The organic results are determined by Google’s complex algorithm (which has 200+ ranking signals). For example, let’s say you rank your site on the first page of Google for the keyword “how to start a website”. The organic results are “earned” placements that are determined by Google’s algorithm to be the overall best, most relevant results for a given search. The paid results are from advertisers bidding on keywords via Google Ads.

what is seo

SEO Best Practices

what is seo

This is in between the black hat and white hat approaches, where the methods employed avoid the site being penalized but do not act in producing the best content for users. Grey hat SEO is entirely focused on improving search engine rankings. An example of SEO is optimizing a website’s title tags and meta descriptions to include relevant keywords, which increases its likelihood of ranking for those search queries. Website security is a critical aspect of technical SEO, as it directly impacts user trust and search engine rankings. Implementing HTTPS encryption, regularly updating software and plugins, and implementing strong security measures can protect your website from malware, hacking attempts, and data breaches. A secure website instills confidence in users and search engines, contributing to improved rankings and reputation.

what is seo

Grow your online visibility.

Search engines can’t view the images on your pages like your visitors typically would, so they rely on alt text descriptions on your webpage to categorize imagery. Businesses often work with web developers or IT professionals to improve their sites’ technical SEO. If you have access to your site’s admin panel, you may be able to make these improvements or fix issues yourself. Start by logging into your website’s admin panel, where you’ll find different options for updating your site’s settings, including metadata and navigation menus. Over time, backlinks can contribute to your site’s authority and exposure.

The higher up the title is, the more relevant it is to impacting your search results. Discover and grow your audience with the checklists in our free guide. Just as you perform a competitive analysis to identify market gaps and differentiate your products and marketing efforts, you’ll need to investigate and analyze competitors’ SEO. You can stay on top of these trends and updates by visiting SEO conferences, listening to popular podcasts, reading SEO blogs and participating in various communities. So, create a website and practice optimization as you learn—from basics to advanced tactics. A comprehensive keyword research can be conducted using Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer.

A while ago I noticed more and more bloggers writing about voice search. In this case, you want to publish content that’s 10x better than what’s out there. Sometimes you want to create something bigger and better than what’s out there. At the end of this step, you should have identified at least 4-5 main organic competitors. Because of this, many businesses and website owners will try to manipulate the search results so that their site shows up higher on the search results page (SERP) than their competitors. Most website templates and themes allow you to show a navigation menu on your site, so make sure to use it for easier access to your website users.

  • SEO involves making your site more appealing to both users and search engines.
  • Content marketing is a strategy that aims to create and distribute valuable content that attracts and retains users’ attention.
  • Site B gets a free piece of content and Site A gets a free backlink.
  • Technical SEO involves making changes under the hood of your website to improve search performance.
  • On the other hand, once an organization achieves organic visibility, it can receive lots of traffic for no charge, which makes SEO highly profitable in the long run.

Although this can be scaled, it’s essentially a one-to-one experience. Because Google’s algorithm considers more than 200 ranking factors at once, it’s impossible to give a definitive answer. Backlink outreach can be a long process so you don’t want to waste your time trying to acquire low quality links SEO Anomaly that won’t help your site. Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors for your website.

what is seo

what is seo

18% of search results have “Direct Answers”, which are a direct answer to a specific question. Because ads appear at the top and bottom of the page, they can crowd out the organic results. And for really competitive, high-value search terms, Google will put ads at the bottom of the SERPs too. And, when Schema is used on a page, Google will sometimes add review stars, images, and event info that turn a normal result into a “Rich Snippet”.

This occurs because the search algorithms can detect the four primary search intents and act accordingly. Also, if you have a Google Ads account, you can even check the pay-per-click for certain search terms. Those with high pay-per-click are usually harder to rank in organic search.

This approach is best suited for larger businesses with ongoing SEO needs. Salaries for SEO professionals vary, with entry-level positions starting around $50,000 annually and senior roles potentially exceeding $100,000 annually. In addition to salaries, you’ll also need to budget for tools, software, and ongoing education. If you’re considering a do-it-yourself approach, prepare to invest time and effort into learning the ins and outs of SEO.