Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing website’s visibility on search engines such as Google and Bing, with increased visibility resulting in greater chances of capturing new business from potential customers.
Search engines utilize mathematical algorithms to detect and collect information from webpages, then rank them based on how relevant they are to a user’s query. In addition, this ranking algorithm takes into account factors like accessibility, usability and page speed when ranking pages.
Keywords
Keywords are words or phrases entered into search engines as keywords to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). Organic or paid, they can help promote a business website.
Keywords communicate to search engines the subject matter that content covers and allow them to provide more relevant results to users’ searches. They help the engines understand context better so as to provide results which meet those requests more readily.
Keyword research is one of the cornerstones of search engine optimization, helping marketers identify terms that are most pertinent to their target audiences. Various tools such as Google Search Console are useful in conducting this task, with keywords usually falling into four distinct types based on search intent: informational, navigational, commercial and transactional categories that help create useful and relevant content to increase rankings in SERPs.
On-page optimization
On-page optimization (or on-site SEO) refers to the practice of tailoring web page content and HTML so as to improve search engine rankings. This process often includes tweaking title tags, meta descriptions, internal links and keyword density – as well as making sure each page’s content is both useful and relevant to real people.
On-site SEO is an integral component of driving organic search engine traffic, as it ensures Google can accurately interpret each page’s purpose, leading to higher ranking for those pages and more visitors and conversions.
Content is the king of on-page SEO factors. Generating quality pieces that address questions, solve problems and offer valuable information is the ultimate goal of on-page optimization. Keyword optimization is also vital – however it must not result in poor user experiences due to keyword stuffing; make sure your text also adapts well for mobile devices!
Off-page optimization
Off-page optimization is an essential component of any website. While on-page SEO optimizes pages for search engines, off-page SEO boosts rankings by increasing incoming links to it; this could include building an engaged social media presence, contributing guest articles to relevant publications, or engaging in outreach activities.
Link Relevance is another essential off-page SEO factor. Google views every incoming link as an independent vote of confidence for your website; as such, an authoritative link from a highly relevant site carries more weight than one from less pertinent ones.
Off-page SEO can be an excellent way to enhance the online reputation of your business. For instance, if you own a restaurant, encouraging customers to leave reviews on third-party platforms such as Yelp can help your rankings in local search results improve while at the same time increasing trust between patrons and your establishment.
Conversion rate optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) can increase a website’s presence on search engines, but if that traffic doesn’t convert to sales or leads, conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategies may provide the solution to increase revenue rapidly and efficiently.
Conversion rate measures the proportion of visitors who take action you want them to, such as purchasing products or subscribing to email newsletters, on your website. A high conversion rate can make or break an online business venture.
To maximize conversion rate, it is crucial that you create content that engages and seduces website visitors. This could take the form of text, images, podcasts, videos, infographics or ebooks; each should address the needs and problems of their target audience and be tailored for specific contexts and settings such as location or search history.