SEO

SEO is the process by which a given web page obtains organic traffic by appearing on a search engine's page during a customer's search. SEO is how you optimize your site to pop up on Google when potential buyers search for your goods or services.

SEO is a complicated and intricate tool. The basics are easy, but mastering it can be challenging. No one for sure knows how SEO works — that's a well-kept secret by search engines. Generally speaking, though, SEO works by evaluating a page's content and determining its relevance to a search term. It takes all types of content — headers, copy, keywords, meta titles, meta descriptions, images, alt text, videos, and more — and compares it to the number of visitors, time spent on the page, backlinks, interlinks, and other traffic factors. Within this algorithm, a ranking system is devised that determines if your page or a competitor's is more likely to appease a search engine user's search query. Overall, you can think of SEO as the processes that improve your site's ability to be indexed, crawled, and ranked (or gain prominence).

SEO tools are the methods used to analyze and optimize a site. Some of them are simple and free, like Google Analytics, which gives you insight on your pages. Others require SEO knowledge or paid subscriptions for professionals to use. These tools help growth specialists find keywords, format headers, determine meta titles and descriptions, and even name image files — all to boost your brand.

SEO is the difference between you or a competitor reaching a customer first. When brand loyalty hasn't yet been established, SEO brings your company to the top of the page to encourage a buying decision made with you in mind. Additionally, SEO is organic and unpaid. That means that updating your site's copy, header, and meta descriptions can have the same, if not more, benefits as paid options like advertisements.

The results of SEO aren't overnight, and that's for good reason. It takes time for Google to crawl every web page, compare it to existing ones, and give it a ranking based on a user's search. Professionals agree it takes between four to six months to see SEO results, but don't let that number discourage you! As your site begins to rise, you can continue tweaking and optimizing it so that growth is consistent.