What is SEO and How Can It be improved?

What is SEO?

SEO stands forĀ Search Engine Optimisation, making online content rank higher when people search for products and services (ranknr1.no). Since more and more companies have started to embrace digital marketing, the need to understand SEO and how it works has become even more important.

Companies use SEO as a marketing strategy to improve the quantity and quality of organic traffic to their websites, generating quality leads.

History of SEO

The need for SEO started soon after the first website was introduced to the world in 1991 by Tim Bernes-Lee (https://www.ranknr1.no/sokemotoroptimalisering.html). As the number of websites increased, there was a need for order, and that is how SEO was born!

Difference Between SEO and paid Advertising

SEO must not be confused with paid advertising. While paid ads yield fast results, SEO is for the long term.

Why is SEO important

People trust organic search results, and since most search engine users do not go past the first page, ranking on the first page will mean you get more clicks. More clicks result in increased brand awareness.

How does SEO work

Search engines use bots that crawl websites to find and index information to determine how best it is suited to give the user what they are looking for based on their search queries.

How to Improve SEO

  • Keyword placement– Include keywords throughout your content. For your content to rank better on search engines, your keywords should appear in the title tag, the first 100 words of the page, and in the alternative text(ALT text).
  • Use of Alt Text- Alt text describes your images and videos that help your page visitors understand your images and videos better. Using alt text helps search engine bots to understand the images and videos even when they cannot be seen.
  • Use the right URL– some URLs are considered more SEO-friendly than others. Just like page titles, page URLs help provide users and search engines with page descriptions. Pages with short, static URLs that use keywords separated with hyphens rank better on search engines than those that do not.
  • Use enough text– studies have shown that lengthier content ranks better on search engines than shorter content. Define your aim and identify your target audience, then provide them with as much information as you can on any given topic that you have chosen.
  • Quality Relevant content -Avoid keyword stuffing. Present yourself as an authority on the subject you are writing on. If you are not an authority yourself, you can always invite guest writers. Quality relevant content intended for users and not search engines will keep the users on your website longer, and they will want to click on your links (https://www.ranknr1.no/seo-byra.html). Use long-tail keywords, also known as keyword phrases, that target how a user would search for content.
  • Manage Internal and outbound links. Linking to authority websites makes you seem more credible, which in turn raises your ranking in SEO.
  • Regularly update your content- Websites that are constantly updated with new information will have a better SEO ranking.

Getting to understand what SEO is and how it works will help you improve your website’s quality and quantity of traffic. High traffic to your website means increased exposure for your products and services, increased brand awareness, and the formation of new relationships, all of which are important for any business.