SEO (search engine optimisation) refers to a set of technical and strategic work carried out to get your website ranking higher in search engines. In this article we will look in detail at what SEO is, how it is done and what to pay attention to for a successful SEO strategy.
What is in this article?
- What Is SEO?
- How Is SEO Done?
- Subjects Searched for on Google for SEO
- Tips for a Successful SEO Strategy
- Conclusion
What Is SEO?
SEO covers the optimisation work carried out to get websites ranking higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This work is done in order to attract organic (free) traffic and splits into two main categories: on-page and off-page.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the optimisation work carried out on a website's content and structure. It helps search engines understand and evaluate your website better. The main elements of on-page SEO are:
- Title tags: every page needs to have a distinctive, descriptive title.
- Meta descriptions: short descriptions summarising the page's content and encouraging users to click.
- Heading tags: the H1, H2, H3 and similar tags that organise content hierarchically.
- URL structure: using short, descriptive URLs containing keywords.
- Content quality: creating original, informative content that adds value for the user.
- Internal linking: increasing movement between pages and SEO strength through links within the site.
- Image optimisation: optimising images' file names and alt tags.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO covers the externally sourced work carried out to increase your website's authority and trustworthiness. The most important elements of this work are:
- Backlinks: quality, relevant links obtained from other websites.
- Social media marketing: being active on social media platforms and sharing content.
- Guest writing: writing articles as a guest author on other blogs or websites.
- Local SEO: appearing in local listings such as Google My Business for local businesses.
How Is SEO Done?
You can follow the steps below to build a successful SEO strategy:
Research and Analysis
The first step is analysing your website's current state and defining your audience. What needs to be done at this stage is:
- Keyword research: determining which keywords your audience searches for.
- Competitor analysis: examining which strategies your competitors use and how well they do.
- Website analysis: evaluating your website's technical characteristics such as speed, mobile compatibility and user experience.
Content Strategy
Content is one of the most important elements of SEO. To build a good content strategy the following should be kept in mind:
- Original, valuable content: creating content that informs users, solves their problems and adds value.
- Content types: using various content types such as blog posts, infographics and videos.
- Regular updating: updating content regularly and adding new content.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO covers the work carried out to make sure your website can be crawled and indexed by search engines. The main elements of technical SEO are:
- Site speed: your website loading fast increases user experience and SEO performance.
- Mobile compatibility: your website displaying properly on mobile devices.
- Sitemap: creating an XML sitemap so search engines can crawl your site more easily.
- Robots.txt: the file telling search engines which pages will or will not be crawled.
- Canonical URLs: preventing SEO loss by using a canonical URL when the same or similar content appears at more than one URL.
Subjects Searched for on Google for SEO
As you build your SEO strategy you should also keep in mind the subjects users search for most on Google. Here are some popular search subjects:
What Is SEO and How Is It Done?
Content prepared for users looking for comprehensive information about SEO's definition, why it matters and how it is done.
How Is Keyword Research Done?
Content giving information about the steps of keyword research, the tools used and the strategies.
What Is a Backlink and How Do You Get One?
Content giving information about backlinks' effect on SEO and the ways of obtaining quality backlinks.
How Is SEO-Friendly Content Written?
Content containing tips for writing SEO-friendly content, the points to pay attention to and examples.
What Is Technical SEO and Why Does It Matter?
Content giving information about why technical SEO matters, the optimisation that needs to be done and the tools.
How Is Site Speed Optimisation Done?
Content giving information about the optimisation work needed to increase website speed and the tools used.
Tips for a Successful SEO Strategy
You can keep the tips below in mind when building a successful SEO strategy:
Analysis and Tracking
Analysis and tracking are very important for measuring your SEO work's success and improving it continuously. Some tools you can use for this:
- Google Analytics: used to analyse your website's traffic and user behaviour.
- Google Search Console: used to monitor and improve your website's performance in search engines.
- SEO tools: tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush and Moz are used for keyword research, backlink analysis and competitor analysis.
User Experience (UX)
SEO should be done not only for search engines but for users too. To improve user experience you should pay attention to the following:
- Easy navigation: making sure users can move around your website easily.
- Fast load time: making sure your website loads fast.
- Mobile compatibility: making sure your website works smoothly on mobile devices.
- Image and content layout: making sure images and content are orderly and readable.
Local SEO
Local SEO matters for local businesses in particular. What to pay attention to in local SEO work:
- Google My Business: increasing your visibility in local searches by registering your business with Google My Business.
- Local keywords: using keywords specific to your target area.
- Local reviews: getting positive reviews from your customers and managing those reviews.
- Local backlinks: obtaining backlinks from local websites.
Conclusion
SEO covers a set of technical and strategic work carried out to get your website ranking higher in search engines. To build a successful SEO strategy you should follow steps such as keyword research, content strategy, technical SEO and analysis. Improving user experience and giving weight to local SEO work will also increase your success.
SEO is a field that changes and develops constantly. You should therefore keep updating your strategy by following SEO trends and best practice.
