SEO (search engine optimization) refers to the practice of enhancing the volume and quality of site visitors to a site or a particular web page through search engines. SEO targets free or unpaid traffic as opposed to paid or direct traffic. The objective of SEO is to increase visibility of the site by ranking high in the results pages returned by a search engine query. The practice of SEO draws on several different strategies, each aimed at increasing the visibility and ranking of a site or page in the SERPs (search engine result pages).
Content. In SEO, the content provided on a site or page is of prime importance. This content has an important role in both attracting visitors to the site, as well as persuading them to click on links on the site. One can use any of the following techniques to improve the content on a site.
Keywords. SEO techniques use keywords to attract visitors, particularly from search engine query results. Using relevant keywords for each piece of content helps the site move up in ranking. This is achieved by using long tail keywords as much as possible within the content. Long tail keywords are less competitive but often misspelled or misspoken.
Internal linking. One of the best SEO practices is to link the content of each page back to the home page of the site, so that each visitor is aware of the exact purpose of the site. For example, if the home page is about dog training, then the links to other pages should be directed towards articles on dog training. This makes the site more visible to search engine queries and can improve rankings.
Content management and marketing techniques. Content management refers to the processes involved in managing the different aspects of web site content such as keywords, backlinks, images and code. Marketing techniques refer to such things as Pay per click advertising, text link ads, banner advertising and other forms of advertisements on the site.
SEO can be a difficult process for beginners. There are so many things to think about and to understand. Many people find it difficult to hire a professional SEO company because they are so expensive. But with some SEO knowledge and practice, it can be made easier. If you want to get your website noticed by customers searching for products and services similar to your, then consider SEO.