What is SEO - search engine optimization
SEO, also known as search engine optimization, refers to the practice of enhancing your website in order to boost its prominence on top search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing, whenever users conduct searches for:
List of items you offer:
* Goods available for purchase.
* Assistance and aid provided.
* Knowledge and insights on subjects in which you possess extensive knowledge and/or experience.
The higher the visibility of your pages in search results, the greater the chances of being discovered and clicked on. Ultimately, the aim of search engine optimization is to draw in website traffic that will convert into potential customers, clients, or a loyal audience.
What will be covered in this guide:
The Distinction Between SEO, SEM, and PPC
The Significance of SEO
Various Types and Areas of Expertise in SEO
The Functioning of SEO
Ways to Gain Knowledge in SEO
What distinguishes SEO from SEM and PPC?
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) are both widely used terms that you will frequently encounter on Search Engine Land and within the broader search marketing industry.
Continue reading to discover more about these two concepts and their connection to SEO.
Comparison of SEO and SEM
Search engine marketing, or commonly referred to as search marketing, is abbreviated as SEM.
SEM, also known as search marketing, is a form of digital marketing that encompasses both SEO and PPC strategies. Its main purpose is to increase website traffic through both organic and paid search methods.
In essence, search marketing refers to the strategy used to increase website traffic and exposure on search engines, utilizing both paid and organic methods.
What sets SEO and SEM apart? In technical terms, they are not distinct - SEO can be considered as one component of SEM.
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves increasing organic traffic from search engines, while search engine marketing (SEM) encompasses both organic and paid traffic from search engines.
At this point, things may become a little unclear.
In the present day, there is a widespread usage of SEM as a substitute for PPC, which will be discussed in the following section.
The concept appears to undermine SEO, but it should be noted that SEO is a form of marketing, similar to how PPC is also a form of marketing.
A helpful approach to understanding SEO and SEM is as follows:
If SEM were a coin, SEO would represent one side while PPC would be found on the opposite side.
Comparison of SEO and PPC
PPC is an acronym for pay-per-click, a form of online advertising in which advertisers are billed for each click made on their advertisements.
In simple terms, advertisers compete for particular keywords or phrases in order for their ads to be displayed in the results of a search engine. If a user searches for any of those targeted keywords or phrases, the advertiser's ad will be prominently featured among the top results.
To put it another way, envisioning search marketing as a coin, both SEO and PPC represent the two different sides of the same coin. On one hand, SEO is the organic side, while on the other hand, PPC is the paid side.
An essential aspect to consider is that we should not view it as a competition between "SEO vs. PPC" (i.e., determining which one is superior), as these are complementary methods. It is not a matter of choosing one over the other - always aim for both (if your budget permits).
The terms SEM and PPC are often used interchangeably in the industry, as mentioned previously. However, on Search Engine Land, this is not the case.
The term "SEM" is used to encompass both SEO (organic search) and PPC (paid search).
For those interested in the origins of "SEM" being used exclusively for "PPC" and not including SEO, there are further details available in the following articles:
The Transformation of PPC / Paid Search to SEM by Wikipedia
Is the Equation of SEM = SEO + CPC Still Valid?
The Significance of SEO
As a crucial marketing medium, SEO plays a significant role. It should be noted that organic search is responsible for the majority of website traffic, accounting for 53%, according to a study by Search Engine Land.
The SEO industry is expected to reach a massive $122.11 billion by 2028, which is a major contributing factor. SEO is responsible for producing tangible business outcomes for a variety of brands, companies, and institutions, regardless of their size.
The start of most people's journey, whether it involves traveling, completing a task, seeking information, conducting research, or making a purchase, often begins with a search.
Currently, the search landscape is highly fragmented with users having multiple options to conduct their searches. They can either use traditional search engines like Google and Microsoft Bing, social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, or even retailer websites like Amazon.
According to research, a significant majority (61%) of American internet users initiate their product search on Amazon, while only 49% begin on a search engine such as Google. Additionally, the same study revealed that:
Walmart.com is the starting point for 32% of users.
20% of users begin their journey on YouTube.
Facebook serves as the starting point for 19% of users.
Instagram is the starting point for 15% of users.
TikTok is the starting point for 11% of users.
Every year, a huge number of searches, amounting to trillions, are performed. The search function is frequently the main method of driving traffic to websites, emphasizing the importance of being "search engine friendly" on all platforms where individuals can look up your company or brand.
The significance of this is that enhancing your online presence and achieving a higher rank in search results compared to your competitors can have a positive effect on your profits.
The significance of SEO cannot be overstated, as the SERPs (search engine results pages) are highly competitive, with a plethora of search features and PPC advertisements. These SERP features encompass:
Panels of information.
Prominently displayed snippets.
Geographical representations.
Visuals.
Recorded clips.
Headlines.
Frequently asked questions.
Rotating displays.
One of the main reasons why SEO holds great importance for brands and businesses is its long-term sustainability, unlike other marketing methods. While a paid campaign may bring in temporary traffic, it comes to an end eventually. Similarly, social media traffic is not a reliable source as it can fluctuate greatly and is only a fraction of its previous potential.
SEO serves as the base for a comprehensive marketing approach, where every action of your business holds significance. When you have a grasp on your audience's needs, you can effectively apply that understanding to all aspects of your operation.
Marketing campaigns (both paid and organic).
Content on the website.
Social media channels.
The use of SEO can effectively generate the necessary traffic to reach important business objectives such as conversions, visits, and sales. It also establishes credibility as a highly ranked website is typically seen as reliable and trustworthy, qualities that Google values and rewards with higher search rankings.
SEO Categories
There exist three categories of SEO:
Technical SEO: Refining the technical elements of a webpage.
On-site SEO: Enhancing the information provided on a webpage for both users and search engines.
Off-site SEO: Developing brand assets (such as people, trademarks, values, vision, slogans, catchphrases, and colors) and implementing strategies to increase brand visibility and credibility, ultimately driving demand for the brand.
You have complete authority over both the content and technical optimizations. This may not always be the case for off-site activities (as you have no control over links from other websites or potential changes or shutdowns of relied upon platforms). However, these activities remain a crucial component of the SEO trinity for achieving success.
Think of SEO like a sports team with two essential components: a powerful offense and defense. And just like any successful team, you also need loyal fans, or in this case, an audience. Your technical optimization serves as your defense, while your content optimization acts as your offense. And off-site optimization is crucial in attracting, engaging, and maintaining a dedicated fanbase.
Enhancing Technical Performance
For SEO success, it is essential and fundamental to optimize the technical aspects of a website.
The foundation of a successful website is its architecture, ensuring that it is accessible to search engines for crawling and indexing. According to Google's trends analyst, Gary Illyes, as mentioned in a Reddit AMA, the key is to "create a crawlable site."
To ensure that search engines can easily find and access all the content on your webpages, it is important to consider technical aspects such as URL structure, navigation, internal linking, and other elements.
Technical optimization heavily relies on experience as a crucial factor. Search engines prioritize pages that have fast loading speeds and offer a satisfactory user experience. Aspects like Core Web Vitals, mobile compatibility and usability, secure HTTP connections, and avoiding intrusive interstitials all play a significant role in technical SEO.
One aspect of technical improvement involves implementing structured data, also known as schema, into your website. This addition of code can assist search engines in comprehending your content more effectively and can improve your visibility in search results.
In addition, search engine optimization is influenced by factors such as web hosting services, the use of a content management system (CMS), and website security.
Optimization of Content
In the realm of SEO, it is crucial to optimize your content for two key audiences: human readers and search engine algorithms. This entails optimizing the visible content on your page for your audience and also the underlying code for search engines.
The primary objective is to release valuable, top-notch material. This can be achieved by comprehending the desires and necessities of your target audience, as well as utilizing data and recommendations from Google.
To ensure optimized content for human readers, make sure it:
Encompasses relevant subjects that you are knowledgeable or skilled in.
Incorporates keywords that individuals would utilize when searching for the material.
Demonstrates originality and uniqueness.
Exhibits proficiency in writing with no grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Stays current with accurate and up-to-date information.
Includes various forms of media (e.g. pictures, videos).
Outperforms your competition in search engine results.
Is easily comprehensible, organized in a way that makes it simple for readers to understand the information being shared (e.g. subheadings, paragraph length, bolding/italics, numbered/bulleted lists, reading level, etc.).
When it comes to search engines, there are certain essential content elements that should be focused on for optimization purposes:
Header tags (H1-H6)
Title tags
Meta description
Image alt text
Open graph and Twitter Cards metadata.
Optimization outside of the website
There are various tasks that may not fall under the strict definition of "SEO," yet they can still support and contribute to the success of SEO indirectly.
The practice of obtaining links to a website, known as link building, is commonly associated with off-site SEO. By securing a variety of links from reputable and relevant websites, significant advantages can be gained, such as improved rankings and increased traffic. The focus should be on obtaining high-quality links rather than a high quantity, as the ultimate goal is to have a large number of quality links pointing towards the website.
So, what methods can you use to obtain those links? There are numerous ways to promote your website that work well with SEO strategies. These methods consist of:
Brand development and brand promotion: Methods aimed at increasing recognition and reputation.
Public relations (PR): Strategies for obtaining links through editorial means.
Content creation and marketing: Some popular forms include producing videos, ebooks, research studies, podcasts (or appearing as a guest on other podcasts), and writing guest posts (or being a guest blogger).
Social media marketing and optimization: Secure your brand's handle on all relevant platforms, optimize it fully, and share relevant content.
Listing optimization: Claiming, verifying, and optimizing the information on any platforms where your company or website may be listed and found by searchers (e.g., directories, review sites, wikis).
Ratings and reviews management: Obtaining, monitoring, and responding to ratings and reviews.
In general, discussions about off-site refer to actions that will not directly affect your ranking solely from a technical perspective.
In any case, all actions taken by your brand have an impact. It is crucial for your brand to be discoverable in all potential search results. For this reason, some have attempted to redefine "search engine optimization" as "search experience optimization" or "search everywhere optimization."
Specializations in SEO
There are several subcategories within the field of search engine optimization. Each of these specific areas has its unique characteristics and involves additional strategies and unique difficulties compared to traditional SEO practices.
There are five SEO specialties that are worth noting:
Ecommerce SEO : Additional SEO components include the optimization of category and product pages, faceted navigation, internal linking structure, product images, customer reviews, schema, and more.
Enterprise SEO : This refers to SEO on a large scale, typically for a website with over 1 million pages or for organizations generating millions or billions in revenue per year. It often involves delays in implementing SEO changes due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders and the development team.
International SEO : This involves optimizing SEO for international businesses with multiregional or multilingual websites, targeting search engines like Baidu or Naver.
Local SEO : The main objective here is to enhance website visibility in local organic search engine results through activities such as managing and acquiring reviews and business listings.
News SEO : In the realm of news, speed is crucial, particularly in getting listed on Google's index and appearing in top spots like Google Discover, Google's Top Stories, and Google News. It also requires knowledge of how to handle paywalls, section pages, and news-specific structured data.
What is the process of SEO?
If you came across this page through a Google search, it is probable that you searched for [what is seo] or [seo] on Google.
This guide is released on Search Engine Land, a reputable website with extensive knowledge and firsthand experience in the field of SEO. From 2006, we have been reporting on all SEO developments, regardless of their magnitude.
In short, these various elements have contributed to the positive standing of this guide among search engines, resulting in its consistent top rank in Position 1 over the years. The guide has amassed indications of its credibility and reliability, making it deserving of a high ranking for SEO-related searches.
However, let's take a broader perspective on SEO. In its entirety, SEO operates through a combination of:
Individuals: The individuals or group in charge of carrying out or guaranteeing the completion of strategic, tactical, and operational SEO tasks.
Procedures: The steps taken to improve the efficiency of the work.
Tools and Platforms: The technologies and systems utilized.
Results: The final outcome or output.
There are various factors that contribute to the functioning of SEO. The following is a comprehensive overview of the crucial elements of knowledge and process.
SEO relies on a combination of six crucial areas to be effective:
1. Comprehending the functioning of search engines
In order for individuals to discover your business through search engines on any platform, it is crucial to comprehend the technical processes involved in how the engine operates. Subsequently, ensuring that you are providing the appropriate "signals" to impact your visibility is essential.
There are four distinct phases of search when discussing traditional web search engines such as Google.
The process of searching for web pages involves the use of crawlers by search engines, which follow links and utilize sitemaps to discover these pages. After discovering the pages, search engines use HTML, JavaScript, and CSS information to generate a representation of how the page will appear. These pages are then analyzed for content and metadata, and added to a database by search engines through the process of indexing (although not every page on a website is guaranteed to be indexed). Finally, intricate algorithms take into consideration various signals to determine the relevance and quality of a page, in order to display it as a result when a query is entered by a searcher.
The process of optimizing for Google search differs from optimizing for other platforms such as YouTube or Amazon.
An illustration of this can be seen on Facebook, where elements like engagement (such as Likes, comments, shares) and connections between individuals hold significance. On the other hand, Twitter considers factors like recent activity, interactions, and the credibility of the author to be crucial.
In addition, search engines have incorporated machine learning components to display content, making it more challenging to determine which factors lead to better or worse performance.
2. Investigating
Conducting research is crucial in the field of SEO. There are various types of research that can enhance the performance of SEO, such as:
Understanding the audience: It is crucial to have knowledge about the target audience or market. This includes their demographics and psychographics, as well as their pain points and questions that need to be addressed.
Researching keywords: This step involves identifying and integrating relevant and valuable search terms used by people into web pages. It also helps in understanding the level of competition and demand for these keywords.
Analyzing competitors: It is important to study the strategies of competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and the type of content they publish.
Researching the brand/business/client: The goals of the brand/business/client should be understood in order to determine how SEO can assist in achieving them.
Examining the website: Conducting various SEO audits can reveal potential opportunities and issues on a website that may be hindering organic search success. Some suggested audits are technical SEO, content, link profile, and E-A-T.
Analysis of SERP: This aids in comprehending the search intent for a particular query, such as commercial, transactional, informational, or navigational, and helps in creating content that is more likely to rank or gain visibility.
3. Organization
Your SEO strategy is a comprehensive plan for the long run. It is important to establish objectives and develop a strategy to achieve them.
Consider your SEO strategy as a map, where the route you choose may shift and develop as time goes by, but the end goal should remain consistent and unaltered.
Your strategy for SEO may incorporate elements such as:
Goals and expectations should be established, such as using OKRs or SMART, and timelines and milestones should be set.
KPIs and metrics that are both relevant and aligned should be defined.
The method of project creation and implementation should be determined, whether it be internal, external, or a combination of both.
Coordination and communication with both internal and external stakeholders is important.
Appropriate tools and technology should be chosen and implemented.
A team should be hired, trained, and structured accordingly.
A budget must be established.
Results should be measured and reported on.
The strategy and process should be documented.
4. Development and execution
After completing all the necessary research, the next step is to put ideas into practice. This entails:
Generating fresh content: Providing guidance to your content team on the creation of new content.
Suggesting or executing modifications or improvements to current pages: This may involve revising and enhancing the content, including internal links, integrating relevant keywords/topics/entities, or finding other methods to further optimize it.
Eliminating outdated, obsolete or inferior content: Removing types of content that are not performing well in terms of ranking, generating converting traffic or aiding in achieving SEO objectives.
5. Maintenance and Monitoring
It is crucial to be aware of any errors or malfunctions that occur on your website in order to effectively address them. Therefore, monitoring is essential.
It is important to monitor for possible catastrophic problems such as a decrease in traffic to a crucial page, slow or unresponsive pages, pages being removed from the index, complete website downtime, broken links, and other related issues.
6. Performance Analysis, Evaluation, and Reporting
In order to enhance SEO, it is crucial to measure its effectiveness. To make informed choices regarding SEO, it is necessary to utilize:
Analyzing Website Traffic: Utilize tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Bing Webmaster Tools to gather data on performance.
Various Tools and Platforms: While there are numerous "all-in-one" platforms available, you can also opt to use specific SEO tools for tracking performance in particular tasks. Alternatively, if the existing tools do not meet your needs, you can develop your own tools if resources allow.
The process of SEO is continuous.
The concept of SEO is an ongoing process as it involves adapting to the constantly changing search engines, user trends, and competitor strategies. With the evolution of websites and the possibility of malfunctions, it is crucial to continuously monitor and adjust. Additionally, the content on a website can become outdated, which emphasizes the need for regular updates. It is important for processes to continuously improve and streamline in order to effectively manage SEO.
Ultimately, there is always something that can be monitored, experimented with, or enhanced. In the words of Bruce Clay, SEO is an ongoing process that will only come to an end when Google ceases to make changes and all of your competitors cease to exist.
Tips for mastering SEO
How can you further your knowledge on SEO after gaining a better understanding of its definition and functioning?
Engaging in the most recent updates, information, and advancements in SEO through reading, watching, or listening should be a regular practice. This could be done on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Additionally, it is recommended to allocate time and resources to attend one or two events per year.
As searchers' expectations and behavior continue to develop, algorithms must adapt and update accordingly. This is further compounded by advancements in technology, such as the widespread adoption of ChatGPT in late 2022 and the sudden integration of generative AI into search outcomes in 2024.