There are nearly 2 billion websites online today. While many are inactive, this still means that your online business, regardless of what you sell or specialize in, has plenty of competition.
One of the ways you can help your site stand out is through SEO. But what is search engine optimization? How can you use it to boost your site’s traffic? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Search Engine Optimization?
When web surfers scroll through the internet and search for websites, they do so through a search engine.
Google dominates the search engine options. More than 70 percent of web searches start on Google. The search engine giant is also home to more than 85 percent of searches on mobile devices.
One of the reasons that Google is so popular is the complicated set of algorithms it uses to deliver results. These algorithms are what help you get the answer you’re looking for.
For instance, if you run a search for “top lawyers in Boston,” Google instantly uses those keywords to tap into billions of websites. The goal of their algorithms is to provide the search results that they think will be most helpful in providing the answers you’re looking for.
Websites obviously want to appear in the top results when you run a search for keywords that closely match what they’re all about. This is where search engine optimization, or SEO, comes in.
Using a set of ever-changing strategies, websites look to target Google’s algorithms to improve the chances of their site appearing in search results.
In the past, websites used search engine submission to check their site’s ranking, though in most cases Google and other engines crawl sites automatically on their own.
What are Some Google Search Engine Optimization Strategies?
Google is constantly changing its algorithms to improve the search results that they provide. This means that the strategies that websites use to target those algorithms change as well.
Many, however, stay relatively the same through these changes.
Some common strategies for optimizing a website include using targeted keywords, including backlinks, and ensuring that a page loads quickly.
For example, keywords are one of the things that experts agree Google is looking for when scanning websites. After all, these same keywords are what they expect web surfers to type into that search bar.
So when an individual types in “best lawyers in Boston,” one of the things that Google searches for is websites that contain that phrase, as well as variations of that phrase.
However, packing a website with those words will have the opposite of a positive effect on your site’s ranking. Instead, it may get your site flagged for spam, which will guarantee that your site won’t appear in the top results, or possibly in any results when a search is run.
Optimizing Your Website
Now that you know the answer to “what is search engine optimization,” it’s time to start optimizing your own site. The better your site’s ranking is, the more traffic you’ll receive. This translates to more brand visibility and more sales.
If you’re looking for more advice to help take your online business to the next level, check out the Business section of our blog for more content like this.