What is SEO? A Beginner's Guide to Search Engine Optimization!

 

What is SEO?

In your random expeditions across the internet, SEO is a term you would have encountered many times and wondered, "What even is this?" Surely you have Googled it, read those snippets of 2-3 lines from a website, and got the basic idea, but that didn’t suffice your curiosity. You probably forgot it the next minute (no pun intended). So, in this blog, I’ll be deep-diving into the concepts of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Let’s get into it!

What is SEO: The Basics

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the constant practice adopted by brands, businesses, and individuals to rank higher and higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs, in digital marketing terminology). It’s used to drive more organic traffic to websites. Organic traffic refers to when visitors come to your website without you having to pay any money to attract them, unlike SEM (Search Engine Marketing).

You must have noticed that whenever you search something on Google, it shows you results in a specific order: first, there are AI snippets (if available), then websites lined up one after the other. The top ones often have a "Sponsored" or "Ad" tag. This is SEM — businesses paying for that spot. We’ll explore SEM in detail in my next blog. But those results below the ads? That’s SEO at work!

Search engines rank these websites based on many factors, including keywords, relevance, authority, and more. Now that you’ve got the basic idea, let’s move on to other aspects.

SEO Terminology

To understand SEO fully, we need to understand some of its key terms. Here’s a short list for you:

1. Keywords

These are specific phrases or words that you type into search engines. Suppose you want to shop for a pair of sneakers. You might type queries like:

• "sneaker shopping"

• "sneaker size 8"

• "white sneakers"

• Or, if you’re super specific: "Nike sneaker size 7 white."

These are examples of keywords. Businesses use various SEO tools to track relevant and trending keywords in their industry and incorporate them into their content to rank higher in the SERPs.

There are two main types of keywords:

• Short-tail keywords: Short and broad, such as “shoes” or “sneakers.” These have high search volumes but are highly competitive.

• Long-tail keywords: Longer and more specific, such as “white canvas sneakers size 8.” These have lower competition but can drive highly targeted traffic.

2. Crawling, Indexing & Ranking

Think of search engines as librarians in a library. When they discover a new website, they:

1. Crawl: Use bots (called crawlers or spiders) to scan all the content on the website.

2. Index: Sort and categorize the content based on its type.

3. Rank: Determine where the website appears in the SERP based on relevance, keywords, and other factors.

3. Meta Title & Description

Whenever you search for something, the results page has blue-colored links and 2-3 lines of text below them. The blue link is the Meta Title, and the text is the Meta Description. These give searchers a preview of your content.

4. Backlinks

Remember when you clicked a link in a blog post or on Instagram that redirected you to another website? That’s a backlink. It’s like a shoutout from one site to another. Backlinks help drive traffic and build authority. But remember, quality matters more than quantity. A backlink from a trusted site is far more valuable than one from a random, unrelated page.

On-Page & Off-Page SEO

Getting the hang of SEO? Let’s move on to two important types: On-Page SEO and Off-Page SEO.

On-Page SEO

This refers to changes you make on the front end of your website, visible to users, such as:

• Using relevant keywords: Place them strategically in titles, headings, and content.

• User-friendly design: Make your site easy to navigate.

• Headings and meta descriptions: Optimize them with keywords.

• Alt text: Add descriptive text to images for better accessibility.

Off-Page SEO

This involves behind-the-scenes efforts to boost your rankings, such as:

• Backlinks: Gain links from reputable websites.

• Sitemap: Create a sitemap to help search engines understand your website’s structure.

• Technical SEO: Optimize your website’s code and improve page speed.

• Internal linking: Link to other pages within your site to improve navigation and boost SEO.

Reporting & Analyzing SEO

Once you’ve optimized your website, it’s crucial to track and analyze your efforts. Tools like:

• Google Analytics: Tracks visitor behavior and website performance.

• Google Search Console: Helps monitor and maintain your site’s presence in search results.

• Google Tag Manager: Manages tags for better tracking.

Other tools, like SEMrush and Yoast SEO, offer additional features for tracking and improving SEO performance.

Key metrics to monitor:

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): Percentage of visitors who click on your link in the SERP.

• Bounce Rate: Percentage of visitors who leave without interacting.

• Conversion Rate: Percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, like signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

Actionable Steps

Ready to apply what you’ve learned? Here are some practical steps:

1. Review your website or blog. Optimize it with keywords, meta titles, and descriptions.

2. Use free tools like Google Trends or Ubersuggest to conduct keyword research.

3. Create a list of 4-5 blog topics for a hypothetical brand using trending keywords.

4. Start small: Implement internal linking and create a sitemap for your site.

Let’s Wrap It Up

SEO is a continuous process that requires consistent effort. It’s not as quick as SEM or paid ads, but it helps build long-term brand authority and separates you from the competition. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my blog!

The next blog will focus on SEM (Search Engine Marketing). Meanwhile, feel free to check out my other blogs or connect with me on LinkedIn. Let’s grow together!