What is SEO: A Complete Guide to Search Engine Optimization

It’s a comprehensive and holistic approach to improving a website and online presence. It involves refining the content and structure of your site and aligning with search engine algorithms to improve your rankings. In October 2019, Google announced they would start applying BERT models for English language search queries in the US. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), ultimately driving more traffic to your site. SEO is the process of improving a website to increase its organic — or unpaid — visibility on major search engines.

what is seo

Keyword relevance

They’ve done a great job of identifying what people might be searching for when they are feeling uncomfortable or distressed about something in their personal lives. And when people land on their articles, they become aware of Calm’s meditation app. It’s insane how fast they grew their traffic in 2023 and how it’s sustained itself over the past few years — even through all the Google Core Updates (and the rise of ChatGPT).

These platforms reveal a keyword’s popularity and how easy it is to rank for that term. Tools can also suggest keywords relevant to your niche and analyze your website to determine which keywords you already rank for. Leverage this data to decide which existing keywords are most important to your website and which new keywords you should pursue. Search engines cater to these users by directing them to sites that offer an enjoyable mobile browsing experience. This includes responsive design, which is when content automatically resizes based on users’ screen size, touch-friendly design, and simplified navigation. Nearly all modern website themes are responsive, but you should always test your website by actually using it on a mobile device.

what is seo

All the top-ranking articles are best lists that compare the top project management software solutions on the market. Your first step to writing SEO content is to come up with suitable topic ideas. With that in mind, let’s now walk through the steps of SEO content optimization. Do more of what you love and share it with the world with a custom landing page, website, and online store. Pagecloud's intuitive editor makes it easier than ever to create a website that showcases your brand.

  • Alongside his training and course work, Cathal runs his own digital marketing agency and is considered an analytics and revenue-generating guru – at enterprise level.
  • That’s why I invest a lot of my marketing budget into content design.
  • Users who want to sell their products, hire a new employee, or find a job would all use a different approach to profile optimization.
  • But even when written content is the answer, you need to ensure it’s the right type of written content for your target audience.

Ways SEO Evolved in 2024 (+What It Means for Your 2025 Strategy)

what is seo

Whereas the query “best vacuum cleaners” has a lot less search volume (13,000 average monthly search volume). But the query is much more commercial in nature and will for sure generate more revenue which is why Google is showing buying guides instead of Walmart product page. That’s because the calculations are based on slightly different metrics and algorithms. With the autocomplete feature, you just need to write your seed keyword into the Google search and the suggestions will appear automatically.

what is seo

That way, you can focus 100% on content… without having to worry about keywords, H2 tags, alt text and other on-page SEO stuff. That way, your content is super easy to read no matter what device someone is using. When you use a font that’s 15px, there’s no need to squint, pinch or zoom. The content is big enough for the vast majority of people to read comfortably. This step is also where you write titles and descriptions that make people want to click on your result… even when you don’t rank #1. For example, some time ago I wanted to rank for the keyword “local SEO”.

These listings are prime real estate for local businesses, often leading to higher click-through rates and conversions. Local SEO is the backbone of digital marketing for businesses that operate in specific geographic areas. It ensures that your company shows up when potential customers search for services or products “near SEO Anomaly me” or in a specific city, town, or neighborhood.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process of optimizing your website with the goal of improving your rankings in the search results and getting more organic (non-paid) traffic. While major search engines don’t make their algorithms public, there are some factors that experts generally accept as having some impact on your website’s visibility in search engine results. Keyword research will help you identify the most relevant words and phrases people use when they’re searching for topics that are related to your products or services.

what is seo

what is seo

So when we talk about search engines in this guide, we mostly mean Google. Other search engines work on similar principles and as long as your website is optimized for Google, you should be all set up for others too. These techniques can get you to the top of the search results in a short time, however, search engines will most probably penalize and ban the website sooner or later. The goal is to provide both perfect content and UX while showing search engines what the page is about.