What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the process of enhancing a website to improve its visibility on search engines like Google. The goal is to make the website more discoverable by potential customers who are searching for relevant products or services. This involves optimising both the structure and content of the site to ensure it's not only attractive and easy to navigate for users but also aligns with search engine algorithms. The better a site is optimised, the more likely it is to appear higher in search engine results, leading to increased traffic.
One of the key aspects of SEO is keyword research. This means identifying the specific words and phrases people use when searching online and incorporating them strategically throughout the site. Keywords play a crucial role in helping search engines understand what the website is about and matching it with user queries. Along with this, SEO includes optimising titles, meta descriptions, and alt tags for images—elements that also help search engines categorize and rank the content.
Building backlinks, which are links to your site from other reputable websites, is another important aspect of SEO. Backlinks act as votes of confidence for your website, signalling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
For local businesses, SEO goes beyond website content and extends to optimising the business’s map pack, which features in Google’s local business listings and map. This is essential for businesses that rely on local customers, as it helps them appear prominently when people search for nearby services.
The higher a website ranks in search engine results, the more visibility it gains, leading to increased traffic and, ultimately, more customers.