What Is SEO? The Mystery Demystified!

What is SEO? This is a fundamental question that entrepreneurs, online marketers and webmasters must contend with in the course of their work. Consequently, they might find themselves wondering if search engine optimization is a marketing tool, a programming language or better still, if it involves them. However, people who own websites and interested in increasing visitor’s traffic cannot afford to ignore the question, “what is SEO?”

More often than not, search engine optimization is hard to understand because people construe it differently. In this regard, it means different things to different people. Moreover, SEO is a new topic and colleges are yet to embrace it as a standard concept of study, yet its bubbles with great money making opportunities.

Secondly, search engine optimization is a dynamic field and it changes from time to time. Consequently, not only is it a challenge, but an exciting field of study as well. Despite the frequent search engine optimization updates and changes, there are lots of long lasting aspects that make it easier to answer the question, “what is SEO?”

Search engine optimization depicts varieties of practices and techniques used to improve the ranking of websites in search engines. With billions of websites to sort through in milliseconds, how does a search engine like Yahoo, Bing or king Google work to rank websites following a search query? Unfortunately, anyone who understands and could distinctly explain each aspect of how search engines rank websites would not only be the smartest, but very rich. Thousands of SEO experts only understand a fraction of how search engines rank websites.

Although search engine optimization is a multifaceted concept, its cardinal aspects include the following:

1. Comprehensive keyword analysis and research
2. Analysis of competitors to understand and identify areas of opportunity
3.  Web page optimization by expertly researching keyword phrases and keywords
4. Link building and back linking through top notch content creation, publication, legitimate web partnerships and content directories.

It is thus logical to allude that SEO involves the efforts made to optimize a website, its structure and content. Moreover, it includes daily work to promote a site in search engines over time. These aspects of SEO not only take time to realize, but they are also labor intensive. Another fundamental aspect of search engine optimization that is often overlooked is the need to monitor success and make the requisite adjustments. Fortunately, through the help of tools like Bing’s webmaster portal and Google analytics, one can easily monitor SEO performance.

The indefinite need for search engine related maintenance work becomes apparent as a websites ranking improves and its traffic increases. Search engine optimization Maintenance activities include:

1. Regular keyword research
2. High quality content research, writing, publishing and promotion.
3. New, fresh and optimized webpage content
4. Regular website structure updates and changes
5. A continuous, detailed and strategic link building strategy
6. Promotion of content posts on social media sites
7. Staying up to date on every ongoing changes announced by search engines. For example, in February 2011, the release of Google panda updates affected the ranking of tens of thousands of websites globally.

Finally, launching pay per click ads, Facebook ads, writing and managing quality blog posts, press releases, social media posts, promoting online videos and promoting top quality photos are effective search engine optimization techniques. It’s my sincere hope this article has addressed some, if not all of the techniques inherent in the question, “what is SEO?”