Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a series of the best tips and practices that drive more traffic to your website organically. This is in contrast to search engine marketing (SEM), which uses paid advertising to fuel and propel its cause further.
How does SEO work?
Google uses crawlers to see your website’s code and render it just as a browser would. Google’s crawlers note specific key signals—such as keywords, links, and content—and use those for its search index. As such, when users search for certain keywords, Google fetches results ranked by relevance on the search engine results page (SERP)—the page that you see when you “Google” something.
SEO helps you rank higher for certain search keywords through a set of tried and tested practices that Google is known to favor. Take note, however, that nobody truly knows the exact formula that Google uses to calculate relevance. Despite that, SEO practitioners use their in-depth knowledge of the industry and any official Google pronouncements to determine which signals should be prioritized in any SEO campaign.
Google is continuously updating its algorithm to refine its results further. This means that SEO techniques come and go as time continues! However, here are three best SEO practices that will continue to remain relevant in the next few years:
1. Develop an effective keyword strategy
Keywords are an essential part of any SEO strategy. As such, try to figure out which keywords your customers are likely to use.
There are many ways to do keyword research. However, the easiest way to do this is by doing a few keyword searches on Google by yourself and looking for a box called “searches related to [your keyword]” at the bottom of the SERP.
These keywords are suggested search terms similar to those you used, which you can treat as variations in your content. If you’ve been running your website for some time, you can use the information already available in your Google Analytics to see which keywords are already leading customers to your website.
2. Treat content as king
Much of Google’s refinements in its algorithm have much to do with how visitors access your content. To drive as much organic traffic to your website as possible, update your website with fresh and relevant content that answers your visitors’ questions. As mentioned above, don’t forget to incorporate relevant keywords that your visitors are likely to use.
3. Look for opportunities to earn backlinks
Backlinks are another crucial component of any SEO strategy. Backlinks are any links from other relevant websites that point to yours. If you earn enough backlinks, Google will look at your website and see it as an authoritative source on a given topic. Google treats backlinks as a sign of authority—which means that more of these will end up with you higher on the SERPs.
You can earn backlinks using many methods, but the most popular way to do so is through guest-blogging, where you write an article for another website and have them link it to your website. Another good way to earn backlinks is through infographics, which webmasters can embed on their websites, complete with the link that leads back to your website.
Conclusion
SEO is a great way to drive organic traffic to your website. While SEO does help you rank better, your ultimate goal should be to provide the best user experience. This is because Google’s constant changes to its algorithm also ensure that customers find exactly what they’re looking for. However, if you’re still lost with what to do for your SEO campaign, then your best option is to find the best SEO service to lend you a hand.
Best SEO aims to empower small business owners by advising on the implementation of the best SEO practices. We also provide the best content for social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click, and content marketing. Browse our articles today to learn from industry leaders and experts in their craft. You can also use our SEO audit tool for a free audit!