What is search engine optimization? SEO for beginners

If you want to be successful on the internet, your website needs to be able to be found. As a website owner, you want your site to rank as high as possible in the search results and this is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. We have summarized the basics of SEO in this article.

What is search engine optimization?

Search engine optimization, (SEO), has been one of the most important branches of online marketing for years now. The basic principle is very simple. You optimize your content for users and search engines and in return are rewarded with good rankings in the search results. As a result, your website will be found more easily by users, and it will get a lot more attention.

While the aim of search engine optimization is to achieve a good position in the organic search results, search engine advertising (SEA) ensures a high position in the inorganic search results by placing paid ads. Both areas are disciplines of search engine marketing (SEM).

What is the aim of SEO?

The main aim is to get your site, whether it is an online shop, blog (check out our article on blog SEO) or a different portal, to rank as high as possible in Google’s organic search results. Website owners aim to optimize their site for relevant search terms (keywords) depending on the site’s content. If you are selling women’s purses, search terms such as “buy women’s purses online”, “cheap women’s purses” or similar keywords are of interest. If your site is positioned quite high up in the search results, it increases the chances of potential customers clicking on your site.

Advantages and disadvantages of SEO

One of the biggest advantages of search engine optimization is the very good cost-benefit ratio. The high positioning on Google is not bought, but achieved through good optimization. To obtain this, a lot of work and cost have to be invested, especially if you have to learn the basics of SEO first. Compared to keyword advertising with Google Ads and similar services, however, the financial implications are relatively small. If Google realizes that customers and readers often visit the site, buy products, and recommend the shop to others, your site will start to build an online reputation, which in turn increases your ranking.

An additional advantage is that using numerous SEO tools makes it possible to not only control and monitor your own success, but also that of your competitor, while simultaneously receiving helpful tips from them. Tools like SISTRIX and Searchmetrics provide a detailed analysis of your competitor.

There are also disadvantages when it comes to SEO. One is that you are dependent on Google. An SEO strategy that is currently working could end up not being as successful when the next algorithm update takes place. Building a reputation can be a long process that can take weeks or months, so it is difficult to calculate how much time and money will be spent. Paid ads show results within a few hours or days. If you stop SEA, the visibility of your site will quickly decrease again. Search engine optimization, however, is a very sustainable discipline with a long-term effect.

On page and off page SEO basics

SEO is divided into two large sections: on page optimization and off page optimization. On page SEO is more about the design and quality of the site itself. Off page SEO is about what happens outside your website.

On page optimization

On page SEO refers to the measures that can be carried out on your website. This means that the responsibility lies in the hands of the website owner. It focuses primarily on content adjustment; structural and technical components also play a part.

The most important areas of on page optimization:

1. Content: The aim is to create content that is unique, topic-relevant, and of high quality. Duplicate content or even plagiarism should be avoided.
2. Keywords: A comprehensive keyword strategy is essential for successful SEO. When using keywords, make sure to use synonyms and always write for the reader’s benefit, not for Google crawlers.
3. Structure: Just optimizing content is not enough; the structure also has to look appealing. Using titles, subtitles, paragraphs, and lists can increase readability for the customer as well as for Google.
4. Multimedia content: Texts, images, videos, and graphics also belong to content that’s placed on a website. Interactive content ensures visitors stay longer and it increases the interaction rate. In order for Google to be able to read these elements, file names, titles, and image and video alt texts should also contain keywords.
5. Metadata: Metadata, or meta tags, provide information that can be read by browsers and search engines. The most important attributes for on page optimization are title and meta description.
6. Link structure: Internal links do not just benefit the reader, they also benefit Google by helping it navigate a website. When optimizing a website’s internal link structure, it is recommended to keep the length of the click path as short as possible.
7. Technical: Another component is technical website optimization, which also includes the use of search engine-friendly programming. Long loading times, failures or errors in the code do not sit well with Google.

Off page optimization

Off page SEO combines all measures indirectly relating to a website, especially signals that originate from external sites. When site A is linked to site B, site B’s reputation should, as a rule, increase. It is important for Google to know how relevant or popular a ranked site is. Backlinks and references to other sites or on social media are therefore important factors for a position in the search results.

The most important areas of off page optimization:

• Linkbuilding: Backlinks are among the most important ranking factors, which explains why backlink building is a big part of off page optimization. Backlinks are used to measure the popularity of a site. It is not just about quantity, but also the quality of the links.
• Social signals; Social signals refer to all signals from social media, like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Google+. Positive signals, such as likes, shares and comments, are also relevant. Companies that actively use social media are usually rewarded with more attention, increased visitor numbers, and customer loyalty.