The Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a marketing practice that’s focused on growing organic traffic from search engines. The term SEO encompasses a vast array of onsite and offsite techniques that aim to enhance search engine visibility. This guide will help to serve anyone who is interested in learning how to grow their own search engine visibility.

Search engines operate by creating advanced algorithms that attempt to serve up their users with the most accurate links imaginable. People use keywords to search, however more recently questions or complete sentences have been used. A search engine compares the search query with its indexed database of websites to determine which website contains the best answer.

SEO Denver begins with on-page techniques. Every website should have what’s called ‘indexable content’, which means content that can be scanned and stored in a database. Websites that are strictly Flash, Java or video will not be capable of indexing their pages properly. Instead, all websites should have a text-based element to them, such as a transcript for videos, to aid search engines in their discovery.

Another on-page element is that all of the web pages are linked to within the content. If a piece of content is not linked to anywhere on the website, the search engine won’t know it exists. For those business owners using a pre-built content management system, such as Wordpress, linking systems are already built in to make the site search engine friendly.

Keyword usage throughout the website is yet another on-page technique that every website owner should take advantage of. Without using the right keywords throughout the website, search engines will be unable to determine what the website is about. However, it’s worth noting that cramming the websites with keywords will actually harm the search engine ranking. Use the keyword within the content naturally a few times, and that will be sufficient.

Title and meta tags, two elements of the web pages’ script, play an important role in SEO. They should be filled out and contain a readable, yet keyword rich, account of what’s on the website. Ideal meta and title tags will discuss what the website is about in a way that benefits search engines.

Most of what a website owner can do is on-page, however, there are some off-page techniques that will enhance search engine ranking. Reach out to websites that are within the same industry and ask them for a backlink. With enough outreach and persistence, backlinks will be earned and the website will grow in the search engine results pages.