SEO is short for search engine optimization. It is the process of improving a website to increase the quality and quantity of traffic that comes from organic (unpaid) search results. More specifically, SEO guidelines help professionals design and develop websites that are more likely to reach the target audience.
Web Crawlers Index the Site’s Content to Establish Search Ranking
To determine a website’s search ranking, “web crawlers” from search engines like Google or Bing will index its content. These bots will categorize the site based on the information they gather.
The more high-quality and relevant a website’s content is, the higher it will appear on the search rankings. This indexing ensures that users can find helpful information for their specific searches.
How Can You Improve a Website’s Search Ranking with SEO?
Fill the Site With High-Quality Content
In addition to the company’s products and services, content on a website can include blogs, articles, infographics, and e-books. Here are a few ways to make more valuable content that will improve SEO.
- Write with targeted keywords
- Improve page speed
- Add visuals
- Format content for featured snippets
Make Sure the Website Is Accessible and Easy to Read
Readability is a vital part of building great content. An easy-to-read website will have an organized, logical, simple, and straightforward layout.
Write Blog Posts That Are Long Enough
Content length matters too. While standards vary from industry to industry, blog posts between 1,500 to 2,000 words will generally bring you the best SEO results.
According to Alex Birkett of Everything But The Plant, “Writing longer content gives you more meat for search engines to index on. Especially if you’re fighting uphill against most authoritative websites, one weapon you have at your disposal is writing more thorough content.”
The Longer Readers Stay on a Website, the Better
An extended reading time signals to Google that a particular webpage is relevant to the search query. This metric helps Google decide whether to show that webpage to more (or less) people.
What Is the Basic SEO Process?
When you’re trying to optimize a website, it can be hard to know where to start. These are a few of the essential steps for improving a website’s SEO.
- Figure out what the company’s customers are searching for
- Conduct keyword research to identify words that will help the site reach that target audience
- Make the website easy to read and navigate for all visitors
- Format the website so that web crawlers can accurately index its content
- Have other websites link to that site
- Measure the SEO campaign success at every step