What is SEO? How can SEO help my business? What should I do to position my website?
On this page, you will find the answer to all these questions, everything related to SEO, and some guidelines to start ranking your website.
What is SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing a website or a web page to increase its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases. The primary goal of SEO is to drive more organic (non-paid) traffic to a website.
SEO works by improving the relevance and authority of a website or a web page in the eyes of search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The relevance of a website is determined by its content, structure, and use of relevant keywords and phrases. The authority of a website is determined by its quality and quantity of backlinks, social signals, and other factors.
There are two main types of SEO: on-page and off-page optimization. On-page optimization includes optimizing a website’s content, structure, and HTML code for search engines. This can involve keyword research and optimization, optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, and headers, improving site speed and mobile-friendliness, and more. Off-page optimization includes building high-quality backlinks to a website, optimizing social media profiles and signals, and other external factors that can influence a website’s authority and relevance.
SEO is an ongoing process, and it requires continuous effort and optimization to maintain and improve a website’s ranking on search engines. While SEO can be complex and time-consuming, it can be a highly effective way to drive more traffic and leads to a website.
Before continuing, it is important that you know that to work on your website’s SEO, you will probably need tools. At this point, I advise you to visit NaNAI.tools, a directory of AI-based SEO tools that will be very useful.
What is organic traffic?
Organic traffic is the visits you receive from Google for free. When someone searches for a keyword, your website appears in the search results and the user clicks to access it.
If you wanted to get 25,000 visits to your website with other techniques such as SEM (paid traffic) with Google Ads, for example, if the keyword “night lamps” has an estimated CPC (cost per click) of 0.16$, 25,000 x 0.16$ = 4,000$ per month it would cost you to get those 25,000 visits, which with SEO you can get organically and for free.
With this in mind, the main objective of SEO in Google is to appear in the first results of the search engine when someone searches for a specific keyword. And we say specifically because that word must make sense and be relevant to our business. It must “sell”.
If you have a bike store, you want to be found by cyclists of different levels who are looking for information, who are looking for recommendations, and who want to buy. You are not interested in positioning yourself for another word totally unrelated to your business.
This seems obvious, but many websites use “drag SEO”; they publish thousands of random pieces of content, to get people in, even if they have nothing to do with what they do. We have seen pages that sold services to companies (b2b) publishing cooking recipes… and it wasn’t a restaurant supplier.
The problem with doing that is that you are going to spend money on attracting users who are not interested in your business. In addition, you are going to create a multi-thematic page and it will cost you much more work to position it as a reference in your sector, both in terms of business and SEO positioning.
The first rule of SEO
Specialize in your sector. Be a reference. With this, you will not only improve your SEO positioning, but you will get more people to search for your brand.
According to our criteria, SEO is doing things right on your website for x amount of time. Keep the website optimized, and clear for the user, and generate quality content that really interests your potential customers/buyers.
There is no mystery, you have to be consistent and do things right.
What are SEO examples?
There are many different examples of SEO strategies and tactics that can be used to improve the visibility and ranking of a website on search engines. Here are a few examples:
Keyword research and optimization: Conducting research to identify relevant keywords and phrases that people use to search for products or services in a particular industry, and then optimizing website content, titles, descriptions, and headers to include those keywords.
Content creation and optimization: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that includes relevant keywords and phrases, and optimizing that content for search engines through the use of headings, images, and meta tags.
On-page optimization: Optimising website structure and HTML code to improve website speed, mobile-friendliness, and user experience, and ensuring that website content is easily crawlable and indexable by search engines.
Backlink building: Building high-quality backlinks from other websites that are relevant to a particular industry or topic, can improve a website’s authority and rank on search engines.
Ranking in Google, the first technical steps
To begin with, we must distinguish SEO into two sections: SEO On-Page and SEO Off-Page.
- On-Page SEO: these are all the actions you can perform within your website. The writing of the contents, the structure of the information, the correct use of headings, the images you use, the frequency of publication of new content, etc.
- Off-Page SEO: as opposed to On-Page SEO, these are all the actions you can perform outside your website. In Off-Page SEO the main positioning factor is link building; getting other websites to link to your website.
Knowing this, the first thing you should do is to optimize the SEO On-Page, and once you have an optimized website you can start with the SEO Off-Page. Later we will explain in detail and step by step each of the factors that you can start working on your website to start positioning it in Google.
How Google works
Google’s main concern is that the users of its search engine find the answer to what they are looking for, so Google processes all the information of the websites in 4 blocks:
- Crawling: Google crawls the Internet through links, this is done with GoogleBot or also known as the Google spider. It jumps from link to link crawling the Internet and collecting information from each page it visits. This is why internal links, also known as interlinking and inbound links or link building (SEO Off Page) are so important.
- Internal links: links that are created within the same website; links in the menu, in an article that links to another article on the same website, links in the footer, etc.
- Outbound links: these are links that go from your website to a different one. A link to your Twitter account, Instagram, Facebook, a friend’s website, a client’s website, etc.
- Inbound links: links that come from another website to yours.
- Link building: a strategy for attracting inbound links to your website.
- Indexing: As long as the website allows content indexing (yes, you can disallow it if you don’t want to), Google will store that URL. It is said that a URL is “indexed” when it appears in Google. If it does not appear, it means that it is not indexed and we would have to see why it is not indexed (we will see it in the section On-Page SEO and Indexing).
- Analysis: Once Google has crawled and indexed a URL it analyzes it. It checks all SEO On Page factors as well as Off Page factors. It analyzes the text, the internal linking, the external linking, the loading speed…
- Results: In this phase is where the Google algorithm comes into play and has to, weighing a huge amount of parameters and variables, decide which results to place in the top positions. The user experience also comes into play, because, if you place a result in first position but see that most users who enter leave without getting an answer (because they search for the same thing again in Google) surely that URL will drop positions and will never be in the first positions if it does not give the answer to what they are looking for.
The second rule of SEO
To be in the top positions you must offer exactly what the user is looking for. No more, no less. You must respond to their Search Intent.
On-Page positioning factors
We refer to On-Page parameters when it refers to any aspect related to our page that we can control ourselves, such as content, information architecture (IA), etc. In other words, aspects that we can directly influence.
Let’s mention some aspects (not all) of factors that fall within the On-Page optimization:
- Indexing
- Domain Authority – Domain authority, the more domains that link to us (with certain authority) the higher our authority will be.
- Web architecture – Architecture of how we have structured the information (categories, articles, etc…) on our website.
- Content – Content and information that we publish (if it responds to the user’s search if it is original, of quality, etc.).
- Interlinking – Internal linking of our website, together with the web architecture is key to offering an easily crawlable and indexable website for Google.
- WPO – loading time of our website, this is a very important factor, especially on mobile devices, today more than 60% of users access the internet through a mobile device.
Off-Page positioning factors
Off-Page positioning factors would basically include those that we cannot control and would be basically summarized as follows:
- Backlinks – Incoming links to our domain from other internet domains.
- EAT – Have your web content generated by people who have authority in the industry.
Our methodology for SEO is based on what we have told you in this article. Obviously, it would be necessary to break down each section and go into detail about each of them (this is something we will be doing this year).
If you want to know more about SEO or need us to write about something specific, you can contact us. You can also visit our SEO Guide for more information on how we work on our own and our client’s websites.
Small text generator role in SEO
Small text generators can be helpful in creating unique and relevant content for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes. They work by using algorithms and artificial intelligence to generate short pieces of content that are optimized for specific keywords or topics.
One way that text too small can be used in SEO is by generating meta descriptions for web pages. Meta descriptions are short snippets of text that appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) and provide a brief summary of what the page is about. By using a small text generator to create meta descriptions that are relevant to the page’s content and optimized for specific keywords, website owners can improve the chances of their pages appearing in search results and attracting clicks from users.
These are just a few examples of SEO strategies that can be used to improve the visibility and ranking of a website on search engines. The most effective SEO strategies will depend on a variety of factors, including the industry, target audience, and competition in the market.
Extra SEO strategies/profiles
There are various approaches and strategies for implementing SEO, but there is no universally agreed-upon categorization of the different types of SEO. Here are seven common types of SEO that are often mentioned:
Technical SEO: This refers to the optimization of technical elements of a website, such as its speed, mobile-friendliness, and security, to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines.
Local SEO: This involves optimizing a website or business for local searches, such as “restaurants near me” or “plumbers in [city name].”
E-commerce SEO: This involves optimizing an online store’s product pages and other elements to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines, and ultimately drive more sales.
Voice SEO: This refers to the optimization of content and other elements for voice-based search queries, such as those made through smart speakers or digital assistants.
Video SEO: This involves optimizing videos and video content for search engines, to improve their visibility and ranking in search results pages.
It is worth noting that these categories can overlap and interact with each other, and effective SEO strategies will often use a combination of these approaches.
How does SEO make money?
SEO can indirectly make money for a business by driving more traffic to their website, increasing brand awareness, and ultimately, increasing sales and revenue. Here are some ways that SEO can contribute to a company’s bottom line:
Increased organic traffic: By optimizing a website for search engines, businesses can increase the amount of organic traffic they receive from search engines. This traffic can then be directed to landing pages or product pages, where visitors can convert into customers.
Higher search engine rankings: By ranking higher on search engine results pages, businesses can increase their visibility and credibility with potential customers. This can help build brand awareness and trust, which can ultimately lead to more conversions and sales.
Lower cost per acquisition: Compared to other marketing channels, such as paid advertising or social media, SEO can be a more cost-effective way to acquire customers. By driving more organic traffic to a website, businesses can lower their cost per acquisition and improve their overall return on investment.
Competitive advantage: By implementing effective SEO strategies, businesses can gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This can help them attract more customers and increase their market share.
In short, SEO can help businesses make money by improving their online visibility, driving more traffic to their website, and ultimately, increasing sales and revenue. However, it is important to note that SEO is a long-term strategy and may not provide immediate results. It requires time, effort, and ongoing investment to see the desired results.
How can we learn SEO for free?
There are several ways to learn SEO for free. Here are some options:
Online courses and tutorials: There are many free online courses and tutorials that cover the basics of SEO, including Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO, Google’s SEO Starter Guide, and the Yoast SEO blog.
Blogs and podcasts: There are many SEO blogs and podcasts that offer valuable insights and advice on SEO best practices, including Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, and the Moz Blog.
YouTube tutorials: There are many SEO experts who offer free tutorials and guides on YouTube, such as Neil Patel, Brian Dean, and Rand Fishkin.
Online communities: There are many online communities and forums where SEO professionals share their knowledge and expertise, such as the Moz Community, Reddit’s SEO subreddit, and the Google Webmasters Help Community.
Practice and experimentation: Finally, the best way to learn SEO is to practice and experiment with different strategies and techniques on your own website or a website that you manage. By testing different approaches and analyzing the results, you can develop a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t in SEO.
While there are many free resources available to learn SEO, it is important to note that SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, and it can take time and effort to become proficient in it. It may also be helpful to invest in paid courses or tools once you have a solid understanding of the basics.
Does SEO have a future?
Yes, SEO has a future, as search engines continue to be a primary source of online traffic for businesses and individuals. As long as people continue to use search engines to find information and products online, there will be a need for SEO to help websites rank higher in search results.
However, it is important to note that SEO is constantly evolving, as search engines update their algorithms and new technologies emerge. For example, voice search, mobile optimization, and artificial intelligence are all trends that are shaping the future of SEO.
To stay relevant in the future of SEO, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices and to adapt strategies accordingly. This may include focusing on user experience, creating high-quality content, building a strong backlink profile, and optimizing for new technologies such as voice search and mobile devices.
In short, while the specifics of SEO may change over time, the underlying principles of optimizing for search engines to increase visibility and drive traffic will remain important for the foreseeable future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing a website and its content to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages. There are various types of SEO, including on-page optimization, off-page optimization, technical SEO, local SEO, mobile SEO, and e-commerce SEO. SEO tools, such as Google Analytics, SEMrush, and Ahrefs, can be used to analyze website performance and identify areas for improvement. Freelancers can offer SEO services to businesses and individuals looking to improve their online visibility and search engine rankings. There are many free resources available to learn SEO, including online courses, tutorials, blogs, podcasts, and online communities. While the specifics of SEO may change over time, the underlying principles of optimizing for search engines to increase visibility and drive traffic will remain important for the foreseeable future.
