Semalt Tells You Everything About Seo Search Engine Optimization

A lot of buzz surrounds search engine optimization. Today you get to learn everything connected with this hot topic! What's SEO? What are the benefits of SEO? What terms revolve around SEO? Who can learn and apply SEO? In this article, Ivan Konovalov, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, tries to answer all the question written above.

What is SEO?

When a person enters a keyword (any topic or query) on a search engine (could be Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) he or she gets various search results. As it is, this constitutes SEO (search engine optimization), and it generally revolves around ranking on the first page of a search result.

Why SEO matters?

In today's fast-paced world, ranking means everything. With millions of pages competing for your attention, it's only those that rank on the first page that get a good deal. Just be logical; who on earth has the time to go through the hundreds of pages of search results? Who? This explains the need for SEO.

What are the benefits of SEO?

Without a doubt, the biggest advantage or rather benefit of undertaking SEO is the organic traffic (non-paid or natural) it generates for your website. When you increase web traffic, your products and/ or services get seen by a wider audience, which implies that the conversion, as well as profit margin, shoots up.

Who is SEO meant for?

It is meant for literally everyone. Although the mechanics of search engine optimization is a little complex (can you think of any web-based algorithm that isn't), grasping the basics can do wonders to your WordPress blog or website. Look around, and you'll see hundreds of platforms offering free SEO education. Don't ignore them. And if your website joins the big league then you can afford to hire an SEO expert.

SEO-related terms you should know

1. White hat SEO – this refers to elaborate optimization of a website with the audience in mind. The idea behind white hat SEO is simple; do not rub the audience the wrong way, never let your pages get labeled as spam. Maintain their trust while doing everything possible to become authoritative.

2. Black hat SEO – you can think of this as the opposite of white hat SEO. Whereas white hat focuses on audience engagement, the black hat doesn't. A quick look reveals that people engaged in this technique often get their websites reported as spam. They often have poor rankings but nevertheless, make good money. It helps one to get rankings fast with everything else coming second.

3. On-page SEO: constitutes of everything on your posts. It could be the meta tags, headings, URL structure, alt text (for image files), loading speeds, links, quality of the posted content and so much more.

4. Off-page SEO: this takes into consideration domain authority. Here factors such as the age of the domain, its popularity, and such related factors are put into consideration.

Here are some tips on writing SEO-friendly posts:

  • research on keywords
  • go for keywords with high search volumes and low competition
  • add links
  • use proper meta descriptions