SEO 101: What is it, and why is it important? The Beginner’s Guide to SEO

As you can probably guess, the keyword that I’m trying to rank for with that post is “Local SEO”. Basically, these are terms that tend to “show up” next to your target keyword. Related keywords are also sometimes referred to as “LSI Keywords”. 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.

search engine optimization

White hat SEO vs. black hat SEO

  • But make no mistake about the factors at the bottom of this list.
  • This improves your site’s SEO and even attracts traffic from social media and press mentions.
  • Use a variety of formats, such as articles, infographics, videos, and podcasts, to cater to different learning styles.
  • In addition to keeping your site maintained in terms of plugins and comment spam, you’ll also want to make sure your site is served over https, rather than just http.

You can check your page rankings and performance with SEO tools like Ahrefs and Google Search Console in order to get a sense of the direct impact of your optimization. These tools can help you understand if your site has improved in the rankings and note which keywords SEO Anomaly your site is ranking well for. If you’re unhappy with your rankings or traffic, you can consider all of the previous items on this list and tweak your content accordingly. Technical SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s technical performance.

search engine optimization

Creating an SEO Strategy and Content Plan

According to Semrush Sensor data from September 2024, Google displays images in the top 20 results for over half of U.S. Other off-page tactics like social media management, online reputation management, and email marketing can indirectly benefit your SEO by driving brand awareness and engagement. Off-page SEO refers to actions you can take outside of your website to improve its search visibility. However, organic results tend to have higher click-through rates because users often trust them more than ads.

search engine optimization

Historically websites have copied content from one another and benefited in search engine rankings by engaging in this practice. The 2013 Google Hummingbird update featured an algorithm change designed to improve Google’s natural language processing and semantic understanding of web pages. In October 2019, Google announced they would start applying BERT models for English language search queries in the US.

search engine optimization

So as you go through your list of keywords, keep an eye out for terms that have a high CPC value. Sure, I’d rank for a keyword that lots of people searched for. If that topic seems like something that you’d want to write about, add it to your list of keywords. Compared to most paid keyword research tools, The Google Keyword Planner isn’t that great at coming up with keyword ideas. “Best of” blog posts are simply hand-curated lists of the best blogs in a specific industry.

search engine optimization

Why is local SEO important?

That said, although it might have its lure and can be used on test sites, black hat SEO typically ends in a penalty from search listings. But they are the ones to get right first if you want your business to rank well in local search. All this information combined helps customers choose which business to engage with. 81% of consumers use Google to research local businesses, and they look for things like online reviews. Ranko Media Founder and CEO Nick Rubright has been working on link building for his projects and clients for a decade. He also speaks to website eowners every day looking for backlinging opportunities.

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