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Introduction to SEO - What is SEO

Posted by Unknown On 11:50 PM

Search engine optimization – commonly abbreviated to SEO – is the process whereby a
web site, or more specifically a web page or document, is constructed or amended in such
a way as to improve its placement in the search engine results pages or SERPs. Search
engine optimization should not be seen as an end in itself. It is a function that should be
undertaken to improve the overall commercial performance of a web site.

SEO


Good search engine optimization will ensure that a page appears higher in the search
engine results for a range of relevant, specific and valuable search terms or queries. The
simple objective of SEO is to generate more valuable web site traffic. The achievement of
a higher ranking against relevant search terms has commercial value for a web site
because it will attract more traffic than a lower ranking. In an increasingly crowded
online environment, search engine optimization is therefore a crucial online marketing
discipline.
The role of SEO is to legitimately influence the process of improving rankings. There are
few genuine guarantees of a top placement, particularly for highly competitive search
terms. Good SEO will improve a web site’s ranking across a range of selected terms.
However, any process whereby a search engine is illicitly manipulated in order to
guarantee a high placement is referred to as spamming.
The successful execution of a search engine optimization project requires skills in the
areas of analysis, research, planning, copy writing and communication. A comprehensive
search engine optimization project is divided into four interrelated phases.

1. Pre-site activities – The research and planning activities undertaken before an

existing or new site or page is actually touched or built.
 Understanding your organisation’s online business strategy
 Researching your market category, customers and competitors
 Keyword research and selection

2. On-site activities – The activities directly involved in the content and design of

web pages.

 Writing the title, description and keyword meta tags
 Writing content – Body copy, titles, image tags, outbound links that reflect and
enhance keywords.
 Building internal links – Helping the search engines navigate the site
 Site design and construction - Ensuring the web page utilizes design and code that
can be properly crawled and indexed by the search engines.
3. Off-site activities – Building a portfolio of quality inbound links to your web site.
4. Post –site activities – Analyzing and responding to site traffic and user feedback
once a web site has been optimized. Effective SEO is a continuous activity.

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