SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” In 2024, SEO typically involves optimizing websites to rank high on Google, which holds a dominant 90% share of the search engine market. However, this landscape might shift with ChatGPT from OpenAI, the most popular chat AI, utilizing Bing. Nonetheless, the fundamental principles of SEO will remain consistent.
When you search for something online, search engines use algorithms to decide which websites appear at the top of the results. You want your site to appear in the natural search results, at the very least, but the goal is to rank as high as possible, ideally on the top of the first page, before other websites, to get as much organic traffic as possible. SEO aims to maximize a website’s ranking in search results. SEO is part of search marketing, but unlike paying for each click on a sponsored link, the traffic you get from organic search results is completely free.
Search engine optimization is like a magical recipe that helps websites get noticed and ranked. It includes using relevant keywords that people are likely to search for, creating high-quality content that provides (or tends to provide) value to users, ensuring the website loads quickly, and making it easy to navigate. It also requires focusing on building backlinks from other reputable websites back to their own, which signals to search engines that their site is trustworthy and authoritative.
To summarize, SEO is all about making a website more attractive to search engines and users alike, boosting its chances of being found online. While it can be tedious, especially without automation and special SEO tools, it pays off with good rankings and free traffic. Ignoring SEO is not an option if you want your website to get traffic from search engines.