Before the implementation of search engine optimization, we should know how search engines operate. To put this into context, we can consider our own internet search manner – how we search on internet. Whenever we want to find information about something, our first step is to utilize a search engine because it is the easiest and fastest way to get that information. When the search results are shown, we are more likely to inspect the links on the first page of search results because these links are closely connected to what we are looking for and allow us to find easily what we are looking for.
There are three types of SEO implementation methods:
1. Organic SEO: It is used to get a natural listing on organic results pages. Some methods used for organic optimisation consist of keyword research, getting backlinks to site or webpage to improve link popularity and writing content that is relevant for human readers.
2. White Hat SEO: In SEO terms, White hat SEO means use of methods that emphasis on human audience rather than search engines and completely obey search engine rules and policies. For instance a site which is SEO optimised, yet emphasis on relevancy and natural organic ranking is judged to be optimised by white hat search engine optimisation practices. Examples of white hat SEO method consist of keyword analysis, link building process to improve link popularity and writing unique and fresh content for human readers. White hat search engine optimisation mostly used by those who plan to make long-standing investment on their site. This is also called ethical search engine optimisation.
3. Aggressive SEO: Aggressive search engine optimisation means use of aggressive SEO methods that emphasis only on search engines and not a human audience. This technique usually does not follow search engine rules. Examples of Aggressive search engine optimisation method consist of keyword stuffing, invisible text and bridge pages or doorway pages. Aggressive search engine optimisation mostly used by those who are focusing on immediate profits from their site or webpages. Using Aggressive search engine optimisation techniques can ban your site from search engine listings. Aggressive search engine optimisation is also called unethical search engine optimisation or spamdexing.
SEO process first started by webmasters in 1994. At first, web experts required to submit the webpage address (URL), to various search engines. The URL would then “crawled” by “spiders” to take out links to other webpages from that webpage and this process would index that webpage with returned data. This process consist of downloading and keeping the webpage by search engine spiders on their servers, Then another program which is called “indexer” grabs various details about that webpage – how many words that webpage has and the location of these words, all the links that webpage has, Which afterwards positioned into scheduler to crawl them at a current date.
Site owners began to see their website getting high rankings in search results and getting visitors. This brought a great opportunity for SEO practitioners.
Then in 1998, “Google” launched the “page rank”. Page rank shows link quality and quantity a site or webpage has.
In the year 2000, more people started using internet and this increased the value and demand of SEO. Many online marketers began to see the impact of a good rank on selected keywords online. In the same year, “Google” launched “AdWords”, a pay per click & pay per impression advertising model for businesses, So that they can appear on top of the search results page. This advertising model made “Google” the king of advertising business on the web.
In 2002, Due to high demand, SEO became good source of income for SEO expert people. They started selling links to improve page rank of their clients site or a webpage.
By the year 2005, “Google” applied “no follow” attribute for web links to fight spam, mainly through blog comments. People rapidly noticed that an effective way to get many inbound links pointing towards a site or a webpage was exactly to place the links in the comments. By the year 2008, “Google” declared that “no follow” web links would no more pass on link juice to the site or webpage it is pointing to.
Also, “Google Analytics” was launched, which granted webmasters to gain access to whole data, offering deep understanding or insights on how and from where visitors arrived at your site or webpage, how much time did they spend on it and how many webpages they visited.
In 2010, social bookmarking became main ranking factor. It was considered that more the web link is shared, more visitors it receives and more visitors recommended it, means it shows quality and useful content.
From year 2011 to 2013, big updates have changed many rules in SEO process. At first, Panda update: It stopped sites or webpages with low quality content to get good rankings. Secondly, Penguin update: This reduced the importance of quantity of web links in the algorithm. These two recent major updates revived content marketing and writing high quality and fresh content.
HOW SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION PROCESS DONE BY WEBMASTERS NOW:
Prior to starting the process, we should follow the process for an effective search engine optimisation campaign. Before starting an effective SEO campaign we should be digital planner, social media advertiser, a content planner, conversion rate enhancer, a page rank (PR) specialist. Basic process consists of following steps:
1. Keyword Research: Keyword research is a process of indicating a group of keywords that will be utilize in the process. This step is very important and need a big amount of time to discover a good group of keyword phrases that gives a balanced mixture of two big important components: High search volume and low competition within the search engines.
Selecting the most used phrase that includes your targeted keywords is very easy. There are various online tools that permit you enter a specific keyword or keywords and which will show all the paths in which that keyword(s) was used by web searchers in the previous month and volume of the searches. However, the most searched keywords is also the ones with big competition in the search outcome pages and to get high ranking by using that keywords requires a lot of time and effort. A greater effective way is to find a set of keywords. For instance: around 10 keyword phrases that are mostly used by web searchers but they should have low competition in total number of search result pages.
Once we have selected our targeted keyword phrases, we then perform a detailed competitive inspection of topic website against its 10 big competitors. We utilise a sequence of search engine optimisation measures consist of indexed content, inbound links, Alexa rating, age of domain and social media statistics. By this process, we can provide estimates the client site’s initial position opposed to its competition.
2. Goal Setting: After gaining big insight into the client website’s initial position, we need to set the desired goals for the plan. These goals are attached to the particular business goal of the site. In the continuing progress of reporting and following up, progress related to plan goals are examined and reported. We can adjust SEO plan as per the result and findings of the progress reports.
3. Building Content: Search engines give big importance to text. We should have high quality and high volume content in sites related to topic of site or business. This is very important process and gives site a great value.
A site with high quality content of related topic provides site users a reason to stay on the website and visit that again. Above all, the main reason they visited the site was to get information. We will then receive more advantage by giving precisely what the search engines want from us – content. By writing more content they will have more information about business or services and that will directly have a positive effect on site ranking for related keywords.
4. On Page Optimisation (On Page SEO):
• Web Page Titles: We need to make sure that site title should show something else than company name or just a welcome. We should use our main targeted keyword in the title of that webpage first followed by company name.
• Navigation Using Text: Search engines unable to read images. If website’s navigation system has lots of images, we will then need system using text navigation so that search engines can easily read and follow to make sure that all the related sub-webpages and services of site are indexed by search engines.
• Importance Of Targeted Keywords: We can’t put targeted keywords anywhere on site or webpage. The placement of targeted keyword phrases on site also affects ranking position. Writing the first paragraph into site body with our targeted keyword gives the site more influence than writing it in the middle or end of the body of website. By using bigger font sizes and bolding the text enhances its value and gives a positive impact on site’s ranking for that keyword phrase.
• Creating A Site-Map: Creating a site map consists of list of all the links to all the pages of our website. By placing a text-based link to the site-map on the homepage of site is good way to ensure that all the pages of site are indexed by search engines when they visit site.
• Using Meta And Alt Data: Meta tag is the code contained in the upper section of our website code. They represent the sites or webpage topic or subject and its importance to the search engines. The short description of sites that we see on search results pages is derived from meta description tag of home page and used for site’s benefit.
5. Social Media And Link Building Process:
• Social Media Sharing: Sharing online via social media gives golden opportunity for businesses. Many online marketers are using social medial to the larger scale. In this process, we develop a social media presence for businesses or companies by creating social media profiles to share their site’s content so that they can attract more visitors and customers.
• Creating Backlinks Or Inbound Links: Every link with high-quality pointing to site enhances its value and ranking. Search engine notice links pointing to webpage every time when it refreshes. If links pointing to your site are from high quality sites, search engine gives more ratings to your site and rewards the website accordingly by increasing its value and ranking. We can always monitor site link popularity by using various free tools available online. We can also use Google Webmaster Tools to check backlinks or inbound links pointing to site.
6. Reporting: Reporting should be done at regular interval after the execution of SEO campaign. We should monitor and compare site ranking, site traffic and other key elements before, between after executing SEO campaign which will help to reach desired goal.
We can use Google Analytics tool to monitor the unique and regular visits to a site or webpage. We can also gain insight from where or which part of the world visitors are arriving to site or webpage.
We can also check ranking and page rank of site by using various free tools available online. For instance: Majestic SEO.
7. Time Period: Search engines can take some time to index a site and to change its ranking. Some search engines can take 2 weeks to 1 month and some search engines can take 2 – 6 months.
