What is SEO (for beginners)

Sharing is caring!

If you are involved in Internet Marketing it is unthinkable not to know what SEO is and what are its basic elements.

In today’s article you will learn:

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

Simply put:

Example:

1. Someone is looking to buy dietary supplements.
2. He goes to Google and searches for the keyword:“best zinc supplement“.
3. Google displays various results.
4. Your website selling dietary supplements appears in the 10th position of the results when someone searches for that keyword.
5. But the customer clicks on the first 2-3 results that will appear and buys from competing websites.

You just lost a sale. Your competitor just won one.

What you want is for your website (if you sell zinc supplements) to appear in the first Google results for that keyword to attract more visitors.

The more visitors that come to your website, the more sales you will make.

However, in order for your website to appear in at least the first 3 results when someone searches for a particular keyword, you need to do some actions to optimize the position of your website in search engines.

These “processes” are the SEO.

Why is there so much discussion around this word?

Now that you’ve learned what SEO is, let’s examine why there is so much debate around this word.

The reasons there is so much hype around SEO – in my opinion – are 3.

Sales

Hundreds of sales every month without doing anything at all. No salespeople, no resellers, no advertising. If you manage to show up in the first Google position for the keyword you want, you’ll get hundreds of orders every day.

No one knows exactly what the formula for 100% successful SEO is anymore

There are some “basic” rules and practices (which I will explain below) that are generally accepted by the global SEO community, but no one can tell you with certainty “do this and this and your page will appear on the first page of Google“.

Also Google, being the “master of the game” that it is, is constantly making changes to its algorithm that affects the way it ranks websites in its results. (Click here to see all the changes to the algorithm).

The reason it does this is because it wants to give its users (its clients) the best possible results for each search and to “kill off” results that are not good enough or have risen to the top of the rankings using “excessive” SEO techniques.

So, what was true last year in terms of SEO, may not be true this year.

Lots of money around the SEO services industry

The third reason why SEO is a must-talk among Internet Marketers is that there is a lot of money at stake in the SEO services industry and the huge job market that is constantly looking for SEO Specialists.

SEO is not something easy.

You have to have a lot of knowledge about this field, knowledge that is not acquired through universities but through constant contact with the field.

Also SEO is something very time consuming that busy people don’t have time to do.

For this reason, there is a huge demand for SEO specialists and SEO services such as content production, backlinks, on-page and off-page SEO etc..

On-page / Off-page – What?

SEO Basic Terms for Beginners

Okay, I don’t expect you to know everything. This is SEO 101. But it’s good to know some basic terms. Here’s a list of the most basic SEO terms that a beginner should know:

• Backlinks: links from other websites to your website. The more and higher quality links, the more credible your website appears in the eyes of search engines. Backlinks are divided into organic and non-organic. Organic are those that someone put a link on your page on their own. The non-organic ones are those that you “build” yourself. Usually done through buying backlinks from various platforms.

• On-Page SEO: It is the actions taken within your website to improve its ranking, such as the use of appropriate keywords within the pages, the structure of the content, meta-tags, etc.

• Off-Page SEO: The actions taken outside your website to improve its ranking, such as creating backlinks, presence in social networks, press releases, etc.

• Keywords: the words or phrases that users use in search engines to find specific content. It is important to use the right keywords in your content and pages so that search engines can associate you with the keyword.

• Meta-Tags: meta tags are “hidden” (so to speak) pieces of HTML that describe the content of a web page and help search engines to better understand what the page contains. They are very important for SEO because they help search engines understand the content of your page and display it in the right places in search results. The two most important meta-tags are:
  • Meta Description: this is a tag that describes the content of your page and appears in search results.
  • Meta Title: this is the title of your page that appears in search results and helps search engines understand what your page is about.

• Loading speed: The time it takes to load a web page. The time it takes for a website to load quickly is important for a good user experience and good search engine rankings.

• Black Hat SEO: These are SEO practices that violate search engine rules and aim to quickly and easily improve the ranking of a website. These practices can lead to search engine penalties, such as lowering the ranking or removing the website from search results.

• White Hat SEO: These are SEO practices that comply with search engine rules and guidelines. These practices focus on creating quality content and providing a good user experience, with the goal of improving the long-term ranking of the website.

The basics (and first steps) of SEO: How to get started.

If you want to get started with SEO, there are a few basic steps to follow.

Keyword Research (Keyword Research)

First of all, you’ll need to research the keywords you want to target. These are the words or phrases that people are searching for online.

There are many tools that can help you with this, such as Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Finder, and SEMrush. Keyword research will help you find the right words to use in your content.

Content creation

Once you’ve found the right keywords, you need to create content. You can do this yourself, hire a professional, or use AI tools to help you. Content can be articles, videos, images, or even podcasts. It is important that the content is useful and interesting to your audience.

Click here to learn about the 10 Most Popular Types of Web Content.

Content optimization

After creating the content, you will need to optimize it.

If you use WordPress, there are plugins like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO that can help you.

There are also programs like Surfer SEO that analyze your content and compare it to the top 10 results.

If you don’t want/can’t use a tool, the simplest thing you can do is to

• write a very good article that will help the reader find the best answer to what they are looking for.
• to include the keyword in the title,
• include the keyword at the beginning of the content
• include the keyword in the meta-tags, and
• add images relevant to your content.

Share the Content

When you publish it, you should share it on social networks and in relevant online communities. This will help it to be seen by more people, and build the first backlinks. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are great options for sharing your new article.

Buy Backlinks (optional but important)

One last step, which is optional but very important, is buying backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites that lead to yours. These links help increase the “value” of your page in the eyes of search engines and can move it higher in search results.

You can buy backlinks from reliable websites to “boost” the credibility of your own.

How much does SEO cost?

The cost of SEO can vary greatly depending on your approach.

If you choose to do SEO yourself, it may cost you less money, but you will have to invest a lot of time. You’ll need to learn how to do keyword research, create content and optimize your website. This can take weeks or even months.

On the other hand, if you decide to hire a professional or an SEO company, the cost will be higher. Prices can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per month, depending on the size of the project, SEO experience and your budget.

If you pay for SEO services, you can see results faster, as the experts know the best practices and have the right tools.

So it will either cost you a little money but a lot of time, or a lot of money and less time. The choice depends on your budget and the time you have available.

Final Take

SEO is an important process for anyone involved in Internet Marketing. It is the method that helps your website appear high in search engine results. It requires good keyword research, quality content creation, and proper optimization.

There is a lot of talk around SEO because it can bring a lot of sales and success to your website. However, there is no magic formula for success and search engine algorithms are constantly changing. This means you need to stay up to date and adjust your strategy.

In terms of cost, SEO can cost you either time or money. If you have the time, you can learn and implement the tactics yourself. If not, you can invest in professional SEO services.

Ultimately, SEO is an ongoing process that requires attention and effort. If you manage to show up in the top positions of search results, you can enjoy the benefits that this offers.

👉 Aκολούθησέ με στο Facebook και ενεργοποίησε τις ειδοποιήσεις για να λαμβάνεις τα νέα άρθρα μου.

Τα Links που υπάρχουν στα άρθρα μου ειναι πολλές φορές affiliate links. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι μπορεί να κερδίσω προμηθεια αν αγοράσεις κάτι χωρίς να επηρεάζετε το κόστος αγοράς της υπηρεσίας ή του προιόντος με οποιονδήποτε τρόπο.

Sharing is caring!