What Is SEO? Search Engine Optimization Explained Simply
Your website is up and running, but you’re still missing visitors? Then it’s time for some fine-tuning with SEO – because this is the only way to realise the full potential of your website! SEO is just as relevant today as it was a few years ago, only the algorithm has learnt something new. And that’s a good thing. Because this is the only way search engines can ensure that users get the best search results.
WHAT IS MEANT BY SEO?
The abbreviation “SEO” stands for “Search Engine Optimisation”. Content should be created in a way that is easy for search engines and users to read and tailored to the target group in order to ensure a better position (also known as ranking) in the search results. A technically and structurally optimised website also contributes to this. Whether text, image or video – everything that can be found via search engines can be optimised.
To put it simply: SEO is the implementation of optimisation measures that serve to make a website and its content appear as high up as possible in the search results of Google, Bing and the like. Thanks to strong positioning in the various search engines, it is possible to pick up potential customers in the first phase of the customer journey. Optimisation also has a positive long-term effect on the ranking.
WHAT IS A CUSTOMER JOURNEY?
The customer journey describes the customer’s journey from the first contact to the purchase of a product or a comparable action such as registration, making contact or similar. All touchpoints of the customer with the brand, product or service up to the target action (conversion) are taken into account.
However, in order to fully understand SEO, it is first and foremost important to understand how a search engine actually works.
WHAT IS SEO?
There are algorithms behind every search engine. If someone searches the internet for one or more keywords, websites whose content contains these keywords appear in the search results. The search engine sorts the texts on these or similar topics so that the websites with the most potentially relevant content are displayed at the top. And we know that search results that are particularly high up are more likely to be seen and therefore clicked on more often.
It is therefore a basic requirement of every SEO text to find the right keyword(s). If your text content does not contain suitable keywords, the algorithms cannot assign the content to the relevant search queries – and so your website becomes invisible to searchers. However, the goal is exactly the opposite: to become more visible. To make this possible, website texts should be provided with target group-orientated keywords, which can be determined with thorough keyword research.
Google uses several algorithms and has left its competitors far behind. The algorithms are becoming increasingly complex as new factors are added. In addition to content, link structures, formatting and trustworthiness are also included in the evaluation. In addition to the search terms, Google also takes into account the location of the web user and their search settings when answering search queries. Other factors include the relevance of the website, the expertise of sources and the topicality of the content. Thanks to the algorithms, the search process therefore takes place over several stages. However, Google remains silent about the exact structure and operation of the individual algorithms in order to prevent abuse. However, the Google guidelines (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials?hl=de) provide a good indication of what is required for successful SEO.
HOW CAN THE RANKING BE IMPROVED THROUGH SEO?
SEO is complex and can be divided into sub-areas. Ultimately, these should all be kept in view in order to be able to implement overall measures. Activities and measures for improvement can take place directly on your own site (on-page SEO) or outside your own site (off-page SEO).
ONPAGE OPTIMISATION
All measures that take place on your own website.
Examples: Page content (text, image & video), loading speed, mobile friendliness or similar
OFFPAGE OPTIMISATION
All measures that take place outside of your own website.
Examples Link building (building high-quality backlinks
The success of SEO can be measured using a variety of key figures. The click-through rate (CTR), for example, shows how many users who were shown the website actually visited it. The bounce rate, on the other hand, shows which users leave the website after visiting a page. The more satisfied the users are, the longer they stay on the website. Short dwell times can thus be attributed to the quality of the page, while backlinks make the website appear more relevant and of higher quality. Factors for this are valuable content, website speed, website layout and, of course, user-friendliness. There are numerous (also free) SEO tools on the web for optimisation and measurability!
THE BENEFITS OF SEO
A well-thought-out strategy helps to make the website visible in Google searches in the long term, because the biggest advantages of search engine optimisation are sustainability and durability. Although organic rankings can change, it is easy to react to them. The performance of the website can be easily monitored and controlled with the right tools.
Another advantage is that SEO is free, because unlike paid adverts, website owners do not pay when users click on an organic search result.
The disadvantage of SEO is that it takes some time for results to appear. Depending on the topic and competition, it may take several months of work before the website achieves a better ranking.
AND WHAT EXACTLY IS SEA?
While SEO deals with organic traffic, so-called “search engine advertising” works somewhat differently. Here it is possible to buy keywords that fit well into the offer, but do not achieve a good ranking, for a better placement. Some keywords are more popular than others and are therefore “auctioned” by Google. With the help of the Google AdWords system, suitable keywords plus current bid prices can be identified. The keyword triggers an advert if it matches or is related to the search query. The link to the website is therefore also labelled as an ad. The website owners only pay if users click on the advert, not if the advert is only displayed.
Accordingly, SEA delivers results quickly: the reach of the advertised website increases enormously. However, as soon as payment is stopped, the reach quickly collapses again.
SEO
VS.
SEA
SEO VS. SEA
Whether SEO or SEA – both strategies basically follow the same strategy, but are different in terms of execution and success. SEO is considered a long-term process, while SEA is seen as a short-term measure.
By combining both approaches, you ensure balanced marketing of your online offering – this method is called SEM, by the way! SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing and encompasses all areas of search engine marketing that aim to make companies more visible online.
Search engine optimisation can ensure the long-term success of websites and pays off over the years. Anyone who finds the effort too great or who has difficulty developing such a strategy themselves is certainly in good hands with a professional – especially as it is usually a one-off investment that pays off for companies of all kinds.
