What is SEO?
In basic terms, Search engine optimization, (or SEO), is an ever-evolving tool in the development world that all successful websites use to get themselves out there. By definition, it is the “practice of optimizing your web pages to make them reach a higher position in the search results of [search engines]”, but its applications extend far beyond just that vague summarization. The myriad of different methods that you can utilize regarding SEO can allow your site to be one of the most prevalent in search engines over thousands of others with just a few clicks of your keyboard.
When it comes down to the most basic goals of your website, they almost always boil down to one:
You want as many visitors as possible.
As you may have guessed, like yourself, many other people have this same exact goal in mind. This is where SEO comes into play. By using it effectively and sustainably, SEO can be one of the most efficient methods for marketing your website out there entirely for free.
How Does It Work?
Without diving too deep, SEO works to assist you site on two different fronts: Rankings and Visibility. Each play an integral part to making sure that your site is being seen by as many people as possible in a chosen search engine.
1. Rankings
As the name implies, each website in a specific search engine holds a unique ranking relative to their position in the search engine results page. While sounding somewhat simple in theory, there are a number of things that go into determining your sites rank among the many others that may be trying to serve the same purpose. These include, (but are not limited to), specific keyword usage, URL structure, site speeds, and bounce rates. The better that each of these are for your page, the higher your potential ranking could be on the SERP of your choice.
2. Visibility
Working hand-in-hand with rankings, visibility refers to your site’s likelihood to be seen among the organic search results that are entered into search engines. When ranking highly with a specific keyword, the percentage of traffic that you receive from that specific ranking is referred to as your site’s search engine visibility. For instance, let’s say that you are working on the SEO for your new website. After meticulously picking out every keyword and phrase that may accompany search results that pertain to your site’s purpose, you find out that your site ranks #3 for the keyword “Pizza”. In turn, thanks to that ranking, you are estimated to receive 17.5% of all clicks made when searching for specific keyword. That percentage is now your site’s search engine visibility for the keyword “Pizza” among all other sites. As you rise up in the rankings, you are more than likely to see your visibility rise, as well.
Conclusion
All in all, there is a great deal to learn about the efficient use of SEO and what it can mean for both up-and-coming websites and those that are dominating the SERPS on a constant basis. Whether you are one or the either, learning all that you can in the meantime can make all the difference between staying at the bottom and being one of the first sites to pop up. As we move into future posts in this series, we hope that you learn just as much as we do as we go about the process of exploring all that we can about the SEO process and how it can help better our future projects.
Sources:
- Yoast.com: https://yoast.com/what-is-seo/
- Hubspot: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/seo