Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website to increase its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific search queries. The main goal of SEO is to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic to a website by making it more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
How Does SEO Work?
Search engines use complex algorithms to rank websites based on various factors. SEO involves understanding these factors and optimizing a website to meet the criteria that search engines use to determine rankings. These factors can be broadly categorized into three main areas:
On-Page SEO:
Involves optimizing the content and HTML source code of individual web pages.
Key elements include keyword optimization, content quality, meta tags, header tags, internal linking, and mobile responsiveness.
The goal is to make each page relevant to specific search queries and improve the user experience.
Off-Page SEO:
Focuses on activities outside of the website to improve its ranking, such as building high-quality backlinks, social media engagement, and brand mentions.
The aim is to enhance the website’s authority and reputation, which can influence its ranking on search engines.
Technical SEO:
Involves optimizing the website’s infrastructure to ensure it is easy for search engines to crawl and index.
Key elements include website architecture, page speed, mobile optimization, HTTPS security, and structured data.
Technical SEO ensures that the website is technically sound and meets search engine standards.