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What Is SEO – Search Engine Optimisation

what is seo in digital marketing?

What Is SEO / Search Engine Optimization?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO is all about improving your website and marketing content. This involves using search engine optimisation techniques to rank higher on Google and other search engines. A simple search engine optimisation example is optimising your website’s header tags.

While paid advertising is essential to promote your website, improving your SEO ranking brings you free organic traffic and can be transformational.

What is SEO, in simple words?

Definition of SEO

An easier way to think about it is that SEO means optimising your website and content using search engine optimization techniques so that Google likes it more and ranks you at or near the top of the page when people search for your product or service.

Why is SEO important?

Free advertising

In two words… FREE ADVERTISING for your business! Free advertising so that you don’t have to spend as much on paid media to get enquiries and sales for your business. A Google Business Profile is free and a great addition to your SEO.

SEO is also essential because it makes your website more visible and helps you generate more traffic and potential customers. It’s also an effective strategy for building brand awareness, establishing relationships with prospects, and positioning yourself as an expert in your industry.

Organic search plays a significant role in the success of your business website, as it is a major part of the buyer’s journey that ultimately leads to conversions or other engagements. Furthermore, SEO builds trust and credibility for your brand.

High-quality SEO also provides a better user experience for visitors. And finally, local SEO can lead to increased engagement, traffic and conversions for your business.

Google Business Profile

Search Engine Optimization SEO

What are the 4 types of SEO?

What is SEO, and how it works?

How does SEO work? There are only two type of SEO (On & Off page). However, some experts will argue that there is also Grey Hat SEO and Negative SEO.

On-page SEO

This is about improving your rankings with better content. This means including essential keywords in your website pages and content. It also means writing regular high-quality content and ensuring all your Meta Tags and titles are correctly formatted.

Off-page SEO

This is all about the stuff that happens off your website, such as backlinks. Backlinks are inbound links to your website that tell Google that people like and recommend you. Understanding search engine optimization Google style is essential. Backlinks are the most challenging part of SEO and must be done correctly by creating content people want to share.

Grey Hat SEO

Grey Hat SEO is somewhere in between white and black hat SEO tactics. It’s not necessarily ‘bad’ for your site, but it falls into a ‘grey area’ that Google only approves of. Google doesn’t outright ban these techniques. However, they are seen as affordable solutions.

Examples of Grey Hat SEO techniques include clickbait articles, link exchanges, and paid reviews – all of which can help improve a site’s performance in search results. Nonetheless, these techniques still come with some risks and may hurt a business rather than help it if Google clamps down on certain activities from time to time.

Negative SEO

Negative SEO is a devious tactic that affects businesses but isn’t caused by them. It usually results from competitors carrying out aggressive strategies with ‘black hat’ tactics to lower a business’s rank to gain more traffic. Some methods they may use include building unnatural links to their competitor’s site, leaving negative reviews, or hacking sites to modify their content.

This is done to achieve personal gain while hurting other sites. It can be hard to track who’s doing what regarding negative SEO, so you must monitor your SEO campaign closely for any sudden and unusual spikes or drops in performance. Webprecision will never partake in this activity, so please don’t ask us to.

SEO Strategies: Black Hat Versus White Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO

What Is Black Hat SEO?

Black Hat SEO is when people use sneaky tactics to try and trick Google. Things like keyword stuffing and cheap and nasty (toxic) backlinks. These tactics used to work in the old days of SEO but will quickly get you blacklisted by Google, which means you will struggle ever to get ranked again.

What Is White Hat SEO?

White Hat SEO is the sustainable way of building your SEO and giving searchers, and Google, what they want. It means giving them the best content possible and following the rules to ensure long-term success. You will eventually pay a high price if you decide to take shortcuts.

In SEO circles, it’s about how you do something, not what you do.

How long does it take for SEO to work?

When done correctly, SEO takes a lot of time and thought. Like Rachel Hunter said in her Pantene shampoo adverts, “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen!” Expecting to see immediate results with SEO is not realistic.

It can take weeks, months and years for the most competitive keywords. It is an ongoing process, not a quick fix. The real SEO meaning in business is often misunderstood, if understood at all, in its most basic form, so don’t take shortcuts and don’t underestimate the power of SEO to grow your business.

A search engine optimization course is always an option; many are online. You are likely to pay around $1,000, and you will need to put in a lot of time and effort, usually over a month or more, to grasp the basics. Mastering SEO could be compared to completing a University degree.

What is SEO and how do you optimize it?

stevebaron.co.nz

Content

Content is king… is as accurate today as ever before. That’s because Google seeks to answer searchers’ questions as quickly as possible, and Google is God. You will be successful if you have what Google is looking for and they trust you.

One of the essential parts of SEO is creating great content, but you will only succeed if your website lets you down in other areas. You could have the best content imaginable, but if your website needs to be faster, then Google will not show it.

Creating great content is a challenging task. That’s where SteveBaron.co.nz can help you.

Search Intent

Search intent is essential for Google. What Google wants to understand is what searchers are searching for, so your content needs to target keywords that precisely match, not generally match, those searches. And it would be best if you showed that your business has expertise in this area.

Fresh Content

Google wants to show the latest information, the most up-to-date information to deliver to searchers. So making sure your content is fresh or regularly updated and precise is very important. This can mean creating new content, but it can also mean updating existing content.

It also means fixing broken links and having accurate and updated data. Please ensure that your information helps readers find what they are looking for. It is also about providing your information is correctly formatted to appeal aesthetically.

Keyword Research & Selection

The absolute core of SEO is Keywords. You will attract the right searchers to your website with the correct keywords. If you choose the wrong keywords, they will quickly leave as soon as they arrive. This wastes your time and money and degrades your SEO. With the proper keywords, you will rank well.

It is a process that needs to be continually updated as searches, products, and services change. The two main reasons for Keyword research are to know the relevant content to write about and to rank higher on Google for those Keywords.

Keyword Selection

Selecting keywords is not simply adding every possible keyword to your website. It’s valuable to understand the intent behind the keyword.

You have wasted your money if you attract loads of traffic with a particular keyword, but when there, people do not buy your products and services. Choosing wisely can make a massive difference in results.

Competition Analysis

Once you have selected the right keywords relevant to your business, product or service, it’s essential to check out what your competition is up to. Knowing how they perform and the keywords they rank for can help once you know that you can produce better content to outrank them.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

This is how Google works out what your website and its content are all about. It helps Google decide who they should rank and how high. To do SEO HTML correctly is an intricate part of the SEO puzzle and an ideal search engine optimization example.

It’s the behind-the-scenes stuff using the correct H tags, headers, meta descriptions you want people to see when displayed on their screens, Alt text image descriptions and the correct URL extension format.

Having good site architecture is essential for a better user experience. This includes fast loading times and a safe connection, especially on mobile devices.

Your website must also be ‘crawl friendly’ so search engines can find what they are looking for. Site Maps are invaluable in this regard. If Google doesn’t understand your website, it simply won’t rank you.

Google puts great value on Core Web Vitals. These are all about page speed and usability. Making sure your Core Web Vitals stack up is essential in ranking high. Understanding your Google Search Console will be invaluable. Things like having a secure HTTPS connection is also a crucial aspect.

Toxic Backlinks

Removing low-quality toxic backlinks can help improve your SEO and is essential to check for and disavow in your Google Search Console.

Internal Links

Not to be overlooked, internal links help Google crawl your website and provide links to other vital material on your website that readers may click on. They spread the SEO juice around your website.

Demographics & Location

Google algorithms serve up results based on many considerations. So you need to decide if your website should focus on local or international traffic, as it can make a big difference. If people from another country are never going to buy your products and services, then your focus must be on local/national searchers.

But if it does, then you must ensure your website is relevant to the country they are in and is fully functional for other languages. It also means having a help desk available for different time zones. Otherwise, you will lose their interest quickly and waste your SEO efforts.

Going multinational is a big decision that should be carefully considered and worked through. Creating multilingual content can bring quick success but is always challenging and expensive if done correctly. Google Translate just doesn’t cut the mustard, I’m afraid.

Social Media

Having an active social media presence is a valuable off-page SEO tool. It is also a dynamic way to interact with potential customers and ensures your business uses a diverse approach. It also sends a message to Google that you are active. It also helps you create more links to your website.

What is the most critical factor in SEO marketing?

What is SEO Marketing? There are hundreds of ranking factors when it comes to search engine optimisation. There are no shortcuts in SEO. There is no magic fix or silver bullet. SEO is one giant jigsaw puzzle, and it can be all-consuming and easily a full-time job for someone in a business. However, starting with the basics is the most critical factor.

1. Make sure your website has mobile-first optimisation. Mobile traffic accounts for around half of all traffic, and Google values mobile speed. In 2019 Google began focusing on mobile-first indexing as a high priority. Your website must function the same on all platforms.

2. Focus on your Core Web Vitals. LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). Google wants your site’s first page to load entirely within 2.5 seconds to prevent people from leaving, which impacts your SEO rank.

To improve the overall page loading speed, you should reduce the complexity of your site’s elements, shorten pages, restrict redirects, and ensure all external/video links are working. Additionally, Google expects your site’s interactions with users to be fast; a button or window should respond within 100 milliseconds or less when clicked by a user.

3. Poor quality content is not tolerated on the web. This is probably one of the most relevant Google ranking elements. And it doesn’t require anything elaborate or sophisticated. Create great, thorough, beneficial content, and Google will work to your benefit.

I’m referring to writing material that people want to read, material that helps and material that surpasses what the competition offers. An excellent place to start is researching queries customers have and crafting content that supplies answers.

If you create high-quality content that also considers more technical aspects, you will increase your likelihood of ranking higher and improving your SEO and, ultimately, your profits.

What is SEO in digital marketing

In digital marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to the practice of optimising websites and online content to improve their visibility and ranking on search engines like Google. This strategic approach helps businesses attract organic (non-paid) traffic, increase brand visibility, and connect with their target audience by aligning their online presence with search engine algorithms and user search behaviour.

To sum it all up for those who ask “What SEO is”

1. SEO can be overwhelming simply due to its enormity. We advise finding an SEO specialist you can trust and feel comfortable with, and that won’t charge you an arm and a leg. In the past, I’ve spoken to several “experts” who wanted me to pay a substantial monthly fee for a few simple basics that anyone could do with just a tiny amount of knowledge.

2. Stay away from Black Hat tactics. It never pays in the long run.

3. Be prepared to pay for thorough keyword research and selection. Having the right keywords on your website is the primary source for Google to understand your business. Taking shortcuts here is like hiring the neighbour’s kid to slap on a quick coat of paint without the proper preparation, only to find the paint peels off in a month or two.

4. Make sure all the basics are covered: your title tags, meta descriptions, and alt text are done correctly by an experienced person. It’s easy to fool yourself into how simple this is when it’s not.

5. Make sure your website has the correct architecture. Sure, you can create a simple Wix website for your business and save a whole heap of money, but will it get you the desired results? My experience says no. Speed and design are invaluable when it comes to Core Web Vitals.

6. People need to trust your website, so don’t glibly dismiss features like SSL certificates and HTTPS, which are now industry standards. Google won’t trust you unless you have these basics.

7. Never buy cheap Backlinks that will do you more harm than good. Good Backlinks are earned by hard graft and by people with extensive experience in this area. Paying someone on the Fiverr website $50 for 10,000 backlinks will cost you far more than that in the long run when Google slaps you with a penalty card!

8. Develop a great social media network that compliments your website and helps your SEO.

9. Create great content that proves you understand your topic. This will build a good reputation for you and your business. It builds trust, and Google loves trust.

10. Wondering where to start? Where to begin? Be prepared to make a lot of blunders if you want to do your SEO, or call SteveBaron.co.nz and start the conversation by contacting us.

What is SEO and how it works?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing websites to improve their visibility and ranking on search engines, ultimately driving organic (non-paid) traffic by aligning content and technical aspects with search engine algorithms.

Frequently Asked SEO Questions

What is SEO in simple words?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of making websites more attractive to search engines like Google, so they appear higher in search results when people look for relevant information.

How do you do SEO on a website?

To perform SEO on a website, you would typically focus on optimising its content, keywords, and structure, improving site speed and mobile-friendliness, obtaining quality backlinks, and ensuring a positive user experience to increase its visibility and ranking on search engines like Google.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the techniques and strategies used to improve a website’s visibility and ranking on search engines like Google. It involves optimising various aspects of the website, including content, keywords, technical elements, and off-site factors, with the goal of attracting more organic (non-paid) traffic and increasing its chances of appearing higher in search results.

What are the 4 types of SEO?

  1. On-Page SEO: This involves optimising individual web pages by adjusting content, keywords, meta tags, headings, and other on-page elements to make them more search engine-friendly.
  2. Off-Page SEO: This focuses on activities outside the website, such as building quality backlinks from other reputable websites, social media promotion, and influencer collaborations to improve the site’s authority and reputation.
  3. Technical SEO: Technical aspects like site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, and crawlability are addressed in this type of SEO to ensure that search engines can efficiently access and understand the website’s content.
  4. Local SEO: Local businesses benefit from this type of SEO, which targets specific geographic areas. It involves optimising location-based keywords, setting up Google My Business, and obtaining online reviews to improve local search rankings.

How does SEO work?

SEO works by optimising various elements of a website to align with search engine algorithms, ultimately improving its visibility and ranking in search results. This involves:

  1. Keyword Research: Identifying relevant keywords that people use to search for information related to the website’s content.
  2. On-Page Optimization: Incorporating keywords naturally into content, meta tags, headings, and URLs to signal relevance to search engines.
  3. Quality Content: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses users’ search queries.
  4. Technical Improvements: Ensuring the website’s technical aspects, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, and proper indexing, are optimised for search engine crawling.
  5. Backlink Building: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, which signal to search engines that the site is authoritative and trustworthy.
  6. User Experience: Enhancing user experience by improving navigation, layout, and overall site usability.
  7. Analytics and Monitoring: Constantly tracking performance, analysing data, and adjusting strategies based on insights to improve results over time.
  8. Algorithm Updates: Adapting to changes in search engine algorithms to maintain or improve ranking positions.

By implementing these strategies, websites can attract organic traffic, increase their visibility in search results, and effectively reach their target audience.

 About the Author

Steve Baron is the Founder & CEO of Webprecision. He founded Baron Marketing Ltd, an advertising company he ran for over 20 years, as well as several online startups.

He is a past mentor for Business Mentors NZ and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Waikato, Majoring in Economics & Political Science. He also holds an Honours Degree in Political Science from the Victoria University of Wellington.

He is a published author of three books and a prominent guest editorialist for newspapers throughout New Zealand. In his spare time, Steve is the Clerk of the Scales for New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, is a Bridge Grandmaster and enjoys walking, running and cafes.

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Comments

  1. Felicity Warren says:

    This was beautiful Admin. Thank you for your reflections.

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