Search engine optimization for dummies
The digital age that we live in has afforded many businesses, big and small, a unique opportunity to
gain major public visibility without the need to spend huge sums of money on Orthodox marking
campaigns. With the levels of online activity at an all time high, it makes sense that online businesses are booming. The greatest part in all this is that it is possible for anyone to optimize their online
presence in order to gain more visibility on influential search engines like Google and Yahoo. Appearing high up on search engine results page (SERP) is the best way to increase online visibility. Imagine the number of Google users per second, at any given moment there are a lot of people searching for something that you or your business could be offering.
If you were to optimize your website or blog in such a way that it appears high on SERP, the amount of visibility you would gain is incredible. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in, if you have never heard of it do not worry, in this article we will discuss everything you need to know to dominate SERPs and gain major visibility online. This is search engine optimization for dummies and anyone else that owns an online business.
We will go through all search engine optimization basics including tips on how to increase search engine ranking for complete niche dominance. To get started, we will have to introduce SEO to those that have never heard of it or those that do not completely understand it.
SEO Optimization basics
Search Engine Optimization is a technique of building a website or blog so that it can appear high on search engine results page sites whenever a search is initiated using a keyword or phrase associated with the website or the blog. This does concept is not limited to websites and blogs alone, it applies to everything that is posted online including YouTube posts, Facebook etc. Google is the most popular and most used search engine right now; every online campaign should be optimized to rank high up on Google Search Engine Results as possible in order to attract as much traffic as possible. Most companies and internet marketers are content with appearing on the first page of google search results, but the ultimate goal is to dominate a particular niche for maximum results.
Here is an example, a website offering freelance services online will try to optimize their website to rank high for keywords such as: hire a freelancer online, freelancers online, quality freelancers for hire etc. The optimization process for this kind of website varies, but one thing for sure is that the text and content they publish online will be optimized with the keywords that are related to what Google users might type in when performing a search for freelancers. If the SEO is done correctly, the website will rank very high on the search results page stand a great chance to receive organic traffic that can be converted into sales. Many search engine marketing strategies are built on this concept and so can your business.
The most important goal behind all search engine marketing strategies is to attract relevant traffic to a website or blog by dominating SERPs.
Understanding SEO Optimization Basics to increase search engine ranking
The first thing to understand about SEO is that optimization does not happen over night, it takes some time from the point of optimization to eventually see the results on search engines. However, when the optimization process is followed accordingly it is possible to watch as your website climbs up and dominates the search engine results page.
SEO aims to predict how search engines analyze websites and how the websites are then ranked on the results page. The process of analyzing websites by search engines is called indexing, there are different factors that are used to index a website. The most used search engine, Google, uses special software known as robots and spiders to gather relevant information on websites. The data collected is then used to determine how useful and relevant the information contained in a website is to the users. An algorithm is then used to rank websites whenever a search is performed by a user.
When performing search engine optimization on a website to increase rankings, the following factors should be targeted and manipulated so search sites like Google can index and rank your site high whenever a relevant search is performed:
- Key phrases and Keyword density
- Number and quality of links contained in a website
- Behavior of visitors on a website (use of call to actions and engaging content)
- Value of the website to the visitors
- Bounce rate (controlled via the quality of posts and content on a site)
- Engagements with social sites
Keyword(s)
A keyword is a term or group of words that are used by searchers on a search engine to look for something specific. When optimizing content to increase search engine ranking, the keyword is strategically used within the content so search sites can pull up the concerned website whenever a relevant search is performed.
Links
Links are hyperlinks placed on a website to provide more information to the visitor on a particular subject. These can be backlinks (other websites linking back to your site) or outgoing links (you link to other sites). Google values the quality of links associated with a website and uses these when ranking websites on the SERP.
Bounce Rate
This is a number of visitors that click and visit a website expressed as a fraction of the time they spend on that particular website. A website with a high bounce rate will rank lower on search engine ranks while the one with a lower bounce rate will naturally rank higher. Bounce rate is affected by many factors including website speed, quality of content, relevancy etc. Optimizing the factors that affect bounce rate can dramatically change a website’s position on SERPs.
SEO for Google ranking
Since Google is the most used search engine worldwide, it makes sense for websites to optimize with the goal of ranking high up on Google’s search results pages. Basically, SEO for google ranking uses the same factors described above but in different ways. Google’s algorithm prioritizes websites that have valuable information or services to the users, meaning high-quality websites will rank higher than low-quality websites.
To qualify as a quality site on Google, a website has to meet the following standards:
- Relevant and engaging posts
- Useful or interesting to the visitors
- Quality outgoing links
- Correct use of keywords and key phrases
- Low bounce rate
- Website functionality
- Social presence and engagement
The last word on search engine optimization for dummies
The most important tip when it comes to search engine results page domination is that engaging content wins. A website has to impress and satisfy its visitors. Satisfied visitors will share the website through social media and other platforms and they do not stop there, they will probably bookmark the website so they can come back another time. Search engines notice this kind of activity and reward the website concerned by ranking it high on the results page. Therefore, the ultimate SEO goal for a website is to build high-quality relations with visitors through posting incredible, relevant and useful content.
All this may seem like a lot for you right now but just take a sit and look at it one step at a time. To increase search engine ranking, start by evaluating your website’s content. Is it engaging enough? Does it provide value to the reader? Is it something that people would share and recommend? What can you do to make the content more appealing to your target audience? Only when you have positive answers to these questions should you move on to other ranking factors.
