The rapidly changing world of Internet is witness to a fierce online competition among entities that have a presence on the web. As a result, each and every entity is struggling to stay afloat in the race to be visible and relevant. As the importance of digital marketing gains currency among webmasters, the good old Search Engine Optimization (SEO) methodology has, instead of going out of reckoning as some people are given to believe, become an important component of it. And before delving into the details of SEO, it is imperative to know about it and how it can help in beating competition.
What is SEO?
This methodology helps a website to gain traction by web crawler programs such that they feature high on search engine listings. As customers access websites that feature high on search engine listings, the chances of converting those ‘visits’ into ‘business’ are also high. Thus, by choosing the right keywords and placing them strategically in the content, a website can find its unique place among the mind-boggling clutter that exists on the Internet.
The right ways to go about following the SEO methodology
Making a website compliant with SEO guidelines not only improves its chances of being increasingly seen by customers but also helps in enhancing its user friendliness. The few ways SEO methodology can be applied on websites to increase their search engine rankings are as follows:
Use of right keywords: When customers search for specific pieces of information on the web they use search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, and the common words they type to get information are called keywords. Hence, while making a website SEO compliant web masters providing SEO services in India or elsewhere should ensure the inclusion of keywords that are simple, specific and relevant, and not appear as marketing jargons. For example: If a website is about distance education, it can have words or phrases such as – online education, studying online, study from home, etc.
The web crawler programs of search engines capture the content of a website into their databases, and upon being queried by customers, compare the keywords or phrases against the search queries. Thus, more the keywords in a website matches with the search queries greater are its chances of being featured high on listings.
Ensure a good load speed: The longer a site takes to load the lesser are its chances of attracting customers. Web designers and SEO services in India or elsewhere should check the load speed of individual elements such as text, images and links, and optimize the same to improve the load speed.
Keep the content constantly updated: As search engine algorithms undergo periodic updations to make them more user friendly, the content of websites should also be changed accordingly by keeping the target customers in mind. Importantly, it must be kept in mind that more diverse the links and keywords of a website are greater are its chances of featuring high on listings. Besides, the inclusion of newer keywords mirroring the changing pattern of customer queries is always helpful.
Optimise keyword density: Just filling the website with keywords does not work as the search engines can easily figure out keyword stuffing. The infusion of keywords should appear natural and logical and not forced. The content should be written in a natural style such that keywords seem to blend in easily.
SEO compliant linking: The links, outward or inward, to a website should be optimized and not ‘bought’. Search engines are very strict should the links appear as manipulative, forced or irrelevant. The SEO should ensure inward links lead to better and relevant content, as they help in increasing the Page Rank of the website.