SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO targets unpaid traffic (known as “natural” or “organic” results) rather than direct traffic or paid traffic. Unpaid traffic may originate from different kinds of searches, including image search, video search, academic search, news search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.
As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work, the computer-programmed algorithms that dictate search engine behavior, what people search for, the actual search terms or keywords typed into search engines and which search engines are preferred by their targeted audience. SEO is performed because a website will receive more visitors from a search engine when websites rank higher on the search engine results page. These visitors can then potentially be converted into customers.
Organizations employ a range of techniques to improve their website’s ranking in search results. The most common of these techniques include:
- On-page optimization refers to the improvement of a website’s content, structure, and code to make it more attractive to search engines. This may include optimizing the use of keywords, improving the readability of the content, and making the website’s code more efficient.
- Off-page optimization refers to the improvement of a website’s visibility in search engines through external factors. This may include building backlinks to the website from other high-quality websites, participating in social media, and submitting the website to relevant directories.
SEO can be a complex and time-consuming process, but it can be very effective in improving the visibility of a website in search engine results pages. By following the right SEO techniques, businesses can attract more visitors to their website and increase their online visibility.