Top 10 Fundamentals of SEO
Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a type of process that affects the visibility of a website and/or web page in natural or unpaid search results within search engines. A common concept associated with search engine optimization involves how websites and/or web pages rank in search results.
Websites and/or web pages that rank higher or earlier in search results pages are known to receive more visitors from said search engine’s unique visitors. This also applies to how frequently a website appears in search results, stemming from searches executed by unique web users.
Learning how to use search engine optimization isn’t difficult, but it can be tricky to ‘master’ for many webmasters. Here, we’re going to talk about the top 10 Fundamentals for SEO. First, however, we’re going to look behind what SEO is.
Search engine optimizations fundamentals – behind SEO
Search engine optimization doesn’t only target one form of search—it targets several. Many SEO techniques and tricks target image search, local and news search, video content search and keyword-based search, otherwise known as standard search.
The act of using SEO simply involves applying known SEO principles to a website and/or web page, which in turn, eventually improves its search ranking on organic search engine results pages. Optimizing a website using SEO, in fact, helps drive relevant traffic to a site to help increase its sales conversion rate.
Many SEO experts boil search engine optimization down to three concepts: relevance, discoverability and crawl ability. These concepts simply refer to:
- Helping the search engine understand what a website and/or web page is about (relevance).
- Informing the world wide web about your website (discoverability).
- Making the website and/or web page more accessible by search engines and users (crawl ability).
These three ‘principles’ mainly comprise many SEO strategies used on the web. From there, it’s important to develop web content that applies all three principles. When this happens, web visitors will have a reason to keep visiting certain websites and/or web pages, as the content there is not only relevant, but authoritative in nature.
Before developing authoritative – relevant and informative – content, it’s important to learn about just want the fundamentals of SEO really are.
Search engine optimization fundamentals – the 10 fundamentals for SEO
Search engine optimization is as complicated as it sounds, but it’s also relatively simple once you understand more about it. The fundamentals of SEO essentially help beginners learn more about the ‘easy aspects’ before they get right into the hard ones.
Fundamental #1: Learn keyword research.
Keyword research is considered the first step to approach in search engine optimization. This process mainly involves learning what keywords are used by your ‘target audience’ or the people you want to visit your website. After learning about these keywords, use these keywords in your site content—including the page title, the body text and the footer.
Fundamental #2: Learn more from trustworthy SEO resources.
After learning basic keyword-based SEO, it’s best to start reading more from trusted SEO experts on the web. Trusted resources always give advice about how and when to use SEO for a website and/or web page. Most, if not all, webmasters get information from SEO resources like Moz, Search Engine Land, and Google’s Head of Web Spam, Matt Cutts.
Fundamental #3: Keep your websites and web pages clean.
This merely involves building a website that’s easy for search engines to understand. If you’re building a basic website, it’s best to use standard and up-to-date HTML5 and CSS3, alongside a content management system, to create a modern website. Using CSS to handle the look of your website and HTML to handle the structure keeps both sets of code looking clean—to search engines and yourself.
Fundamental #4: Keep your site navigation and usability easy.
If visitors can navigate and actually use your website, they’ll want to come back. Clear and easy to read text links simply help people get from one page to another. It also helps search engines find pages relevant to your website, as it’s much easier for them to read.
Fundamental #5: Link build the right way.
Links are actually considered as ‘votes’ for your website by search engines. Many search engines – Google, particularly – rank websites using this as one of their criteria. As bulk link building/buying practices are frowned down upon, it’s best to build links by connecting with reputable and authoritative websites that are relevant to the content of your website.
Fundamental #6: Install analytics software on your website.
Analytics software, like the popular Google Analytics, simply inform webmasters about their site’s performance. They can help you figure out if your keywords are performing well with your target audience, which keywords actually help bring in traffic and whether your website and/or web pages are engaging enough to attract business.
Fundamental #7: Submit your information to search engines.
Although many webmasters think it’s not as common place as in the early days, search engine submission is still necessary. Submitting your website and/or web page information to search engines helps them better categorize your website amongst others already in their system. It doesn’t, however instantly lead to better page rankings.
Fundamental #8: Claim your business listing and/or site listings elsewhere.
Claiming your site and/or business listing simply helps keep your business’ and website’s appearance consistent across the web. It also helps search engines rank your website and/or web page better, since it helps position them as a more authoritative resource of information.
Fundamental #9: Keep everything in plain sight.
This goes back to keeping your website design clean and readable by search engines. A site that’s truly optimized by SEO hosts what’s known as a content hierarchy—basic keyword research, accessible content and legitimate, relevant link building.
Fundamental #10: Create quality content.
Perhaps the most important component that makes every SEO technique fall into place is creating quality content. Many high ranking sites, in fact, feature consistently updated content that’s relevant to their target audience. By crafting content that’s both fresh and interesting, you can potentially build an incredible web presence and rank higher in search engines.
