SEO is the abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization, i.e. optimization for search engines, and is one of the most important online promotion processes.
SEO is responsible for the proper indexing of a site by search engines in order to increase its qualitative traffic. This relatively new domain involves a set of operations that organically increase the visibility of a site and its access to higher positions on the results page.
What exactly does SEO entail?
When someone searches on Google for a certain topic, usually a word or a key phrase, the search engines return to the user results relevant to what he searched for – sites that talk about that topic.
If we leave aside the paid ads that appear in the sponsored links section of search engines, the first sites that the search results recommend are those that have been properly optimized, that have grown organically in position and that respect Google’s policies .
That’s why, in order for a website to be visible and easily accessible, you must contact an SEO company for a correct optimization. In this process, all the elements of the page to be optimized are taken into account – from the title, images, content and architecture, to meta tags and meta descriptions, URL -, so that the indexing is done according to search engine algorithms and to have the expected results: leading positions in the search results.
How is SEO done?
As I said, all elements of a site are important in optimization. However, there are other factors that influence the SEO process – the domain of which the respective business site is a part, the positioning in the market, the competition, etc.
Depending on all this, an SEO specialist carries out a complete audit to be able to establish the necessary work steps in the site: fixing existing problems, implementing optimal strategies, maintenance recommendations to keep the site at its maximum capacity, etc.
Optimization techniques
Correct optimization exponentially increases the popularity of a site because it gives it the opportunity to appear in the first search results, which implicitly increases the number of visitors and sales if necessary. This is done through on page and off page optimization techniques.
On-page optimization involves editing and modifying the content of a site through suggestions for improving and optimizing its way of functioning.
Because every element on the page is analyzed by search engines, on-page optimization processes deal with the optimization of tags, descriptions and keywords, among others. Thus, it is essential to carefully write titles and descriptions, eliminate mistakes, improve loading speed, optimize the structure of URL addresses and internal links, process and optimize images, etc.
Let’s dwell a little on the key words. It must be stated that they play an extremely important role in the SEO process, the optimization for search engines being done starting from them. Precisely for this reason, their choice is made through a strict process, based on an analysis of search interest carried out in advance (keyword research).
Once chosen, the keywords must be mentioned several times in the content of the site, it being recommended that the density of use be between 0.5 and 2%. A more frequent use can be annoying for the user, and the content classified as spam by search engines. At the same time, key words and phrases should be able to be used in off-page optimization, that’s why greater attention is needed in their choice.
Off page optimization involves the process of link building, i.e. the generation of as many quality external links as possible to the optimized site. This process is carried out in several ways, the most indicated being to be applied manually because the tools for automating the link building process bring with it the increase in the number of suspicious external links and, therefore, the penalization of the site by search engines search.
Among the methods of link building, we mention the registration in article directories and the distribution of articles, blog posts and social media marketing.
How long does it take to see the results?
The results start to appear as soon as the search engine has indexed the pages of the optimized site and found them relevant for a certain word or key phrase.
In the case of leading sites in a certain segmentation, the results can appear in a few hours. On the other hand, for those who want to enter a crowded, extremely competitive market, the results will be visible after a few months. In general, it is about 6 months, and if a certain site is already in the first results and wants to surpass its competitors from the higher positions, the process can take even longer.
For immediate results, the alternative is paid advertising on Google, through the Google Adwords advertising system. Adwords ads mean a constant presence on the first page of results.
Learn more about AdWords.
Although the ultimate goal of the SEO process is to obtain the first position in Google for a certain word or key phrase, the optimization does not stop when this is achieved. SEO is a continuous and dynamic process, being necessary for maintaining the obtained position, not just for climbing to the top of the searches.
Do you want to be on the first positions in Google searches? Or do you want to know how to outrank your competitors in the online environment? Get in touch with an SEO specialist and find out how you could increase your website traffic through professional SEO services!
