Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Organic search engine optimization (organic SEO) refers to the methods used to obtain a high placement (or ranking) on a search engine results page in unpaid, algorithm-driven results on a given search engine. Methods such as boosting keywords, backlinking and writing high-quality content can all improve a site’s page rank. Black hat SEO methods, such as the use of keyword stuffing and link farming, can also boost organic SEO.

Sites using organic SEO in the truest sense will be much like organisms, meaning they will grow, expand and adapt over time in response to readers’ desires. The term “organic” refers to something having the characteristics of an organism. Although black hat SEO methods may boost a website’s search engine page rank in the short term, these methods could also get the site banned from the search engines altogether.

On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals.

On-page SEO has changed over the years, so it’s important to keep up with the latest practices. Effective onpage optimization requires a combination of several factors. Two key things to have in place if you intend to improve your performance in a structured way are analysis and regular monitoring. There is little benefit in optimizing the structure or content of a website if the process isn’t geared towards achieving goals and isn’t built on a detailed assessment of the underlying issues.

Off page SEO refers to techniques your can use to improve the position of a web site in the search engine results page (SERPs). Many people associate off-page SEO with link building but it is not only that.

In general, off Page SEO has to do with promotion methods – beyond website design –for the purpose of ranking a website higher in the search results.
Unlike On- page SEO, Off-page SEO refers to activities you can perform outside the boundaries of your website. The most important are:

• Link Building
• Social Media Marketing
• Brand Mentions

A web site that is high quality and useful is more likely to have references (backlinks) from other websites.

It is more likely to have mentions on social media (Facebook likes, tweets, Pins, etc.) and it is more likely to be bookmarked and shared among communities of like-minded users.

Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. A hyperlink (usually just called a link) is a way for users to navigate between pages on the internet. Search engines use links to crawl the web; they will crawl the links between the individual pages on your website, and they will crawl the links between entire websites. There are many techniques for building links, and while they vary in difficulty, SEOs tend to agree that link building is one of the hardest parts of their jobs. Many SEOs spend the majority of their time trying to do it well. For that reason, if you can master the art of building high-quality links, it can truly put you ahead of both other SEOs and your competition.

There are essentially three ways to navigate to a page:

1. Bookmark a page.
2. Type the full URL path into your browser.
3. Click a link.

Links account for the vast majority of web navigation. Whether in social media, search, or browsing a popular site like Reddit, odds are you’re clicking links to move from one page to another.

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing actual search terms that people enter into search engines. The insight you can get into these actual search terms can help inform content strategy, as well as your larger marketing strategy.

How to Research Keywords for Your SEO Strategy

1. Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.
2. Fill in those topic buckets with keywords.
3. Research related search terms.
4. Check for a mix of head terms and long-tail keywords in each bucket.
5. See how competitors are ranking for these keywords.
6. Use the Google AdWords Keyword Planner to cut down your keyword list.

SEO reports give an overview of how a website is performing in search engines.

Their focus is typically on domain metrics, organic traffic, and rankings. But they also highlight any work done by the SEO agency or freelancer.

Good SEO is based on planning and actually doing the work day in, day out. An SEO report is the analysis of this planning and work combo, in order to see the effects produced.

It goes without saying really: without analysing your work, how do you know it’s working?

But an SEO report isn’t just for your benefit, primarily it’s for your clients.

Without the client being sat next to you while you work, they are going to have no way of knowing what you are doing.

Usually, the report is the only way they will be able to see the work you are doing (or the effects of it at least). So an easy to digest report allows clients to vet your work and justify why they keep paying you.

An effective SEO report conveys three things:

• Progress: Not only is this the knowledge you are giving the client (why they hired you), the report should also show progress. E.g. How much you have grown their site that month? And how have you moved the needle since the last report?
• Insights: Your knowledge of things that apply directly to your client, specifically: highlighting issues and areas that still need work over the upcoming months.
• Recommendations: What you would recommend the client do to reach their goals?