Search Engine Optimization

Introduction
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing traffic to a website through organic (unpaid) search engine results. "It’s about understanding what people are searching for online, the answers they are seeking, the words they’re using, and the type of content they wish to consume." Using this knowledge when writing content for a website increases traffic by delivering better information to search engines. The more information search engines have, the better they can index and display websites in searchers' results.

Why SEO is Important
Search engine results drive the majority of online traffic. A webpage will get more views from people searching for what they need vs. social media or a paid advertisement. A well-optimized page will serve as a marketing channel for businesses, helping drive traffic and "create two-way communication channels with current and potential customers."

How Search Engines Work
Search engines retrieve information from an indexed database to match the input from the searcher. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are all examples of search engines. "The search engine acts as an intermediary between consumers and websites. Its goal is to provide consumers with links to the highest quality websites on the organic side while making a profit through the auctioning of sponsored links."

Search engines work by crawling, indexing, and ranking content for websites. Here is what that process looks like:
 * 1) Search engine crawlers find websites on the internet and look at the content/code for each.
 * 2) A search engine will use the text content and site navigation to analyze and index a webpage.
 * 3) A page is then ranked based on the relevance of the contents to the searcher's input.

Content Marketing
SEO is utilized in content marketing, which is a digital marketing strategy focused on delivering valuable and relevant content to generate leads and brand awareness. Providing valuable content free of cost helps sustain trust with a company or brand by establishing "non-opportunistic behavior."

Search Intent
Search intent refers to the desired outcome of a searcher. Keeping search intent in mind while creating content will help determine what content will best satisfy the searcher. There are five main types of searcher intent:
 * 1) Informational: Searching for information
 * 2) Navigational: Searching for a specific website
 * 3) Transactional: Searching to buy a product or service
 * 4) Commercial Investigation: Searching for a specific product
 * 5) Local Search: Searching for a product or service nearby

Keyword Research
Keywords are words that have significance and best describe the content of a page. Keywords are used to catalog, index, and find a webpage. Keyword research involves thinking about the target market, who a customer is, and what they are searching for. The words a searcher uses in a search engine to find content, services, or products are the keywords that should be used on the webpage. The natural distribution of keywords throughout a webpage is more important than the number of keywords.

Utility
A webpage's utility can be original content, information, reporting, research, or analysis. Search engines prioritize pages with utility, and searchers are more likely to stay on a page longer if it offers a utility that other pages do not have.

On-Page SEO
Search engines can index text content better than graphics. A webpage with more text will have a higher chance of coming up in search results. In addition to text, there are a few additional ways to improve SEO on a webpage:
 * Heading and Subheading: Section headers create a natural structure to a page and make it easier for search engines to evaluate and rank the page. For this same reason, it is also a good idea to include keywords in the headers of a page. Headlines that list a number of tips, reasons, or types of information will help establish utility and expertise. Examples of this may look like:
 * 10 Ways to Improve SEO
 * Five Tips for Keyword Research
 * Three Secrets to Beating the Algorithm
 * Internal Links: A navigation bar that links to internal pages will help search engine crawlers index those pages. Links that require a click to reveal, such as a drop-down menu, are often hidden from crawlers.
 * Formatting: How a page is formatted directly impacts readability, which plays a large factor in SEO. Readability is the practice of using writing that is easy to read and understand for the target audience. Formatting that improves readability includes:
 * Text Size and Color: Larger font in darker colors makes text easier to read
 * Bullet Points: Help the reader quickly identify information
 * Paragraph Breaks: Prevent the reader from becoming overwhelmed by too much information
 * Supporting Media: Images or videos that add value to the content of the page
 * Bold and Italics for Emphasis: Help identify important parts to the reader

Page Quality Rating
Page Quality rating refers to a rating system developed by Google. The page quality rating assigned to a page is the biggest factor in its visibility. "High-quality pages should have a beneficial purpose and achieve that purpose well."

The most important factors in Page Quality rating are:


 * Purpose: If the page's purpose is clear, Google will better determine if the page successfully meets that purpose.
 * Content: The quality and amount of unique and original content.
 * Authorship: Clear information about the author and webpage. "High-quality pages should have clear information about the website so that users feel comfortable trusting the site."
 * Reputation: Very positive reputation is often based on prestigious awards or recommendations from known experts or professional societies on the topic of the page. Reputation is also built through reviews, blog posts, and other online content.

Google E-A-T
E-A-T stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. According to Google, E-A-T will have a high impact on a page's quality rating.


 * Expertise: The author of the main content on the page must have appropriate expertise, accreditation, or experience to speak on the subject.
 * Authoritativeness: The writing quality and expertise of the author establish authority.
 * Trustworthiness: Accessibility to contact info, reputable sources, and the overall reputation of the source contribute to a page's trustworthiness.