When discussing search engine optimization, you may often come across different ideas about what search engine optimization (SEO) really is. One confuses it with search advertising, the other with programming. The third assumes that optimization is mainly about adding meta keywords. And a fourth one thinks it is pure mysticism.
Search engine optimization is basically the development of the technical features and content of an online service to ensure that the search engine both knows and can place the online service in relevant search results.
The importance of search engine optimization
Worldwide, billions of searches are made using the Google search engine every day. Users actively search for information, comparing products and services using search engines. With purchasing behavior becoming more and more focused on digital environments, companies, almost regardless of industry, must be a part of the development – preferably ahead of it.
The first page of Google’s search results gets around 90% of all clicks on search results. Search results in positions 1–3 take up to 50% of this traffic.
In search engine optimization, the ability to understand both people’s use and Google’s requirements for the content to be found is crucial. Before a search engine can bring a person to a company, the company must make the search engine aware of its presence.
Successful search engine optimization increases the digital market share, i.e., the visibility of the company online compared to competitors, as well as the share of the total audience potential.
…Search Engine Optimization in practice?
Search engine optimization requires above all an understanding of the technical characteristics of online services and the ability to produce high-quality content. Since search engine optimization also requires a comprehensive understanding of the operating principles of Google’s search engine, it demands constant monitoring and skill development.
As with any marketing measures – including search engine optimization – the business goals guide the activities. Search engine optimization can be used to effectively reach buyers in the consideration and selection phase, without forgetting to arouse interest and interaction before the purchase decision.
The core of search engine optimization is to understand the search behavior of the target group. This requires a precise definition and knowledge of the target group.
Who are our potential customers?
What problems or questions are they looking for a solution to?
How do we address the target group in such a way that they not only move from the search results to our online service, but also act how we want them to when they meet our online service?
The secret heroes of search engine optimization
Teknisk SEO-revision
In order to create visibility on a search engine, first it is necessary to ensure that the search engine can analyze and understand the topic, content and structure of the online service. Search engine bots analyze numerous online services every day, and based on the data they collect, Google’s algorithm places sites in the search results. Therefore, Search Engine Optimization should always start with a careful audit of the technical features of the online service.
In the technical audit, we examine what kind of challenges related to the technical implementation the site has and how they can be corrected. For example, whether search engines can read the site’s content or whether they get lost in the middle of the journey. Additionally, you also need to study the download speed of the online service.
If the bots can’t analyze the site or a web service loads too slowly, human users will have the same experience. And another web service will likely be ranked before yours.
Once it has been ensured that the technical characteristics of the online service are not an obstacle for the development of search engine visibility, one can proceed step by step to develop the multidimensional puzzle of search engine visibility.
Keyword research
When you want to achieve concrete results with search engine optimization, keyword research is a necessary step. By combining different tools and knowledge of the target group, keyword research aims to find out what users type into the search engine and what they want to find with these searches.
It is of course positive if the pages are clicked on, accompanied by keywords. The joy is dampened if the visits do not develop as hoped. Words and phrases must maintain a connection to both the company’s business and people’s online behavior. Conversion can suffer if you solely focus on increasing arrivals to the website.
Although the keywords of the online service are important, they should not be cemented. Regular monitoring shows what works. Of course, you can get help from machines in the task, but the choices and analysis are the work of humans.
Søgemaskine- og brugervenlig indholdsproduktion
Søgemaskiner stræber efter at tilbyde brugeren indhold, der matcher enhver søgning så godt som muligt. Derfor er det essentielt at udvikle indhold strategisk, så det matcher søgningerne bedst muligt og viser brugerne det, de leder efter.
Ved at analysere de højtplacerede søgeresultater opført med de valgte søgeord, er det muligt at finde ud af, hvilken slags indhold, der skal til for at optimere hvert emne. Herefter undersøger man, om sit eget website allerede har indhold, der passer til emnet, eller om der skal skrives en helt ny tekst.
Ved at forstå målgruppens behov kan der skabes indhold, der besvarer deres spørgsmål og tilbyder løsninger på deres problemer. Jo mere præcist indholdet svarer på brugerens søgning, jo større sandsynlighed er der for, at brugeren bevæger sig fra søgeresultaterne til websitet– og dermed, kommer tættere på at afslutte søgningen.
Hvis en bruger afslutter sin søgning efter besøg på et website, ser søgemaskinen det som et positivt signal for søgemaskinen, og derfor vil websitet blive placeret højere i søgeresultaterne i fremtiden.
Thanks to Schema Markup…
…the online service can be placed higher in searches in many ways. Schema Markup, also known as structured data, is a code that describes elements on your page in a language that the search engine fully understands. From the schema, information is also drawn into rich results, in which Google presents the searched matter directly in the search results.
Schema helps Google to better understanding the structure of the web service. The content of the schema must be strictly aligned with the content of the online service, otherwise the search results will suffer.
Off-site SEO – external Search Engine Optimization
A company’s position on the web is not only determined by its own online service. Since the search engine wants to provide its users with the most relevant and appropriate information, it also evaluates the site’s reliability in many ways.
One of the most significant factors here is how many other online services refer users to your online service. The algorithm interprets external links pointing to the online service in such a way that the online service is also recommended from the outside and thus it must be relevant and reliable.
Companies seeking consumers’ attention can also greatly benefit from the Google Business Profile service. It can be used to achieve local and more effective visibility when people are doing area-related searches. And when the consumer has completed his purchase, it is appropriate to encourage the user to share his experience. Independent reviews appeal not only to people but also to the search engine.