What is SEO
A Practical Guide To Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is an important weapon in the modern business owner’s arsenal. Importantly, it is a discipline prone to constant change as search engines strive to deliver the best, most authoritative and relevant content to their users.
Understanding the evolution of SEO is important, as is an appreciation of its roots. Without knowing where search engine optimization started, and where it’s likely to go, it is difficult to achieve consistent results.
What is SEO?
In a nutshell, SEO is the creation of content that facilitates its inclusion in a search engine’s index in such a way that it can be easily retrieved in response to a specific query.
The study of SEO began in the late 1990’s as it became clear that in order to deliver results to search engine users a link had to be made between the content on offer and the queries that they were making.
Search engines would visit a web page, and then create an indexed representation of the content in such a way that when a search user wanted it, the engine could deliver it, alongside other relevant results.
Clearly, if more than one result was going to be returned, some kind of ranking had to be established to deliver the best results first. As a direct consequence, those pages that were returned higher in the list would usually get more visitors.
SEO was born out of the desire for webmasters to have their content ranked above others. The first way that emerged was ‘keyword stuffing’ in which the ratio of important keywords to regular content was increased in an attempt to fool the search engine into believing the content to be more relevant than other pages in the index.
On-Page SEO
These keywords (and the associated keyword density) were the very first example of on-page search engine optimization. Search engines were quick to react to so-called ‘black hat’ techniques designed to boost rankings by artificially inflating keyword presence and density.
However, there are still a number of important on-page factors to consider as part of the SEO strategy:
– titles & headings
– image tags
– URL naming conventions
The title tag is used by the browser as the de facto title for the page, and is indexed by search engines, and is therefore a good place to put precise, relevant, and useful keywords.
Likewise, headings split up the content and make it easier to digest, but also provide an important place to include keywords, as do image tags.
Finally, it is important that the URL conventions include keyword rich folder and page names. This is why many WordPress plug-ins for SEO use the tags and categories to create indexable links to the content.
They are also flexible enough to be controlled by a database, so that if the hierarchy changes to reflect new keywords, so can the URLs.
These are the main on-page factors affecting ranking, but there are also some other factors to include in a search engine optimization strategy.
Off-Page SEO
As keywords became less reliable, thanks to keyword stuffing among other things, search engines began to look at other factors to help rank content. A few examples are:
– age
– inbound links
– social aggregation
– directory inclusion
Search engines use these factors to help determine the authority of the information source. Sites that have been around a long time, are pointed to by other indexed pages with high authority, and have a history of being shared on social sites will rank more highly than those that have not.
To leverage this understanding of the mechanics of SEO, it is important to understand what all the effort is for.
What is SEO For?
Search engine optimization is fairly simple on the face of it – good content, a bit of social sharing, creating a network of related and interlinked content ought to do it – but getting it right requires having a target.
It’s about getting the right content in front of the right people. Sites that sell need to make sure that their SEO is targeting people who want to buy. Sites that exist to inform, amuse, and get people to spread the word (branding) need to make sure that their SEO efforts reflect that.
What is SEO’s Future?
As machines and their programmers get smarter, so will their ability to sift through data improve. Rather than returning all search results for a given query, they will effectively be able to apply semantic reasoning, draw data from multiple sources, and produce a list of results that are definitively authoritative.
Arguably, Google isn’t far off that today. After all, it uses semantic reasoning to take apart the query, match it with content, and then validate the content’s relevance while at the same time examining off page factors to confirm authority.
However, Google still makes mistakes. The system can still be gamed, thereby burying valid and useful content under a mountain of copycat material and almost valueless ‘spun’ material.
Legitimate SEO requires an appreciation of what the customers find useful and valuable, as well as an understanding of how search engines can easily find, and present that material.
Embracing these aspects of search engine optimization ought to bring traffic, conversions to sales, and above all, happy customers for both search engines and businesses.
How to SEO Content
Writing a blog post that is optimized for search engine optimization (SEO) involves several key considerations. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you write an SEO-friendly blog post:
- Keyword Research: Start by identifying relevant keywords related to your blog post topic. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or even Chatbot to find keywords with high search volume and low competition. Low competition keywords will be easier to rank in Google.
- Title Tag: Craft a compelling and descriptive title for your blog post that includes your target keyword. Place the keyword closer to the beginning of the title, as search engines give more weight to the initial words. I recommend place the main keyword in the first 25 words and last 25 words and make them bold.
- URL Structure: Create a clean and readable URL structure that includes your target keyword. Avoid using long, complex URLs with unnecessary characters or numbers. Use hyphens to separate words.
- Introduction and Meta Description: Write an engaging introduction that hooks readers and clearly states the purpose of your blog post. Include your target keyword naturally within the first few sentences. Also, create a concise and enticing meta description that summarizes the content of your blog post and encourages users to click through from search engine results.
- Heading Tags: Organize your blog post using header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.). The H1 tag should be reserved for the main title of your post, and subsequent headings should be used to divide content into logical sections. Incorporate relevant keywords in your headings where appropriate.
- Quality Content: Focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to your readers. Make sure your blog post is well-researched, informative, and engaging. Use relevant keywords throughout the content naturally, without keyword stuffing.
- Image Optimization: Optimize the images you use in your blog post by compressing their file size for faster loading times. Use descriptive file names and alt tags that include relevant keywords to make them more discoverable by search engines.
- Internal and External Linking: Include links within your blog post to other relevant articles on your website (internal linking). Additionally, link to credible external sources when appropriate. This helps search engines understand the context of your content and improves user experience.
- Readability and Formatting: Make your blog post easy to read and scan by using short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout the text, but prioritize readability and user experience.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): Conclude your blog post with a clear call-to-action, encouraging readers to engage further by leaving comments, subscribing to your newsletter, or exploring related content.
- Post Length: While there is no set rule, longer blog posts tend to perform better in search results. Aim for a minimum of 1,000 words, but focus on delivering valuable information rather than artificially extending the length.
- Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your blog post is optimized for mobile devices. Responsive design and fast loading times are crucial for providing a positive user experience, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly content.
- EEAT: Recently Google has put emphasis on the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness of content.
Remember that SEO is not just about optimizing individual blog posts but also about the overall user experience, website performance, and authority building. Regularly publishing high-quality content, promoting your blog posts through social media and other channels, and earning backlinks from reputable sources will help improve your blog’s visibility and SEO rankings over time.
EEAT
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness of content.
These factors are often used to evaluate the quality and credibility of content, particularly in the context of search engine algorithms and content assessment.
Here’s a brief breakdown of each component:
- Experience: Refers to the overall knowledge and understanding demonstrated by the content creator or author. It assesses their background, qualifications, and practical knowledge in the subject matter.
- Expertise: Focuses on the specific domain or topic expertise possessed by the content creator. It evaluates their level of proficiency, skills, and depth of understanding in the subject area.
- Authoritativeness: Relates to the perceived authority or reputation of the content creator or the source from which the content originates. It considers factors such as the author’s credentials, the website’s credibility, and the reputation of the publishing platform.
- Trustworthiness: Refers to the reliability and trustworthiness of the information presented in the content. It assesses the accuracy, objectivity, and transparency of the content, as well as the sources and references used to support claims or statements.