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SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’and refers to the practice of optimizing aims to improve your website’s position in the search engine results pages(SERPs). This is done to raise the quantity as well as quality of the traffic coming onto your website’s by making it more search engine-friendly for Google, Bing, and Yahoo etc

Why SEO does it matters?

SEO is all about optimizing your website so it appears higher in search engine results. This will be important to you because it creates more organic traffic for your website, builds trust and credibility of your brand, ensures a better user experience, and gives a competitive edge. In the digital-first world, effective SEO for long-term success online.

How Search Engine does works?

A search engine uses automated software to explore the Internet and collect data from web pages. The data is stored in what's called an "index." When a user queries, the search engine retrieves and then ranks pages using an algorithm that takes into account keyword relevance, content quality, page authority, and user experience. A search engine displays on a search result page or SERP, the most relevant results in their ranking order.

There are Three Main Types-

Crawling, Indexing, Ranking

  • 1. Crawling - Crawling is what the search engines do, using their automated programs called crawlers or spiders, which systematically thread the web to find and collect data from various web pages. The data gathered then provides the input to build or update the search engine's index.
  • Some Common Crawlers :
    Googlebot - Google web crawler
    Bingbot - Microsoft’s Bing search engine crawler
    Slurp - yahoo web crawler
    Sogou spider - used by sogou, a Chinese search engine
    DuckDuckBot- DuckDuckGo Crawler
  • 2. Indexing -
    The second step is indexing. Indexing is the process of sorting into a database all the information that the search engine has collected about a website. This index is used at the final ranking stage. It helps it to quickly find and display related pages when someone searches.

    Example : If you write a blog about "Healthy Smoothie Recipes," then the search engine indexes it under proper categories, such as "recipes" or "healthy eating." So, when there is a search about "healthy smoothie recipes," the blog will display among the search results.

How page is indexed by search engines, follow these steps:

Create and Submit a Sitemap

Create an XML sitemap listing all the important pages on your site. Submit to the search engines with multiple tools like Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Use Internal Linking:

Link from your interior pages to new or important pages. This will help search engines find these pages and be indexed more quickly. Use clear, logical internal linking to help the crawler move through your site.

  • 3. Ranking - Ranking is a key factor in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)., It deals with ranking, third and most important. Ranking is a by-product of crawling and indexing. So after the search engine has crawled and indexed your website, your website may be ranked.

There are more than 200 ranking signals applied by the search engines in sorting and then ranking the content, all under three types of SEO: technical optimization, on-page optimization, and off-page optimization. Ranking signals adopted by search engines in order for Web pages to include keywords within the title tag, loading speed of the Web page, and website reputation.

  • Keyword in Title Tag: Check if the keyword or its synonym is present on page and in the title tag.
  • Web Page Speed Load: Whether the web page is loaded with great speed and is mobile-friendly.
  • Website reputation: as to whether the webpage and website is considered to have a good reputation on the searched topic.
  • Backlinks: number and quality of backlinks to a web page.
  • Content Quality and Relevance: Is it good, relevant and understanding meaningful product related content for the website's targeted audience.
  • Mobile friendliness: The content and images optimized for mobile friendly.

Optimization of SEO :

There are Three Pillar of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

1. On-Page SEO - On-Page SEO is a process wherein every individual web page of a website is optimized to rank higher in search engines and drive more relevant traffic.

On-page SEO also focuses on the optimization efforts available on your website. Think of technical SEO as a subset of on-page SEO. The On-page SEO should start with technical improvements and go further with content and other SEO strategies.

The Key elements of On-page SEO:

1. Optimizing Content

Keywords: Use relevant keywords in strategic places, such as headings, subheadings, and in the body of the text, without overstuffing it.

High-Quality Content: Valuable, engaging, well-researched content that meets user intent. Longer, in-depth content tends to perform better.

2. Title Tags

The title tag is believed to be the most important on-page SEO factor. It must include the keyword, but no more than 50-60 characters to perform well.

3. Meta Descriptions

The meta descriptions that will contain some relevant keywords. They summarize the page's content and help in enhancing click-through rates(CTR) from search results.

4. Headings (H1, H2 etc.)

Use headings that provide structure for your content and help users and search engines understand the on-page elements better. The main keyword tends to fall under variations of the H1 tag, while other information is structured through subheadings, such as H2 and H3.

5. URL Structure

The more you share your content on third-party platforms, the higher the visibility and the traffic it drives.

5. URL Structure

  • 4. Technical SEO- Technical SEO is the best place to start in optimizing a website for search engines to crawl and index. It's only through the crawling and indexing of your website that search engines are able to rank it in places like Google. Without these improvements, no other investment in SEO will show results.

    To understand the technical issues of your website, a technical SEO audit will be necessary. These audits help in making out precisely what is holding back your website. Tools like SEOptimer, Screaming Frog, Ahref, Semrush etc.

Keyword Research & Optimization

Implementing Keywords into Content

Keyword implementation is one of the most powerful part of SEO success. For maximum visibility of your content, use keywords

What is the Keywords and types of Keyword?

In the context of SEO, keywords are the words used by a website owner to develop the content of his website in such a manner as to bring higher ranking of the website on the search result pages(SERPs) for those terms. Businesses must use the key terms in web pages, blog posts, and other content appropriately to drive more visitors searching for those certain terms. Keywords are very important because, in return, they allow the search engines to know what your content is and then match that with users' search queries.

Main 3 Types of Keywords

1) Short-Tail Keywords

Also known as head keywords, these are usually 1-2 word phrases.

Example: "digital marketing".

Characteristics: High search volume, High competition, Less specific, broad intent.

2) Long-Tail Keywords

These are longer, more specific phrases usually consisting of 3-5 words.

Example: "how to learn digital marketing for beginners".

Instant results: Ads can be set up pretty quickly and start to appear almost immediately. It gives instant visibility and traffic.

Performance tracking: It provides in-depth metrics and analytics on clicks, impressions, conversions, and (Return on Investments)ROI, It is possible to calculate the return on investment for SEO by contrasting the revenue generated from SEO activities against the cost of the activities invested in SEO.

Organic SEO-

Organic search-relevant listings are non-paid, showing on search engine result pages(SERPs) as a result of a search engine's algorithms. Web pages should be ranked in order of relevance and quality according to the criteria of a particular search engine.

Key Factors-

  • Cost: : In paid search, the costs are straightforward per click or impression; in organic search, there is an investment in SEO efforts but generally lesser direct costs.
  • Speed: Paid search gives visibility almost immediately; organic search will take some time to build and maintain rankings.
  • Search Placement: Appear in the main search results section of the search engine results page, below any paid ads. Rankings are obtained through SEO efforts and are free, not paid for.
  • Performance Tracking: Performance can be tracked with the help of tools like Google Analytics and Search Console, which provide insight into traffic, ranking, and user behavior.
  • Targeting: Less granular compared to paid search. The effort of SEO elements centers around matching keywords and content in order to broadly match user intent rather than being preciser. Targeting, Paid search allows much finer options of targeting, while organic search will be centered around relevance and quality in general.
  • Long-term effect: Building your organic search rankings takes time. This means that the content, structure, and authority of your website have to be optimized to achieve high ranking in the search engines.

Conclusion

SEO is the backbone of online visibility, organic traffic increase, and credibility building. It comprises three key pillars: On-Page SEO, focusing on individual webpage optimization; Off-Page SEO, building trust outside through backlinks and guest blogging; and Technical SEO, ensuring the crawlability and indexation of your website. Mastery of SEO will bring long-term benefits regarding search engine ranking, brand trust, and user experience in business.

SEO essentially begins with keyword research that helps in developing content matching user intent. The right use of short-tail, long-tail, and LSI keywords can help improve ranking in search engines tremendously. This will also be helpful in the optimization of keywords with tools like Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, and Ahrefs. Paid search gives immediate traffic; organic SEO gives long-term visibility. Both are necessary to complete any holistic digital marketing strategy.

Peoplelink Digital Solutions perceives the power of SEO and digital marketing. Being Nagpur's first corporate-oriented digital marketing training institute, our courses are designed to address the modern-day digital perspective. Be it accelerating your digital career or improving the digital presence of your business, our courses shall vary from everything about SEO, paid search, content marketing, and more. Let us help you soar in the digital world!