Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
If you have looked into website development in the past, chances are you have heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)…
In recent years, this crucial element of any great website has become a buzz-phrase. I am by no means downplaying the importance of SEO, but how many sources actually describe what SEO really is? Unless you are a web developer, you most likely do not understand this term. Let’s fix that!
SEO refers to any process that maximizes the number of visitors a website receives. This definition seems quite ambiguous… Well, that is because SEO is ambiguous! When a developer promises to perform SEO procedures, he or she can mean a lot of things (and it is not usually the best things…)
Alright, so now we understand the broad definition of SEO we can explore some of the procedures further.
The process of using relatable keywords is simple. When writing paragraphs of content on your website, simply maximize the use of related words. This is the minimum amount of work necessary for a website developer to promise SEO.
Consider the scenario that I own a restaurant that exclusively sells hamburgers… In this instance, I would not want my website to feature language that would align with a barbershop.
(all of my websites feature optimal keywords, regardless of if you pay for SEO or not)
When you make a Google search, such as “places to eat near me,” there are some moving parts happening in the background that you may not be aware of.
Google does not simply scan for businesses in the area through an external database — that would be very inefficient. Instead, Google allows businesses to submit their credentials to its business database. This database is responsible for business listings on Google.
Being listed on Google is critical to being recognized in searches.
Making sure your website is running as fast as possible is vital in being seen as favorable to search engines (such as Bing or Google).
This simple fact is the case because search engines must “crawl” through each webpage. If your webpage is slow or unresponsive, these search engines will not prefer to share your site with others.
Would you advocate for an aggravatingly slow website? Then why should Google or Bing advocate for one?
(all of my websites are in the top tier of Google PageSpeed Insights scoring).
This is an advanced topic, so let’s keep it as simple as possible. SSL is a protocol adapted by web browsers that establishes secured links between nodes (computers). If your website does not have SSL enabled, search engines will not prefer your website over others that do.
(all of my websites come with SSL, as I choose hosting providers that have this enabled).
Google Search Console is a tool utilized by web developers that allows them to control the indexing and visibility of their websites. This tool is one of the most important for SEO.
The console will provide feedback to the developer on SEO scoring and usability of the website. Also, the console can manually crawl/index your website.
