SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the discipline, or set of techniques, that seeks to adapt to the algorithms of search engines, primarily Google, with the aim of responding to their requirements and placing one or a set of URLs in a prominent position in these search engines. The objective of applying these techniques, and therefore of positioning, is to attract qualified traffic to our website. To master this set of techniques skillfully and obtain results, it is very important to understand the fundamentals of SEO.
SEO as a starting point and a future
SEO must be understood as a continuous process of improvements and actions aimed at achieving website visits, the more qualified the better. This is a guideline we must keep in mind when making almost any change to our website.
Si vamos a escribir una nueva entrada del blog, hay que intentar que sea relevante de cara a los buscadores y usuarios.If we are going to write a new blog post, we must try to make it relevant to search engines and users.
Si vamos a detallar un nuevo servicio, debemos redactarlo de manera que responda a las necesidades de los internautas.If we are going to detail a new service, we must write it in a way that meets the needs of Internet users.
Si vamos a dotar de contenido a una categoría o producto en una tienda online, debemos pensar la forma en que las personas interesadas se acercarían a esa categoría o producto.If we are going to provide content for a category or product in an online store, we must consider how interested people would approach that category or product.
Si vamos a promocionar nuestra página por Internet, debemos valorar aquellas opciones que sean más relevantes y estén relacionadas con la temática de nuestra web.If we are going to promote our website online, we must consider the most relevant options related to the theme of our website.
This doesn’t necessarily apply to 100% of the actions we carry out, but it is important to never lose sight of it.
Despite the importance of recurring SEO actions, we must not forget that we must start thinking about SEO from the moment we begin to think about our digital project. Any decision we make during the development of the project can later affect our visibility in search engines. For example:
Choice of server: technical specifications can affect it.
This is a critical point. Although WordPress is the most common, the choice between the different templates available can make a big difference.
Choice of business name and domain: The more intuitive it is, the easier it is for search engines to understand our business.
Website layout: The arrangement of the different elements that are important for SEO, such as content or links, must be carefully considered.
Website architecture: We must design the architecture so that it is optimized for search engines, and is scalable and adaptable in the future. If we don’t take this into account, we can run into many problems.
Some of these recommendations will be detailed and explained in upcoming articles. The purpose of this post is simply to provide examples so we can see the importance of considering SEO from the very beginning of our project.
How do search engines work?
This point is very important to get a general idea of SEO and the different critical aspects that must be addressed to position a project. Although SEO is quite complex, and how search engines work is not always easy to decipher, we can establish a generic framework that gives us an idea of how they work:
Webpage and Content Crawling
Los bots o “arañas” de los diferentes rastreadores recorren las webs a través de los diferentes enlaces, y van recopilando datos sobre las mismas. En este rastreo, los bots deciden qué páginas van a rastrear, cual es el tiempo que van a permanecer en dicha página (esto se denomina Crawl Budget, o presupuesto de rastreo), o la frecuencia de las visitas. Para optimizar esta parte del SEO, y facilitar el trabajo a los rastreadores, es importante señalar qué páginas son prioritarias en nuestra web, una velocidad de carga adecuada, y una actualización de contenido frecuente.
Content Indexing
Once the crawlers have mapped the websites, the next step is to distribute all the pages through an index, based on the different factors and algorithms the search engine uses.
Information Retrieval
Once a user performs a search, the engine, through its indexes, returns a set of URLs that it considers likely to satisfy the user’s search query. Today, in addition to retrieving the information itself, it must also decide the format in which the information is presented so that it best matches the user’s search intent.
Classification
Based on the raw retrieval of the set of URLs that respond to the search, the search engine adjusts these results, optimizes them, and presents them in the most personalized way possible for the user.
Next, we’ll look at the different areas that make up the world of SEO. While each of these areas is not a watertight compartment isolated from the others, it is substantial enough to be addressed independently.
By reviewing this set of areas, we’ll have a clearer understanding of the SEO map and will therefore be able to anticipate the actions needed to position a website. Furthermore, we must keep in mind that SEO is more than a discipline; it’s a collection of disciplines. Each of these disciplines, due to their breadth and complexity, can be understood as an area of specialization. Although a medium-sized project can be completed with knowledge of all these areas, it’s always better to have specific profiles for greater optimization.
Technical SEO
This is the part of SEO related to the technical optimization of the page. It is a very broad field that covers areas such as the following:
Correct server selection and configuration
Correct CMS and template selection (if applicable)
Clean and optimized code
Keeping our database optimized for quick access and query
Limiting redirects
Correct operation on all devices
Having mobile optimizations implemented, such as AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
Checking for broken links and 404 response codes
Having a secure https website
Friendly URLs
Configuring indexing parameters in URLs
Correct implementation of Rich Snippets
Proper implementation of the Robots.txt file
Image optimization
All of these optimizations, and some that are missing, will be developed in future articles. The above presentation gives us an idea of the type of work to be done.
As we mentioned earlier, this is an area with very technical characteristics and requirements, so a professional profile focused on this area of SEO is highly recommended.
Keywords in SEO
Although not an area of SEO, this section has been included because of the importance of Keywords, also known as Keyword Search Engine Optimization (KWP), in search engine optimization. KWPs can be considered the gateway for users to our website through organic traffic. They are the mechanism that activates the SERP (search engine results page). Their study and application will determine the relationship we establish between user searches and our website content.
In general, two classification criteria can be established for KWPs:
By length: generic, middle tail, long tail
By intent: informational, transactional, navigational, geolocation, branding
Depending on our objectives and strategies, we will lean toward one type of keyword or another. The process by which we compile a list of keywords and categorize them is called Keyword Research.
Content SEO
Content is King
There’s a saying that “Content is King.” If we consider that content represents the ultimate information the user wants to know, we can affirm that this statement is true. However, the useful value of content doesn’t always correspond to its weight in ranking. For content to help with ranking, it must have several characteristics:
Original content
High-quality content that provides value
With an appropriate percentage of keywords
Engage the reader, to achieve good indicators such as bounce rates and session duration
It must contain terms semantically related to the user’s search intent
Closely related to content SEO is copywriting. This concept seeks to combine SEO knowledge and writing skills to generate texts aimed at search engine positioning. The result of this combination of writing and SEO is what is called SEO Copywriting. It has always been common for SEO specialists to not spend much time writing, while those with the most skill in writing texts have no SEO knowledge. Due to the boom in the search engine optimization sector and the increasing importance of quality content within SEO, this specific profile has developed.
The Importance of Content Planning
Just as important as good writing is establishing a strategy for the publications we’re going to create. Key aspects to this are:
Being knowledgeable about the topic we’re going to cover
Knowing the sector we’re working in
Studying the competition well
Conducting good keyword research
As a result of all this information, we’ll create an editorial calendar where we’ll specify the articles we’re going to write, their frequency, the search intentions they cover and the keywords, etc.
This editorial calendar is often closely related to blogs and periodical publications. The base texts of a website, such as services, categories, or products, are usually written once. Although we may very well update these texts over time, an editorial calendar isn’t necessary to manage them.
Link Building and Off-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO refers to the set of actions carried out outside of our website, aimed at improving our search engine rankings. Essentially, it involves gaining our website’s authority by placing links across the Internet that point to our site.
This factor is fundamental. It can be said, in 95% of cases, that without links there is no positioning. Links are the foundation of the Internet, keeping the space alive and connected. They are where users flow.
But links also act as a reference or recommendation from one page to another. This is where the crux of the matter lies. The more external links a website has pointing to itself, and the greater the authority of the page where those links are located, the greater the authority we will obtain through our link profile.
When it comes to obtaining these links, there are two main ways:
Organic Links
This is what is obtained without us having to do anything. It’s obtained simply by having good content that’s referenced. These are the highest-quality links, and the hardest to get.
LinkBuilding
The work of SEOs. Going out to find pages that want to link to yours. This can be achieved in many ways, from finding sites where you can place free links, writing on blogs, commenting on forums, exchanging links… In a future article on Link Building, we’ll expand on all these techniques and strategies.
The basics of SEO are just the beginning
This article has only given us a bird’s-eye view of SEO. It will be necessary to zoom in to detail both the challenges posed by web positioning and how to address them.
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