Search engine optimization (SEO) may be defined as a process that in a nutshell, enables any particular website to be viewed more often. This increased viewership is based on various keywords that most search engines pick up.
Here, it is pertinent to note that the main concept of search engine optimization is centered on what net users are interested in, rather than what is available.
In other words, if a person is interested in a particular product (such as baseball shoes, for instance) he should put in the term as a search query in the toolbar of the search engine and it will proceed to display the results based on this set of keywords.
Let us suppose that an online retailer of high-quality baseball shoes does not show up on the search engine’s first one or two pages. If this happens then in such a case, the retailer may as well not exist at all. This is the part where SEO comes into the picture. In fact, a website must be paired with a highly effective and practical SEO system. After all, no matter how captivating and beautifully designed a website may well be if it fails to attract its target audience, it is functionally useless.
This is why the site’s managers and designers must make sure that adequate search engine optimization measures have been taken. This way, they will be able to ensure that it is visible to their target audience.
Every day, hundreds of millions of searches are made on Google and this figure is slated to become higher with time. This is precisely why getting onto the coveted two pages of the search engine is the critical difference between the success and the failure of a website and the organization behind it.
How Does SEO Work Today?
Basically, search engine optimization (SEO) is the critically important process of optimizing your website content in such a way that the search engine (such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) would show it as one of the top results for any searches related to a certain keyword.
Example
Suppose you have a specific recipe for meatballs. Here, entering the term ‘meatballs’ will lead to Google generating millions of recipes. However, using an effective SEO and link-building strategy will mean that you will be able to ensure that your recipe ends up in the Holy Grail of search engine results i.e. its top 10 results so that anyone searching for a meatball recipe will see your content first and foremost.
Different Types of SEO Efforts
Google is constantly evolving with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) based algorithms that determine the placement of web pages in its top ten list. Let us check out a few such techniques:
Focusing on Simple or Generic Keywords Embedded in the Text
The best way to do this is to have the most relevant keywords scattered on many pages of the website. This is still a good way to make sure the search engine picks them up and so directs traffic to this website.
Example One: Origami
Let us suppose your website is all about the Japanese art of making paper structures known as Origami. Here the term ‘Origami ‘ should be liberally used on the different pages of the site. This way, search engines will pick it up and show it on their first page. In other words, whenever a user wants to learn more about the art of origami, he will simply type in the term and click on the website.
However, using a simple keyword means that there would be millions of sites competing for the same top page. If you are running an Origami site, it is difficult to assume that you will be in the top ten if your SEO only consists of multiple usages of this term alone.
Focusing on Complex Keywords And Terms
Since simple keywords can get lost in the clutter, a better idea is to use complex sets of compound keywords and phrases.
Example Two: Combat Handguns
Suppose you are running a website about combat handguns. It would be a good idea to liberally sprinkle the landing page or even the front page of the site with strings of different but effective keywords. These can include phrases such as the following ones:
- Ye ole wheel guns are never out of style
- Pistols vs. revolvers
- The ultimate stopping power package – and so forth.
The main idea behind such keywords is that it will attract all those readers who are interested in such topics. When they want to know about stopping power and type in their query, they will automatically be guided to your website.
Black Hat SEO
This is one of the worst forms of SEO around. Black Hat refers to all kinds of clickbait websites that are not interested in quality content. On the contrary, they simply stuff the site full of relevant keywords and lure unsuspecting visitors. However, Google has gotten smarter and it can see through such efforts. If the bounce rate (the number of people who do not stay on the site beyond a few seconds at most) is high, Google will blacklist the site.
White Hat SEO
This is the opposite of the Black Hat approach. Using this approach means that you are going for a long-term and sustainable website. You will be using keywords but only within the context of value-added and information-rich content. People will come to your site and remain there to consume your blogs and articles. The longer they stay, the more Google will like you and refer your site to other people when they type in the relevant terms in the search engine’s toolbar.
This is a much better approach since it will allow you to build your SEO strategy and your site at the same time.
Conclusion
Whatever the subject matter of your website may be, without excellent search engine optimization management and activities, the odds are that most of that effort would go to waste.
