While using search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo! is not complex, the factors that determine the search results are. Looking up something on the internet may seem simple enough, but there are many factors that determine how the top search results are ranked or indexed, for example, Google uses over 200!
When you are searching the internet for specific information, the search results that appear depend on the wording and phrases being used in your query. As a result, websites attempt to generate content to match what users are looking for.
For example, if you search for “the best chocolate chip cookie recipes” or “where is the best place to eat in Hamilton?” the search engine will pick up on the keywords and direct you to the sites that best match your search (in it’s humble opinion). The more trusted, optimized, and popular the site is, the more likely it is to be in the top search results.
Photo Source Google Images
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization”. SEO is the process that affects the visibility of web pages in a search engine’s natural results. SEO best practices and tools are used in website content and branding.
Reasons why companies use SEO on their website:
- To direct and build online traffic to the site
- To be in the top search results for their industry
- To increase their reputation, recognition and/or popularity
The three things above can be achieved by:
- Improving the website’s interaction with users and search engines
- Making it easy for users to find content
- Offering quality content and services
How SEO works?
SEO is about improving how a web page is ranked and indexed. One of the principal ways of achieving this is by having content match the keywords being searched. SEO-optimized web sites utilize strategy, technique, tactics and finesse.
Why is SEO Important?
The importance of SEO optimization is it can improve the search engine ranking and visibility of your website and have a profound effect in determining the impact of your online presence. Embedding SEO keywords and best practices into your website is a necessary step.
If your website contains interesting content, it will increase your recognition and credibility. Once the website has garnered traffic, the main goal is to keep visitors coming back to the site.
Continuing to promote the website may bring frequent visitors. By adding new quality and useful content, updating regularly, it will keep users interested and engaged and improve your SEO as search engines will identify your site has new content (which is one of the many factors considered).
Four, among the many, ways websites can optimize their web pages are:
- Optimize URLs
include keywords in URLs
less than 100 characters in length - Title Tags
include keywords in title of the web page or post
less than 65 characters - Heading Tags
include keywords in headings within the content for better SEO results - Keywords in Content
use keywords throughout content of web pages
include variations of keywords
Good SEO allows your site to be among the top ranked, top viewed and gain a good reputation – meaning you have a website that is trusted, reliable, and often updated with fresh and quality content.
Is your website gaining as much traffic as it can? Is it’s content out of date?
Sources
http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en//webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf
http://www.seoworks.com/how-seo-works/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/02/20/the-9-on-page-seo-elements-you-need-in-2014/
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/70897?hl=en
http://www.whatisseo.com/