What Does Search Engine Optimization Do?
SEO is the process of enhancing a website’s visibility and reputation on search engines, and as a result, its content will be more relevant and popular in user searches. It involves the use of a variety of techniques and tactics, including optimizations of the website’s technical configuration, content relevance, and link popularity, in order to improve its SERP (search engine results page) rankings. It is an integral part of digital marketing, alongside other practices such as paid search (PPC) advertising, conversion rate optimization, and social media management.
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Understanding What Search Engines Do
In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed a search engine called Backrub that relied on a mathematical algorithm to rate the prominence of web pages. The algorithm, called PageRank, was designed to give search engine users the most relevant and accurate results for their queries. The ranking is based on several factors, including the amount and quality of inbound links to a page, the age of those links, and the relative strength of those links.
Ranks Are Tied to Market Share
The majority of all internet traffic is centered on search engines, such as Google and Bing. Their market shares vary by region and country, but they remain the dominant search engines in many markets around the world.
People use search engines to find the information they need, whether they’re researching a new product or looking for a local business. For businesses, it’s essential to appear in these searches, as they represent a significant part of the buying cycle for consumers and are often a point of reference for users who are ready to buy.
Optimizing for a Sustainable Online Business
Creating effective SEO strategies is a long-term process, and the best results come from focusing on a strategy that will evolve with the changing needs of both users and search engines. Typically, the focus is on developing high-quality content that meets the needs of users and serves as a valuable resource for search engines.
Understand User Intent
Having content that is easy to read and solves a user’s problem makes it more likely to rank for certain keywords. Keeping content fresh, providing value, and breaking up long blocks of text are just some of the things that help make your site more engaging.
Build a Customer Avatar
Another important aspect of SEO is understanding who your audience is and what they want to accomplish when they land on your site. The key is to develop a unique customer avatar and provide them with content that reflects their interests, concerns, and goals.
Write for the Audience Not for the Algorithm
Search engines, such as Google, are constantly making changes to their algorithms in an effort to give users more relevant and helpful results. These updates are geared to weed out manipulative tactics that aren’t beneficial to the user and often lead to a drop in search engine rankings.
These algorithms are also designed to detect poor or spammy sites that are attempting to artificially boost their search engine rankings. Using tactics such as keyword stuffing and link scraping are considered “black hat” strategies and can lead to penalties from search engines.