What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Client: “How do I get my website to show up as the number 1 result on Google/Bing/Yahoo!?”

Me: “Search engine optimization – also known as SEO”

Client: “What’s SEO?”

Me: “Keywords…sitemaps…back links…blah…blah…blah”

*30 minutes later*

Client: “ok so…what’s SEO?”

SEO seems pretty transparent to those who have spent hours reading articles, doing research, attending expos, and other methods of staying up-to-date on developing trends. Even after taking all these measures, the definition of SEO seems to elude the sharpest of minds since there are a myriad of definitions available.

My goal for this blog is to break SEO down in the most simplistic way possible. Consequently, there will be a lot of substance missing in the explanations in order to ensure that the message is clear and concise. Read more of my blogs on SEO and SEM to get a deeper understanding and verse yourself in more advanced techniques.

What is SEO and why do I need it?

If I had to summarize SEO into an encompassing statement, it would be

Optimizing every (individual) webpage on your website to ensure;
•    Improved ranking on the search engine results page (SERP)
•    No miscommunication between the webpage and the search engine
•    Easy navigability

Now for you tech savvy SEO specialists who are saying to themselves “What about indexing, keyword relevancy, keyword density, conversions, bounce rates, sitemaps, site architecture, ETC!”I would argue that those SEO concerns are symptoms of a much larger problem that are encompassed in the above statement. Getting into specifics of that theory would contradict my attempt at making this blog post simple.

So moving on…

What do you mean by “miscommunication between web page and the search engine?”

There are certain variables that Google’s algorithm takes into consideration when discovering what a webpage is about. While it may be obvious to you that your webpage is about X, Google’s algorithms might see your webpage differently and decide it’s about Y.

Similarly, it might know your webpage is about X but Google’s algorithm only picked up a limited amount of information. Therefore, your webpages “authority” or “expertise” on X might be viewed as limited and hinder your ranking on the SERP.

So how does this affect MY website?

Let’s take a look at the process of searching and how it will affect your website (pretend you sell apples)
Step 1 – User types in his search query - “apples for sale”
Step 2 – The search engine result page (SERP) displays your site listing
Step 3 – The user clicks on your listing
Step 4 – The user should land on the _________ page

Logic would dictate that you want the user to land on the webpage that has a list of different apples, the price of the apples, and the ability to add apples to a cart for purchase. However, Google might decide that your “oranges” page is more appropriate which would be landing the user on content that does not address his/hers specific query. Consequently, the user will likely leave the page immediately (called a “bounce”) and select the next page on the SERP that will display apples and not oranges. Not only was a sale (or “conversion”) lost, but also a potential lifetime customer!

I thought Google was smarter than that.

Google is constantly updating their algorithm to ensure the most relevant webpages are being displayed and the situation above becomes a rare occurrence. Conversely, the fault can also lie in the design of the website or the lack of optimization after the website was complete.

How do I know if this is happening with my website?

There are numerous ways to discover how Google views your page using SEO tools and analytic programs. Since we are keeping this post basic, we won’t be getting into these techniques just yet.

So why didn’t my web designer integrate SEO when he built my website?!

Good web designers usually provide “base line” SEO which involves taking the content you provide them and making sure it looks good and works well. Any other additional research into effective SEO material that is applicable to your site would be going outside the scope of web design and into the realm of content creation, back links, and other techniques. Therefore, the role of “SEO Specialist” and “SEM Campaign Manager” has emerged to handle such responsibilities. These positions fall under the umbrella of “Internet Marketing” along with social media optimization “SMO” and other online efforts.

Back links?

Back links are the websites linking to yours. Search engines look at the quantity and quality of these links, but I will touch on back links in another blog since we are keeping this blog basic. 

Social Media/Online Networking
The one exception to the encompassing statement listed above would be social media optimization (SMO) and online networking. They still contribute to improving SERP but are also effective internet marketing methods to add personality to your company and close the cold and distant adversarial relationship developed between companies and their consumers.

Ok, you’ve convinced me. When do I start?

Immediately! Waiting to start SEO efforts will prolong the chances of losing potential customers.  It’s also important to keep track of improvements through the use of analytic software/programs such as Google Analytics. Measuring the success of your SEO and or SEM efforts enables you to see your return on investment (ROI) and distinguish between what needs improving vs. what is doing well.

These are just the basics?! Who can I contact to help me with all of this!

I thought you’d never ask! Contact Zero In!