Are you curious about what SEO is and how it works in 2024? Look no further! This comprehensive guide will provide you with everything you need to know about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a strategic process designed to increase the visibility and traffic to your website from organic search engine results, particularly Google. SEO involves optimizing your website to rank higher for relevant, high-demand keywords, making it easier for potential customers to find you. By understanding and implementing effective SEO techniques, you can improve your website’s ranking and attract more organic traffic, ultimately boosting your online presence and business success.
Read this article:
- How does Google deliver organic results?
- Why do you need website optimization?
- How does SEO optimization work?
- Technical SEO optimization
- On-site SEO optimization
- Off-site SEO optimization
- SEO techniques
- Google algorithms and everything you need to know about them;
SEO is not an app, a plugin, or a miracle. It’s a targeted approach to helping users find sellers of goods, service providers, or the information that most closely matches their expectations in the search query box. To summarise, SEO is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of visitors to a website from search engines to drive interested users to the website from organic results, with a propensity to convert.
Let’s look at all this through Google’s eyes. Google ensures that search queries (keywords) are answered as accurately as possible – that is, search results (web pages). So, an SEO practitioner takes certain actions to convince Google that the website they are optimizing is the most worthy of being at the top of the results of a particular search. Google is not a stupid invention, so there is no point in fooling it. Therefore, a good SEO specialist works to ensure that the website under their care is indeed worthy of being in the top positions and fully meets the expectations of their clients.
So, in the long run, only websites that meet Google’s algorithms and visitors’ needs will remain at the top of search results.
To make it easier to understand the term SEO, let’s break it down into 3 parts based on its benefits:
Organic flow quality
Optimizing your website can help you attract visitors from any country, and you can also attract users of a particular language regardless of the country. However, it is important to remember that the main goal is to attract users who are genuinely interested in your products. If, for example, you target users who search for the keywords “carpets” or “flowers in pots” in your beauty shop, you will not benefit from this traffic. It is, therefore, very important to choose keywords that help Google users who are relevant to your products/services to find them specifically.
Organic flow rate
Conducting keyword research and selecting targeted keywords for optimization will help attract more interested organic visitors to your website.
Organic search results
Why is it good to rank high in Google’s organic results? A properly optimized website and the organic traffic it brings tend to convert. Also, unlike in the case of PPC AdWords advertising, there is no need to pay for organic traffic (clicks). So, if you stop working with an SEO service provider, the traffic won’t drop off instantly; the work and results will remain until you are naturally overtaken by competitors.
How does Google deliver organic results?
Google’s search engine (as well as others such as Bing and Yahoo) continuously scans all the content it finds on the internet. Almost every web page that Google accesses is stored in an index (or, more precisely, a text version of it). When a person searches on Google, an algorithm searches that index (database) for the content that best matches the keyword searched for and displays that content in the search results. The quality and relevance of the content to the keyword is determined by a number of factors, some of which include:
– Matching the content to the keyword at page and domain level;
– uniqueness, length, readability, relevance, quality, reliability, loading speed;
– online popularity: number of external links, quality, distribution of anchor texts;
– user-behavior: CTR and Bounce Rate;
– online mentions of the domain (in news, press releases, etc.), citations, social shares, etc.
Why do we need website optimization?
Website optimization is essential to standing out among the millions of pages on the Internet. Without the right SEO strategy, even the highest-quality content or product can go unnoticed. Optimization helps you reach your target audience more accurately and efficiently, increasing your website’s attractiveness to search engines and, most importantly, to potential customers.
We will look at each of these points in more detail:
Increases visibility in search engines
An optimized website achieves higher positions in search results for important keywords. This means that potential customers find your website more quickly when searching for information, products, or services online. A higher position in search results usually means more traffic.
Improves user experience
SEO optimization goes beyond just adding keywords or creating backlinks. It also includes improving site navigation, speed, content quality, and mobile-friendliness. All of this contributes to a better user experience, which not only increases the chances of a visitor staying longer on your website but also encourages them to return.
Increases trust and credibility
Websites that appear higher in search results are generally perceived as more trustworthy. Over the years, users have come to trust recommendations from Google and other search engines so that a higher position can increase your website’s authority and credibility in their eyes.
Increases competitiveness
Your competitors are probably also investing in SEO optimization. You need to optimize your website to avoid being left behind, even if the goods or services you offer are of a higher quality. Effective SEO allows you to not only maintain but also outrank your competitors in search results.
Increases return on investment (ROI)
Compared to traditional marketing strategies, SEO optimization usually offers a significantly higher return on investment (ROI). It is a long-term strategy that, when applied properly, can ensure a steady and high-quality flow of visitors to your website. Unlike paid advertising, SEO results do not disappear as soon as the campaign is stopped.
How does SEO optimization work?
SEO optimization involves many steps, from keyword research to improving the content and technical aspects of a website. All of these actions are focused on ensuring that the website meets the requirements and criteria of search engines, especially Google, which helps to improve the website’s position in search results.
Technical SEO optimization
Technical SEO optimization includes improving your website’s structure, speed, security, and mobile friendliness. This means optimizing your website’s code, installing SSL certificates, reducing response times, and many other technical aspects that make it easier for search engines to index and rank your website.
Some of the key parameters of technical SEO and their description:
Fast page loading
Search engines, especially Google, are interested in fast and smooth-loading websites. Slow page load times not only degrade the user experience but also negatively affect a website’s ranking in search results. To improve a website’s loading speed, you should optimize images with proper caching, reduce the size of JavaScript and CSS files, and use appropriate caching.
Adaptation to mobile devices
Most users nowadays access the internet on mobile devices, so your website must be mobile-friendly. This means that your website must not only be easy to navigate on a mobile phone or tablet but also have a customized design and content. Google also uses mobile-first indexing, which means that content and structure on the mobile version are indexed first.
SSL certificate
Safe web browsing is one of Google’s top priorities. An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate provides encryption of data between the user’s browser and the server, so websites that use the HTTPS protocol receive a positive signal from search engines. In addition, websites without an SSL certificate may be flagged as ‘unsafe’ by browsers, which can deter visitors.
Structured data
Structured data helps search engines understand a website’s content and structure. This can include product descriptions, testimonials, event information, and more. Using structured data can help display additional information (e.g., star-rated reviews) in search results, which increases visibility and click-through rates.
URL structure
A clear and logical URL structure not only helps users navigate the site more easily but also gives search engines a clearer picture of the hierarchy of content on the site. It is important to keep URLs as simple and clear as possible and to use keywords that reflect the content of the page.
Creating an XML sitemap
Every website must have an XML sitemap, which helps search engines index your website more effectively by providing structured information about all its internal pages. This is particularly important for large websites with many pages, as it helps ensure that all pages are found and indexed.
Handling errors and redirections
404 errors (page not found) and incorrect redirects can hurt a website’s ranking in search engines and degrade the user experience. It is important to regularly check your website for these errors and ensure that any broken links are corrected or properly redirected.
On-Site SEO optimization
I think you will agree with me that a website’s SEO optimization is mainly about the quality and structure of the content. This includes including keywords in the content, using headings, creating links between pages, and adding ALT text to images. This optimization ensures that the website is not only attractive to search engines but also valuable and useful to visitors.
Read more about the key points of in-house SEO:
SEO content quality and compliance
Content is king—it’s a phrase we often hear when talking about SEO. Creating high-quality, valuable, and useful content for your visitors is essential to achieving good results. Your content should answer your visitors’ questions and give them the information they need. In addition, the content must be unique and relevant to the keywords you want to be found in search engines.
SEO keyword research
Raktažodžių tyrimas is the first step in preparing for internal SEO optimization. It allows you to understand what words or phrases your potential customers are searching for in search engines. Once the right keywords have been selected, they need to be included in the content, including headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.), paragraphs, image alt text, and meta tags (e.g., meta descriptions and title tags).
Meta tag optimization
Meta titles and meta descriptions are important elements that help search engines and users understand what your page is about. The meta title should include the most important keyword and should clearly indicate the content of the page. The meta description should be attention-grabbing and encourage people to click on your website link in search results.
Structure and navigation
A clear website structure and easy navigation not only help visitors find the information they need easily but also make it easier for search engines to “understand” and index the website’s content. It is important to have logically structured content, use appropriate headings and subheadings, and ensure that the site is easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile versions.
Internal link structure
Internal links are the type of links that lead from one page of your website to another. They help to spread authority between pages and improve your site’s indexation in search engines. Internal links also improve the user experience by providing additional valuable information and making the site easier to navigate.
Image optimization
Images not only enrich your content but can also help improve your website’s SEO. Optimizing images includes reducing file size without sacrificing quality, as well as using alt text that describes the image content and should include relevant keywords.
Off-site SEO optimization
Off-site SEO optimization involves actions that take place outside the website—that is, the creation of backlinks. Backlinks from other websites to your page are like recommendations to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The truth is that the more quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to have a better position of your website in search results.
Read more about the key points of external SEO:
Creating backlinks
Backlinks are one of the key elements of external SEO. They act as voices from other websites and show search engines that your content is relevant, topical, valuable, and trustworthy. The more quality and relevant backlinks to your page, the higher the ranking position your website can achieve in the search engines. It’s not just the quantity but also the quality of the links that matters – links from high-authority sites are much more valuable.
Reputation management
Online reputation is an important part of external SEO. Reviews about your business, products, or services, whether positive or negative, can affect the visibility of your website in search results. Positive reviews, especially on popular rating portals or social media, can increase trust in your website.
Publishing articles
Writing and publishing on other industry or topic-specific websites can help you reach a wider audience and create valuable backlinks to your website. It is important that this content is of high quality and provides value to readers so that it is naturally included on other sites.
Participation in forums and discussions
Active participation in industry forums, discussion groups, and question-and-answer portals can help build authority and encourage links to your website. It is also a way to engage directly with potential customers and build a community around your brand.
SEO Techniques
SEO techniques are categorized according to how well they comply with the guidelines and ethical principles set by search engines, in particular Google. These techniques can be divided into three main categories: White Hat SEO, Grey Hat SEO, and Black Hat SEO. It is important to emphasize that the ethical application of SEO practices not only ensures long-term success in search engines but also protects the reputation of the website. We will mention each method individually, noting that the use of Black Hat SEO techniques is not recommended and can have long-term negative consequences.
White Hat SEO
“White Hat SEO includes techniques and practices that are fully compliant with search engine guidelines. These techniques focus on the long-term success of your website in search results, concentrating on high-quality content creation, good user experience, and technical optimization of your website.“
White Hat SEO includes:
– Content development based on visitor needs and keyword research.
– Optimization of site structure and navigation.
– Mobile optimization.
– Ensuring fast page loads.
– Building backlinks from authoritative sources in an ethical way.
These methods are completely transparent and safe and are, therefore, the most recommended.
Grey Hat SEO
“Grey Hat SEO is an intermediate set of techniques that are neither explicitly allowed nor explicitly forbidden. These techniques are used to achieve faster results in search engines, but may pose risks if search engines change their algorithms or guidelines.“
Examples of Grey Hat SEO:
– Reproducing or recycling content with minimal changes.
– Artificially creating backlinks from websites that are designed for SEO purposes only.
– Manipulation of social signals.
While these techniques may provide short-term benefits, they are only sometimes reliable in the long term and can lead to search engine penalties.
Black Hat SEO
“Black Hat SEO involves techniques that violate the guidelines set by search engines. While these techniques can sometimes provide quick but short-term results, they are very risky and can lead to a website being removed from search results or downgraded.”
Black Hat SEO techniques include:
– Hidden text and links that are only visible to search engines and not to users.
– Keyword stuffing – excessive keywords in content that degrade the reading experience.
– Cloaking — in simple terms, displaying content differently to search engines than it does to users who view it.
– Doorway pages are designed for SEO purposes only and have no real value to the user.
What do you need to know about Google’s algorithms?
It‘s important to understand that google is constantly updating its algorithms to improve the quality of search results. That‘s why it is important to keep track of these updates and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly to keep your website’s position high in the search results. For example, algorithms such as Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird are designed to recognize and reward quality content and penalize sites that use manipulative practices.
More on each of the Google Algorithm updates:
Google Algorithm „Panda“
The Panda algorithm was introduced in 2011 to improve the quality of content in search results. It penalizes websites with poor, copied, or irrelevant content. Panda assesses the quality of a website’s content and helps ensure that high-quality websites rank higher in search results.
Google Algorithm „Penguin“
The Penguin algorithm, released in 2012, was designed to combat overoptimized backlinks. It checks whether a website’s backlink profile looks natural and whether the links are relevant to the content or artificially designed to improve search engine rankings. Sites that use manipulative backlinking strategies may be penalized.
Google Algorithm „Hummingbird“
The Hummingbird algorithm, introduced in 2013, changed the way Google understands queries. It has allowed Google to better understand the context of questions and search intent by providing results that are precisely relevant and meaningful rather than simply finding pages that contain exact matches to the query words.
Mobile-Friendly Update
This update, also known as Mobilegeddon, was released in 2015 and encouraged websites to be mobile-friendly.
RankBrain
Launched in 2015, RankBrain is an artificial intelligence system used to improve search results based on user interaction with search results. RankBrain helps Google understand queries it has never seen before and better connect these queries with content on the web.
BERT
BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) is another artificial intelligence technique released in 2019 that allows Google to better understand the language of search queries. This helps Google better understand the context of queries and provide even more relevant search results.
