An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Part 1- What is SEO?

SEO

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Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is an evolving series of techniques to make a website, image, video, etc. appear on the first page of search engine results, depending on the keywords used.

Is that the official definition? No, but in principle, that’s the ultimate goal for marketers, web designers, public relations practitioners and anyone else. Being on the first page of search engine results is very difficult, and the competition to be on it is just as fierce. Understanding how search engines work, and what they look for in ranking websites, is crucial.

Over the next few weeks, I will detail some key features about SEO and provide free online resources for you to benefit and gain perspective from.

So how do search engines work?

Most of us are already quite familiar with search engines at the surface level. We use search engines like Google and Yahoo! on a daily basis without really understanding what goes on below the surface.

Think of a search engine as a combination of a phonebook, a map and the unfortunate individual who has to search the entire database for results. The Internet is made up of web pages, documents, videos and images in all types of formats, and search engines need something to explore all of that content.

Automated robots, conveniently named “spiders” or “crawlers,” are able to search potential results based on the keyword you type into the search bar.

Automated robots, conveniently named “spiders” or “crawlers,” are able to search potential results based on the keyword you type into the search bar. The search engine makes note of your keyword and results to store them for future searches. Therefore, it builds a series of links to be able to bring you more relevant results quicker than before. Its entire database is much like a phone book; its link system is like a map; its “crawlers” are like people searching through the information. Simple.

SEO Word Cloud

Courtesy of thinkstockphotos.com

Not quite, actually. So we now know how search engines get their results, but how do they know which are more relevant than others? Search engines have a good idea of what you are trying to search for based on the keyword you typed in the search bar, but bringing you the relevant item you are looking for requires some extra work.

In short, the more popular a website, page or document is, the higher it’ll be ranked. Popular websites and other items are deemed to offer more valuable information than other less popular choices, and the number of variables that decide their importance go well over 100. Also, the more relevant links to and from that site, document or page, the higher it’ll be ranked. Popular items have many links to and from them, and therefore, they rank higher.

In short, the more popular a website, page or document is, the higher it’ll be ranked.

Great content tailored for users, and not tailored to meet search engine ranking factors, is more likely to get you ranked than if you did it the other way. Search engines know how to find sites and documents that do not offer content meant for their users and that try to deceive their system. They get penalized in the process, and search engines make it more difficult to find those sites in the end.

This is a brief overview of how search engines operate, and I will discuss the differences between on-page and off-page SEO next time. Stay tuned!

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About Julien Demers

Communications Industry Content Manager - Public Relations major- Class of 2015
Julien is from a small town outside Quebec City, Canada, and somehow found his way to Lubbock, TX. He enjoys sports and technology, and hopes of working in the sports communications/marketing field in the Pacific Northwest.