SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. It is a long-term marketing strategy employed to improve a website’s visibility and organic search results in google and other global search engines.
What is SEO and how does it work?
In the context of marketing and web analytics, SEO is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engine results pages (SERPs), to increase its exposure and organic traffic. The main aim of SEO is to improve the visibility of a website so that it may attract more visitors from unpaid search results.
So, how does SEO work? To improve its ranking, a website must first be indexed by a search engine. Once it has been indexed, the search engine will then use what are known as “ranking factors” to determine where the website should appear on SERPs.
There are more than 200 ranking factors used by Google, however, the main ones can be grouped into the following on-page categories:
- Content
- Links
- Technical factors
Search engine ranking algorithms are constantly changing. What worked to improve a website’s ranking last year, may no longer be effective this year. This is why it is important for website owners to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices.
SEO must be tailored to your unique needs, as no two websites are alike. Optimizing for SEO can increase web traffic, leads, and sales.
At Parse.ly, we understand the importance of SEO and offer search traffic metrics to cross reference with the data from your dedicated SEO tool. Our platform offers powerful insights into how your content performs on search, what keywords you should be targeting, and what changes you can make to improve your search traffic.
What is the benefit of optimizing for organic search?
Organic search is one of the most efficient and effective marketing channels available. It can reach a large audience at a relatively low cost and offers the opportunity to track data and ROI for your SEO efforts. Here are the top benefits of optimizing for organic SEO:
Higher click-through rates
Ranking in the top spot on search engine results pages will generally account for 30% of click-through volume. After that, CTR drops drastically. In fact, if your blog post is not ranked in the top five positions on SERPs your visibility suffers. Optimizing your site with title tags for organic SEO will help you to rank higher in search engine results pages and earn more clicks.
Cost-effective marketing
Organic SEO is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels. It doesn’t require a large budget like paid advertising, and it has the potential to reach a large audience. Once you’ve made the initial investment in SEO, you’re likely to see good ROI because you don’t have to continually spend your budget once you reach top positions.
Earning non-brand clicks
Visitors aren’t always searching for your brand specifically, but might find your site through a search for what your business offers—a broad topic or category. Take search volume into consideration as ranking can be highly competitive. Organize your content to address users simply researching the product category of what you have to offer. By ranking higher for generic or non-brand terms, you’ll draw in consumers not already aware of your brand.
Improved user experience
SEO improves the user experience of your site by making it easier to navigate and increasing the relevance of your content. This, in turn, will lead to more engaged users and higher recirculation rates. All these factors improve your organic search.
How is SEO performance measured?
KPIs or key performance indicators are what matters most when it comes to SEO success. The main ones to focus on are:
- Keyword rank: where your site appears in SERPs for certain queries
- Search traffic: the volume of users coming to your site from organic search
- Leads/revenue: the number of leads or sales generated from organic search traffic
Google Analytics and Search Console will help you track keyword ranking, and Parse.ly will help you track search traffic and leads.
When deciding on the right SEO analytics tool, look for these features:
- Ease of use: The platform should let you easily track metrics that are important to you.
- Comprehensive data: The tool should provide a complete picture of SEO performance, including keyword rankings, traffic, and leads/revenue.
- Actionable data: The tool should offer insight to improve SEO performance.
To improve your SEO performance, figure out what content works best on search and double down on it. Use Parse.ly to see which posts, topics, authors, and sections of your website bring in the most search volume.
Optimizing for SEO is a smart investment that pays off in increased traffic, leads, and revenue. With Parse.ly’s help, it’s easy to do. Request a demo today to see how we can help you supercharge your SEO.