those search queries to rank top. Below these paid searches, optimized websites are listed as organic (unpaid) searches.
How does SEO benefit the On-line User?
SEO helps on-line users to have quality information on the tip of their fingers, wherever they are and at all times of the day. More so is that SEO ensures that only functional, well-designed, and structured websites rank top.
How is this achieved?
Google will index fast and effectively loading websites, especially on mobile devices. The reason for this is that SEO aims to improve user experiences. We all know how convenient it is to navigate the internet at all times of the day and night and find the information we are looking for. This is the prime reason why users will become customers. Let’s continue and get a deeper understanding of this.
Search engines (SE) never sleeps, but continually crawl the internet to find and index webpages with content that matches search queries. This means that relevant content that offers a solution to a user’s search query is then indexed. SE are continuously updated and become more sophisticated to find topics and content in the right context. SE also provides a web of indexes to website content that is optimized. Optimized websites mean those websites that are mobile friendly, have fast page load speeds, and is easy to use for users. It therefore tracks and ranks most-valued content for searches. Search engines crawl, index and rank webpages on the internet from most relevant to least relevant for searchers.
How do Search Engines filter through these Webpages?
Website infrastructure is crucial for SEO, how the different webpages are linked to a website, how these pages are indexed and how are they listed in search results. In the website root directory, the Robots.txt file can be specifically set to instruct search engines which parts of the website to crawl and at what speed. Internal and external website links provide a path for search engines to crawl and index website content. Consistency between the mobile and desktop version of a website is therefore crucial for clear navigation and findability.
On-page website content i.e. words, videos and images on a webpage need to be specified as meta tags for search engines to evaluate and match content to a search query. The sophistication of Google as a search engine is evident when you read how RankBrain evaluate and promote the most relevant and most used content to users.
What can I do to optimize my website for SEO?
Now that we know that search engines bring content to search queries, what can I do to ensure my website continues to rank top on search engine results pages? The essence of SEO is to follow search engine guidelines and to meet and exceed user intent.
Business credibility and trust thrives on good SEO when users found your website as a solution to their query. That means you provide products and services to users who would like to become customers. Website content is therefore written and taken further with SEO to reach your potential customers.
SEO is non-biased as it provides more organic traffic opportunity than paid searches on both mobile and desktop. SEO offers Return On Investment when you set up and monitor measurable user engagement metrics for your website and social media campaigns. These metrics provide insight to search engines and SEO practitioners to adjust and improve SEO as need be.
SEO is crucial to help position a business 24/7 but also in the long term for brand awareness. Remember that a blogpost written 3 years ago with the top keywords can still earn a business visitors who may convert into customers. If someone does SEO for your website, ask for metrics and a strategy to ensure user engagement metrics improve. SEO works but do it right.
We can help to improve your website with Search Engine Optimization. You are welcome to book a meeting to discuss your needs. For more information, explore our personalized Services. We look forward to hear from you!