What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It refers to the practice of increasing the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s unpaid (often referred to as “organic” or “natural”) search results. The primary objective of SEO is to drive more traffic to a website, which can lead to conversions, sales, brand awareness, or achieving any other goal a site might have.

Here’s a deeper breakdown of what SEO entails:

1. Keyword Research: This is the process of identifying words and phrases that people use in search engines, so you can create content around those terms and rank for them. It helps to understand what potential customers are searching for and how to cater your content to their needs.
2. On-Page SEO: Refers to all the tweaks and enhancements you can make directly on your web pages to improve their ranking. This includes:
   • Meta tags (like the title and description)
   • Using the keyword appropriately in the content
   • Image optimization
   • URL structure
   • Internal linking
3. Off-Page SEO: This relates to actions taken outside of your website to affect your rankings within search engine results pages. The most commonly known strategy here is backlinking, where other reputable websites link to your content, lending your site credibility.
4. Content: Google has stated many times that content is one of the top three ranking factors. High-quality, relevant, and valuable content that matches search intent will often rank higher in search results.
5. Technical SEO: Deals with non-content-related aspects of your website that can affect its ranking. This includes:
   • Site speed
   • Mobile-friendliness
   • XML sitemaps
   • Robots.txt
   • Structured data markup
   • HTTPS (secure website)
6. User Experience: This includes how easily users can navigate your site, the clarity of your content, site speed, mobile optimization, and other factors that provide a good or bad experience for visitors. A poor user experience can lead to lower engagement metrics, which can negatively affect rankings.
7. Local SEO: This is especially important for businesses that operate in a specific geographic area. It involves optimizing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches.
8. Regular Monitoring and Analysis: SEO is not a one-time task. You need to monitor your website’s performance regularly, analyze traffic, and make adjustments as needed. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console are essential for this.

SEO practices must be updated and adapted regularly, given that search engine algorithms evolve and change. Being adaptable and staying updated with best practices ensures that a website remains competitive in search results.