Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is about helping search engines (Google) understand and present your website’s content. The ultimate goal of SEO is to achieve the top position in Google’s search results so that as many visitors as possible who are searching for information, services, or products end up on your site. SEO involves optimizing websites and content so that they appear as high as possible in Google’s search results. All of this happens organically, without paid Google advertising.
I test SEO ideas on my flower blog Slow Flower Garden.
Why optimize for search engines?
Google is still the most important platform where a business or brand can be visible. When people want to buy something, they usually want to research and compare products or learn more about a topic before making a purchase decision. Often, they turn to Google to find more information about the topic or product. If your website is in the top 3 search results, there is a good chance that the user will end up on your site to view the product or read more about it. SEO helps your site to be in top positions when the user is making a purchase decision.
SEO is a slow and long-term effort. You can quickly buy a place in Google’s top positions with Google Ads. However, Google Ads prices rise year after year, and this can become expensive. Therefore, it is important that your website is SEO-optimized so that some visitors come to your site “for free,” keeping the overall cost of customer acquisition from becoming too high.
How to optimize for search engines?
SEO is an ongoing process where you continuously improve your website so that your desired page appears on the front page and in the top three positions in Google’s search results. The most important thing in starting SEO is, in my opinion, to get the basics right from an SEO perspective, and then build and improve the site from there. Here are the most important things to start with:
1. Perform a keyword analysis
Consider what kind of keywords your target audience is likely to use when searching for your product or service. Use search engine tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords and their search volumes. Also, research the keywords your competitors are using in Semrush or Ahrefs to see which keywords they rank high for in Google search.
2. Map the keywords
Group similar keywords from your keyword analysis together. Decide which keywords belong on the same page, and choose which page on your site should rank for these keywords. Create pages for keywords that don’t yet have a suitable page. Choose the most important keywords for your site that you want to rank for on Google.
3. Check ‘keyword intent’
Review your keywords and the types of content that rank in the top positions. Does the user want to buy a product with that keyword, or do they want to get more information about the product or topic? Do they just want to find the right site, or are they looking for a specific brand? Create a page that matches the keyword intent.
4. Create the best content in the world
Create the best content and page for that keyword, so that you deserve to get the first position on Google. Improve the content on an existing page by adding an SEO title, keywords to the pages, and new content about the topic.
5. Track keyword ranking progress
Track the progress of your keyword rankings with rank tracking tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Wincher, so you can see how the changes and improvements you make to your site affect the keyword rankings.
6. Create an easy-to-understand site structure
Build your site’s structure so that Google understands it and knows which are the most important pages on your site. The rule is that a more important keyword should be higher up in the site structure, and a less important one lower down.
7. Create content hubs by linking pages together
Link your content around a specific theme together so that Google understands what content hubs your site has and the themes on which you are an expert.
8. Ensure Google can read your pages
A site may look well-optimized, but in reality, it might use JavaScript, such as React or Angular, which makes the source code difficult to read. Google can read these to some extent, but it is better at reading simple pages where all content is clearly written in the HTML source code. Check in Search Console and with Cache searches that Google can read your page, and that Google sees the same thing we see when looking at the site.
9. Ensure E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T refers to the concept of “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness” (E-E-A-T). Ensure that your site has experts with first-hand experience and everyday expertise. Make sure your site is reliable and visible on other sites. Ensure you are a trustworthy source with experience on the topic so that Google dares to show your site high in the search results.
10. Build links
The importance of external links in rankings is still one of the most important ranking factors. Buying links is not legal in Google’s eyes, and Google can penalize you by excluding your site from Google’s search results. You can build links organically using different SEO tactics and earn links. Google also likes this and rewards better rankings.
Measuring SEO
The results of SEO can be measured in many ways, the most important being: the ranking of important keywords on Google, organic traffic to your site, and organic sales or leads.
In SEO, everything always affects everything. Sometimes a change made on the site is easy to see in rank tracking tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Wincher, and the result is visible immediately as the keywords climb up. Sometimes the change is not immediately visible, and you continue optimizing the site, creating more content, and testing new things. Sometimes what you do produces results only later, and you can’t always know exactly what caused the rankings to climb. It can also be many things together that improved the rankings. SEO requires long-term work to deserve the first position on Google, and competition is tough.
Summary
SEO can bring free traffic to your site by ranking higher in Google’s search results. SEO is also an ongoing process where you improve your website so that the desired page appears high in Google search results. This happens through keyword analysis, linking content hubs, and E-EAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). The results of SEO can be measured, for example, by the ranking of important keywords in Google search results, organic traffic to the site, and organic sales or leads. It is important to remember that SEO is slow and long-term work, but it can earn visibility with good rankings on Google.
Sources
Björkskog, J. (2018, November 25). 12 Rules for SEO. Jonathan Björkskog. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://jonathanbjorkskog.com/12-rules-for-seo/
Björkskog, J. (2015, February 6). Sökmotoroptimering. Growth Marketing. Updated February 23, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://jonathanbjorkskog.se/soekmotoroptimering/
Google Search Central. (n.d.). Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide. Google Search Central. Last updated March 21, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide
Makosiewicz, M. (2023, March 6). E-E-A-T Is the New E-A-T. What the New “E” Means for SEO. SEO Blog by Ahrefs. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://ahrefs.com/blog/eeat-seo/
Ray, L. (2022, December 15). E-E-A-T and Major Updates to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines. Search Engine Land. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://searchengineland.com/google-search-quality-rater-guidelines-changes-december-2022-390350
Southern, M. G. (2022, December 15). Google E-E-A-T: How to Demonstrate First-Hand Experience. Search Engine Journal. Last updated March 6, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-e-e-a-t-how-to-demonstrate-first-hand-experience/474446/