Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing pursuit that strives to make content more pertinent for Google’s search algorithms. While the details vary widely between industries and companies, most fundamentals remain consistent.
Search engines first scan the web using crawlers, then store this information in massive databases known as indexes for future reference. Finally, they serve up results based on search intent.
Crawling
Crawling is the initial stage in search engine discovery and understanding, and providing searchers with relevant results. Crawling involves an intricate system allowing search engines to easily locate web pages connected by links – and the more easily your site can be crawled the higher its ranking will likely be.
Google must determine how to prioritize which pages it downloads and indexes to make its algorithms efficient in accessing and indexing it all. The Web is vast, so even its largest search engines only cover a fraction of publicly available content. As a result, its algorithms must determine how best to prioritize those they index for downloading and indexing.
Crawlability is one of the cornerstones of SEO; this refers to a search engine robot’s ability to explore your site and read its content. Crawlability plays an integral part of search engine optimization as without it your pages would never be discovered by searchers and appear in their results pages. One way of improving crawlability is implementing a sitemap.
Indexing
Indexing, or any search engine optimization technique, helps search engines discover, crawl, index, understand and match your content with searcher’s intent – an essential step towards attaining high search engine rankings.
Search engines such as Google work by analyzing user queries and using their database of indexed pages to present results that best meet them. Keywords are then used to index pages and find relevant information.
An index in a relational database is an organized copy of data from a table designed for quick searches. An index reduces the amount of rows a query must traverse during execution; typically containing keys that map search terms with data on disk. Utilizing an index can reduce query response times up to 90%.
Ranking
Search engine optimization (SEO), is a set of techniques used to increase a website or page’s visibility on a search engine results page (SERP). SEO techniques may include both technical and content-based techniques; while technical SEO involves making modifications to your back end site files while content-based SEO involves tweaking its contents and structure.
An essential aspect of SEO is making sure that the content you are producing is relevant to what users search for online. This requires not only reviewing keywords but also considering quality, authority and whether it addresses users’ queries effectively.
Search engines are constantly revising their algorithms to combat dubious content and ensure users receive an optimal search experience. By understanding how search rankings are determined, you can develop more engaging and useful content to increase rankings while providing your customers with a more relevant search experience.
Traffic
Search engine optimization techniques are designed to drive visitors to websites or pages through organic search results pages (SERPs). SEO services typically include comprehensive page edits, keyword research and sitemap validation – depending on your website needs, SEO may even include setting up and integrating Google Search Console – monthly status teleconferences with clients as well as analytics reporting!
Search engines aim to provide users with content that is the most pertinent, expert, and high-quality content possible when answering a search query. In order to select pages to display, search engines use an algorithm which weighs numerous factors – these could include on-page and off-page content as well as reputation, server configuration, server status configuration etc.
Gaining traffic through SERPs may seem like an ideal scenario, but this won’t do much for a business’ growth until that traffic converts into sales or other key actions like filling out forms and phone calls. That is why an effective SEO approach should focus on optimizing for conversions.