So, What Exactly is SEO?

In today’s digital world, establishing a strong online presence is paramount for businesses seeking to succeed. One powerful tool that can significantly impact a company’s visibility on Google and Bing is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). In this blog post, we will delve into the intricacies of SEO and explore its significance for businesses. From understanding the basics to implementing effective strategies, we’ll uncover how SEO can help drive organic traffic and improve search engine rankings. 

What is SEO? 

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimisation, refers to the practice of optimising a website to improve its visibility and rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). The primary objective of SEO is to increase organic (unpaid) traffic to a website. By optimising various aspects of a site, such as its content, structure, and technical components, businesses can enhance their chances of appearing higher in search engine rankings, thereby attracting more potential customers. 

The importance of SEO lies within the billions of searches Google receives everyday for information and products – not taking advantage of one of the most important traffic channels would be a huge mistake. Although Google has recently introduced endless scrolling on mobile and desktop – the top three results in Google still receive 54.4% of all clicks. So, it’s simple really, the higher you rank, the more people will visit your website!

SEO vs. PPC

Most search engine results pages contain two types of results: 

• Paid Results: In order to appear here, you need to make payments through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
• Organic Results: To secure a position here, you must “earn” your rankings through search engine optimisation (SEO).

You might wonder: Why not simply pay to appear in the ads section? The answer is straightforward. The majority of individuals tend to overlook ads and instead click on the organic results. Indeed, SEO requires more time, effort, and resources, despite its focus on obtaining “free” organic traffic. However, once you achieve a high ranking for your targeted keywords, you can reach a larger audience and generate continuous traffic that doesn’t vanish when you stop paying. 

It’s worth noting that PPC advertising remains a crucial channel and serves a distinct role within marketing strategies. PPC and SEO are not in competition; instead, they can effectively complement each other.

Components of SEO

Keyword Research
The first step is to identify relevant keywords and phrases that users commonly search for. By doing this, you are able to get an insight into the queries that your target audience are actually searching for on Google. Additionally, you are able to see the search volume, trends and the difficulty of the keywords. Generally, the higher the search volume, the harder it is to rank, so if you’re wanting quick results, it’s best to choose keywords which have a lower search volume. Once you’re happy with your keywords, you can then integrate these strategically into your website content. 

On-Page Optimisation
This involves optimising various on-page elements, including meta tags, headings, URLs, and blog content, to enhance a website’s relevance and readability for both users and search engines. 

Off-Page Optimisation
Off-page optimisation focuses on building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, social media engagement, and other external factors that improve a website’s domain authority and credibility. 

Technical SEO
Technical aspects such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, site structure, and crawlability are vital for search engines to understand and index a website effectively. It’s important to perform technical audits regularly, as it can highlight any issues with your website which may be affecting user experience. 

SEO Best Practices

To succeed in the highly competitive online market, businesses should implement the following SEO best practices: 

High-Quality Content
Producing valuable, engaging, and relevant content that satisfies user intent is crucial for SEO success. This involves either revamping existing content or generating fresh content. Since Google and other search engines highly value superior long-tail content, it is essential to conduct research on existing landing pages, blogs etc and develop a captivating piece that delivers a positive user experience and stands a chance of achieving higher rankings in search engine results. Additionally, high-quality content also increases the likelihood of being shared on social media platforms and attracting inbound links. 

User Experience (UX)
Ensuring a seamless user experience by optimising website navigation, improving page load times, and making the site mobile-friendly positively impacts search rankings. If you want to find out more about user experience, please take a look at one of our previous blog posts. 

Local SEO
For businesses targeting a specific location in the UK, optimising their website for local searches is essential. This includes incorporating location-specific keywords, managing online reviews, optimising your Google My Business profile, and claiming business listings on local directories. 

Regular Monitoring and Analysis
Keeping track of SEO performance through analytics tools allows businesses to identify areas of improvement, measure the effectiveness of strategies, and make data-driven decisions. 

Contact Active Internet Marketing Today

SEO plays a vital role in helping businesses increase their online visibility, attract relevant traffic, and ultimately drive conversions. By understanding the core elements of SEO and implementing best practices, businesses can improve their search engine rankings and gain a competitive edge. In a world where search engines serve as gateways to information and opportunities, investing in SEO is no longer an option but a necessity for businesses aiming to thrive online. 

If you still have questions about SEO and how it works, we’d be more than happy to help! With years of experience in SEO, we’ve managed to help many clients achieve fantastic results. For more information, please give us a call today on 01604 76579. Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form and a member of our staff will contact you as soon as possible.