What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
It's a set of practices and techniques that merchants use to enhance the visibility and appeal of their websites to search engines such as Google. The ultimate goal of SEO is to boost a website's ranking in search engine results, so it appears higher up when people search for relevant keywords.
Imagine the internet as a library, with each website serving as a book. When you search for something on the internet, search engines strive to present you with the most relevant and high-quality "books" upfront. SEO is like the process of organizing and improving a book so that the library (search engine) can easily find it and recommend it to people looking for information on a particular topic.
Why is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) important?
It is important because it helps your website show up higher in Google and other search engine results. When customers search for something online, they usually click on the initial few results they see. SEO acts as a tool that ensures your website is among those top results, attracting more visitors to your site. Therefore, SEO enhances the visibility and appeal of a website, enabling people to easily discover and explore what you have to offer.
This is the ideal search engine ranking you want your store to appear in.
While the idea of SEO may appear simple, it becomes more challenging when we take into consideration Google's complex algorithm. This algorithm considers hundreds of factors to decide the ranking of each page in search results, which can make SEO initially confusing and overwhelming. However, by familiarizing fundamental SEO information, one can build a solid foundation.
SEO is an ongoing process, and it may take time to see significant results. Consistency, relevance, and a user-centric approach are key to building a strong online presence and attracting organic traffic to your e-commerce store.
Classifications of SEO
When it comes to SEO, you will not see any noticeable changes in a site's appearance. This is because a significant portion of SEO does not appear visible on a site to the naked eye. Instead, SEO relies on the code running in the background of a site. When search engines like Google crawl the web, they analyze both the hidden SEO code and the visible content on pages on a website to determine its ranking in search results. Therefore, the quality of a site’s SEO code, along with how well the content aligns with it, plays a crucial role in achieving higher rankings and appearing closer to the top in web searches.
Furthermore, there are two types of SEO: on-page SEO and off-page SEO
On-page SEO
It involves actions taken on website pages to enhance their search engine friendliness. It includes optimizing content, using relevant keywords, improving page structure, and making sure a website is easy for both users and search engines to understand. This is where the Booster SEO & Image Optimizer app proves to be beneficial. With the help of the app, one can effortlessly manage all essential on-page SEO tasks with just a few clicks.
Off-page SEO
It involves activities outside of a website, like the establishment of backlinks, come into play. This means ensuring that other websites link to pages and it is a task that only humans can effectively undertake. To learn more about off-page SEO, please refer to these recommended resources. (Moz.com, Neil Patel & Backlinko.com)