What is meant by SEO and how it functions?
Go through the fundamentals and learn the three major tips for SEO accomplishment.
SEO, HTTPS, PBN, KPI are some of the technical terms that are part of the vocabulary of SEO professionals worldwide. However for small business owners or new entrants in this field these terms may seem a little frightening at first.
What is meant by the term SEO?
SEO is the abbreviation for search engine optimization. It actually refers to the technique employed to improve your site’s ranking and increase its visibility so that when anyone types in the keyword he is immediately channeled into your website. The higher the visibility, the greater will be the traffic flow. This will have a positive impact on the volume of sales your business will generate.
SEO is ever evolving. Google too is constantly upgrading its algorithm to keep pace with the ever changing user behavior. SEO is a constant battle to gain viewers to your website and in turn persuade Google that your site is worth looking into.
Before divulging any further, into the technical aspects of SEO I am here to answer the most frequently asked questions regarding SEO.
SEO dead or alive?
Think of it in this way. All the strategies that were formally associated with SEO are now being replaced by more advanced strategies. Although SEO may not be technically dead, it is forever changing.
Important SEO factors
We cannot narrow it down to one single factor that outsmarts all others. SEO is actually an amalgamation of multiple factors like links and content that make it a grand success.
Time taken for SEO to work
It is difficult to answer this question. It may take weeks or months based on how effective your strategy is for the algorithm to notice you. Meanwhile, if someone’s work outranks you, you may be relegated to the background.
Distinction between on page SEO sand off page SEO
On page SEO is all about the changes you make on your site to make it more appealing. For instance, mere addition of an XML site map is likely to push your SEO ranking. On the other hand, off page SEO relates to all the techniques employed outside the website. It includes building likes to promote your content. Instead of buying links to boost your SEO it is all the more better to acquire the links.
SEO determinants that is constant
As we have discussed early SEO trends, a dynamic in nature. What may work now may not do so in the near future
- Relevant, optimised content- Site structure, URL structure do matter but the basic foundation of SEO lies in its quality. A good quality, optimised content is what you should target to earn links.
Your SEO’s quality is determined by –
- Keywords – Keywords are definitely important but context is what Google crawlers look for. You must insert keywords relevant to the searcher’s intent.
- Meta data, keywords, title are important attributes to rank your content – Choosing the right keywords, inserting Metadata in your content is important to uplift your rank.
- Length is important but do not ignore the relevancy of the topic – the length of the content is no doubt important but for the page to be successful stress must be laid on the topic and intention of the page.
Metadata
Metadata refers to the title and the text, the user is expected to find when he searches for the particular topic
Optimising the metadata is of utmost importance-
- Always insert pertinent but never monotonous keywords. Try out variations both in the title and description of the page.
- Keep it concise. Google allows a limit of 160 characters of metadata. So it’s better to keep it within that limit.
- Be clear and precise to match the expectation of the user
Links are imperative
Links have always been an integral part of SEO content. Basically they work just like “votes” informing Google that your content is both helpful and relevant. If you are trying for free link building to augment your contents ranking always aims for links from websites with a high flow of traffic.
User experience (UX) also affects the overall ranking- User experience inks also known to affect the ranking within Google. But user experience is dependent on a host of factors for instance layout, content and many more.
You can try out these practices if you wish to reach out for a greater user experience.
- High CTR and low bounce rate are decisive for optimising your site and thereby ensuring high engagement.
- Work on your navigation techniques. Take help of navigation bars, internal links and drop down menu
- A lot depends on your site’s speed. An ideal site speed ought to be less than 2 seconds. For this you can rely on image compression and high speed servers.
Rising importance of mobile
With more than 50% of the world wide traffic generated from mobile Google has re-allocated its resources to mobile fast indexing.
How is that important for SEO?
Google insists that the content you upload should be relevant across both desktop and mobile. This ascertains that your site can be simultaneously loaded on mobile and desktop fast.
Never neglect voice search
In 2016 voice search accounted for 20% of all searches undertaken on Google app. Today a majority of Americans use smart speakers. Yet it is astonishing that 72% of the marketers have no intention of switching over to optimisation for voice search. Voice search is becoming more and more popular day by day. It is a part of semantic search as well.
Tips to ensure success in SEO
- Black hat – If it is dubious, avoid it. Black hat SEO is a shady operation that goes against the tenets of Google. For instance interlinking 10 sites to give it a legitimate impression.
- Grey hat – It is altogether wrong. Nevertheless it treads on a very thin line.
- White hat – This is certainly above board. In order to succeed, it is best to do things in a legitimate manner.
Refer to real SEO experts
There are people out there who claim to be SEO experts. Refer to them from time to time.
Rely on test and test again – SEO marketing is all about understanding what works best for your site. For that matter you have to rely on tests and tests repeatedly.
Conclusion
SEO is constantly changing. Every SEO expert is always not looking out of the magic formula with sky rockets for their sites to reach the top of SERPS. But this is not the case. As I have stated above it is necessary to figure out what works well for you or your client and change accordingly.
