A Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process by which a website's content is optimized to improve its organic search engine rankings. Organic search results are unpaid, and are based on a variety of factors. 

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Content, Content, Content!

When it comes to how search engines rank a website, content is the most important factor. The best way to elevate your website’s rankings is by creating content that is valuable. Search engines rank websites by how relevant their content is to a user’s search query. Good content is original, relevant, and helpful. Start researching quality content topics by asking yourself who the content is for. Once you have defined your target audience, you can narrow down what information they are looking for and where they are going to find it. Identify popular keywords among these groups when writing out a search query and use those to produce keyword-driven content. Resources such as SEMrush, Google AutoSuggest, and Soolve can be used for keyword research.  

Besides keywords, there are many other factors that go into organic ranking as well. Technical audits can be implemented to increase a website’s SEO. It is important for a website to have an accessible URL, high page speed, and be mobile-friendly. It helps to interlink related keywords and internal pages. Have the most authoritative person create content that will serve the searchers goal, which will begin to build links naturally. Websites will also rank better if they have a low bounce rate. Make sure the content on your page is relevant, useful, and what users should expect to see. 

Search engine optimization, when done correctly, can increase your website visibility drastically in a cost-effective manner. Thorough and careful research will help you to produce quality content, determine relevant keywords, and increase user engagement.