What is SEO and How Does it Work in 2024? (Complete Guide)
What is SEO and how does it work? SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing your website for enhanced ranking and visibility on search engines. With most internet users turning to search engines like Google to find information, products, and services. SEO is essential for businesses and website owners looking to attract organic traffic to their websites.
In this article, we’ll explore what is SEO, how it works, and best practices for optimizing your website.
Note: SEO is usually pictured to be extremely daunting, but that doesn’t have to be the case for you. With the supercharged features of our Yoast for Squarespace, you can optimize your website well enough to beat competitors digitally.
Additionally, if you’d rather watch than read, check out our video below on what is SEO.
How Do Search Engines Work?
Before we dive into the details of what is SEO, it’s essential to understand how search engines work. Search engines like Google use a three-step process to provide users with relevant search results, as outlined below:
Crawling and Indexing: Search engines utilize software known as crawlers to scan web pages and collect information. This information is stored in a database known as an index.
Ranking via an Algorithm: Once a user enters a search query, the search engine uses a ranking algorithm to determine how relevant the web pages in its index are. It takes into account various factors, including keywords, content quality, and backlinks.
Displaying on SERPs: The search engine then displays the most relevant web pages on the search engine results page (SERP) based on the ranking algorithm. Here’s how to check the rank for your website.
SEO has three main branches, including on-page, off-page, and technical SEO. We’ll be covering these in detail, and answering what is Google SEO.
What is On-Page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to the optimization of elements on your website that affect search engine ranking.
Here are the four major aspects of on-page SEO:
Content Optimization: Creating high-quality, engaging, and relevant content is essential for on-page SEO. Research by Hubspot shows that companies that upload blogs enjoy a 55% boost in traffic, 97% more backlinks, and a 434% increase in search engine-indexed pages. Hence, if you decide to blog on Squarespace, ensure you’re only uploading valuable content.
Meta Tags: Meta tags, including title tags and meta descriptions, provide information about your web pages to search engines and users. Stick to best practices for these, though — 150–160 characters for meta descriptions and 50–60 characters for title tags. On the bright side, you can easily catch wrongly written meta descriptions with our SEO plugin for Squarespace, so consider signing up for free today!
URL Structure: Creating user-friendly URLs that contain relevant keywords can help improve search engine visibility. See this 12-point Squarespace SEO checklist for the best recommendations.
Internal Linking: Internal linking helps search engines understand the structure of your website and helps users navigate your site more efficiently.
What is Off-Page SEO?
Off-page SEO is defined as the optimization of elements that aren’t on your website but affect search engine ranking.
The key branches include the following:
Backlinks: Backlinks from other websites are crucial for off-page SEO. The quality and quantity of backlinks affect your website’s authority and credibility. According to a survey by Backlinko, pages with backlinks from high authority domains correlate with better search engine rankings.
Social Media: Social media can help increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website. Shares, likes, and comments on social media can also signal to search engines that your content is relevant and engaging, boosting rankings.
Local SEO: For businesses that deliver services to a particular location or own a physical outlet, optimizing their website for local search can help improve visibility in local search results. An excellent way to maximize your local audience is to set up a Google My Business page.
Backlinks, in particular, are a crucial element of SEO. When we got featured in Forbes, below, this had a huge impact on our web traffic, increasing organic clicks by over 30% in 1 day!
What is Technical SEO?
What is SEO can’t be answered without diving into technical SEO - don’t be scared, it’s not as tricky as it seems!
Technical SEO refers to the optimization of the technical elements of your website that affect search engine ranking.
Here are the critical aspects of this branch of SEO:
Website Speed: A fast-loading website can improve user experience and search engine visibility. There are several reasons contributing to why your Squarespace website is slow, like poorly optimized media, custom fonts, etc. Consider using the recommended Squarespace image size, eliminate unnecessary fonts, and make other changes to improve your website’s speed.
Mobile Optimization: With a whopping 55% of internet users accessing the web via mobile devices, optimizing your website for mobile devices is more than essential.
Site Structure: A clear site structure with organized content and proper navigation can help search engines understand the context and relevance of your web pages.
What is Keyword Research?
Keyword research refers to identifying the keywords and phrases that users search for when looking for information related to your website. You can use a Squarespace SEO expert for quality keyword research.
Here are three tips to help you ensure quality keyword research:
Understand user intent: Understand why users search for specific keywords and phrases to create content that meets their needs.
Ensure proper keyword selection: Select relevant and high-traffic keywords to improve search engine visibility. Our exemplary Squarespace SEO plugin provides a selection of relevant keywords and their corresponding search volumes, so consider giving it a try!
Conduct competitive analysis: Analyze your competitors’ keywords and strategies to identify opportunities for improvement.
Measuring SEO Success
Now you know what is SEO, tracking the success of your SEO efforts is crucial to understanding how to improve and optimize your website.
Here’s how you can go about this:
Analytics Tools: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates.
Key Performance Indicators: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) like search engine rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates to measure the success of your SEO efforts.
3 Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid
Many website owners and businesses make certain SEO errors, which can hinder search engine visibility. Here are the top three you shouldn’t make:
Keyword Stuffing: Overusing keywords on your website can lead to penalties from search engines. To circumvent this, most SEO experts suggest a keyword density of no more than 2% (i.e., 20 keywords per 1,000 words).
Duplicate Content: Duplicate content can confuse search engines about what page to rank for which search term, negatively impacting ranking.
Neglecting Mobile Optimization: Failing to optimize your website for mobile devices can lead to a poor user experience and decreased search engine visibility. Mobile optimization is crucial, considering a staggering 6.92 billion people own smartphones today.
That’s not all, though; when you adhere to these 30+ Squarespace SEO tips, you can circumvent several other SEO errors.
What’s the Future of SEO?
As search engine algorithms and user behavior continue to evolve, the future of SEO will likely see increased use of artificial intelligence, voice search, and video optimization. So, we recommend getting accustomed to these trends.
Likely, this will call for another “what is SEO” blog in the future!
What is SEO - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to the optimization of elements on your website that affect search engine ranking. In contrast, off-page SEO refers to the optimization of elements on your website that also affect search engine ranking, such as backlinks and social media.
How long does it take to see results from SEO efforts?
It can take several months to see results from SEO efforts, as search engines take time to crawl and index your website and evaluate your content.
Can I do SEO myself, or do I need to hire a professional?
While it’s possible to do SEO yourself, hiring a Squarespace SEO agency with expertise in SEO can help ensure that your website is properly optimized and help you achieve better results. And if you want to handle it yourself, consider opting for helpful tools like our SEO plugin for Squarespace. You can also get registered in our Squarespace SEO course and training to better understand the workings of SEO.
How often should I update my website’s content for SEO?
You should update your website’s content regularly as it helps improve search engine visibility and keep your website relevant to users. The frequency of updates will depend on your industry and the type of content you produce, but aim to update your website at least once a month.
How important is local SEO for businesses?
Local SEO is crucial for businesses with physical locations or those that serve specific geographic areas. When done right—for example, by setting up a complete Google My Business profile—it can help improve visibility in local search results and drive traffic to your business.
What is the difference between black hat and white hat SEO?
Black hat SEO refers to tactics that violate search engine guidelines and can result in penalties or even being banned from search engine results. On the other hand, white hat SEO refers to tactics that follow search engine guidelines and aim to improve search engine visibility legitimately.
How can I improve my website’s speed for SEO?
There are several ways to improve website speed for SEO, including optimizing images, reducing server response time, and using caching.
How does voice search impact SEO?
As more users rely on voice search, optimizing content for voice search can help improve search engine visibility. This includes using natural language and answering common questions that users might ask.
How can I track the success of my SEO efforts?
To track the success of your SEO efforts, you can use analytics tools like Google Analytics that monitor website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. Defining key performance indicators (KPIs) like search engine rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates can also help measure the success of your SEO efforts.
Conclusion
Knowing what is SEO is crucial for any website or business looking to attract organic traffic and improve search engine visibility. By understanding how search engines work and implementing best practices for on-page, off-page, technical, and keyword optimization, you can improve your website’s ranking and drive more traffic.
To kickstart a seamless SEO navigation journey, request a free website audit and sign up for a free trial on our SEO plugin for Squarespace.
