What Is SEO? Simply Explained

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about optimizing the findability of your own website content in search engines.

Search engine optimization aims to get the best possible position in the search results in order to get organic traffic to your site.

SEO can be operated for all search engines and does not only refer to Google.

Definition: What is SEO?

SEO is the abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization. Search engine optimization means the implementation of on-page and off-page measures that serve to ensure that a website, more precisely its content, appears as high as possible in the search results of Google, Bing and Co.

However, before you start keyword research or optimizing your content, you should first identify the search intent of your target group. Because the goal of Google is to give users the best possible answer to their questions.

What is the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?

With search engine optimization, activities and measures to improve findability in the Google search can either take place directly on your own site ( on-page SEO ) or outside of your own site ( off-page SEO ).

What is On-Page SEO?

In practice, one speaks of on-page SEO when the SEO activities are, for example, the optimization of the page title ( meta title or title tag), meta description, internal linking, page loading speed, the integration of structured data or else about the keyword research.

Of course, these are just a few examples. It is no longer enough to blindly place keywords on your own page or in the title and meta description.

The Google algorithm is now so good that it can also analyze the context and relevance of the content created.

According to Google, there are over 200 ranking factors that affect positioning in search results.

What is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO refers to optimization measures outside of your own site. The central component of the activities is backlink building.

A distinction is made between active and passive backlinks.

Active backlinks can be generated, among other things, by the targeted setting of links in gas particles that refer to your website.

In the case of passive backlinks, users voluntarily refer to your website without you having to do anything. The higher quality and more relevant your content, the higher the chance that you will receive passive backlinks.

The keyword Research

Keyword research is part of on-page SEO. The aim here is to identify the appropriate and most relevant search terms that users enter on Google in order to receive an answer to their search query.

Depending on the length of the search terms, a distinction is made between short-tail keywords (1 to 2 terms), mid-tail keywords (2 to 3 terms) and long-tail keywords (more than 3 terms).

The length of a keyword affects the search volume. The shorter and more generic the search term, the higher the search volume and the higher the competition.

So don’t just look at the search volume.

The probability that you will answer a user’s search query with a generic and very short search term is extremely low.

Although long keywords have the disadvantage that they have a lower search volume, there is less competition and the probability that you can answer the search query with your content is higher.

Short-Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords are usually very generic search terms consisting of one or two words, for example, Mallorca.

Although generic search terms have a very high search volume, they are highly competitive and have high competition.

Also, their search results aren’t as specific as with mid-tail or long-tail keywords.

Long Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are very long and specific search terms. They consist of more than four words and therefore have a lower search volume. (e.g. Mallorca hiking holidays in autumn).

However, don’t be put off by the lower search volume. Long tails are very specific and therefore have less competition.

The benefit: long-tail keywords have a higher conversion rate than short-tail and mid-tail keywords. This allows you to regularly bring organic traffic to your website.

What is search intent and why is it so important?

In addition to the actual keyword research, the search intention (user search intent) is a decisive factor.

Because not every keyword serves the search intent of your target group. Therefore, identify the intention behind a search query by the user.

There are four different types of search intent, which we will discuss in the following section:

      • Information-oriented search query (informational)

      • Commercial query (commercial)

      • Navigation-oriented search query (navigational)

      • Transactional search query (transactional)

    Why should you invest time in SEO?

    1. Search engine optimization has a long-term positive effect on the ranking

    There are always isolated voices that claim that the time for search engine optimization is over, but the opposite is the case.

    SEO is still as important today as it was 20 years ago. Only the game has changed a bit. The search algorithms have learned from regular updates. 

    What worked in the past no longer works today. And that’s good. This is the only way Google can ensure that users are shown the best and most relevant search results.

    A well-thought-out SEO strategy helps in the long term to bring your website or online shop to the top of Google searches.

    Among other things, you benefit from more visibility and at the same time strengthen your brand.

    2. Not doing SEO is more expensive

    Another point that suggests that you should deal with search engine optimization is: SEO is (almost) free.

    Search engine optimization is very time-consuming. From a monetary point of view, however, you are not obliged to necessarily spend money on it (unless you hire an agency to do it).

    Of course, you can also do without SEO entirely and just concentrate on search engine advertising (SEA). However, the big downside is that you have to pay for visibility. And this only lasts as long as you have money in your hands.

    Just running ad campaigns can become very expensive in the long run and is not really sustainable.

    On the other hand, with on-page and off-page SEO, you can ensure that your content ranks as well as possible in Google search results without having to pay anything.

    Also, there are plenty of free SEO tools that can help you optimize your content for search engines.

    3. Your competition is doing SEO

    It’s no secret that search engine optimization is a solid marketing tactic for attracting new customers.

    Most likely, your competition is also doing SEO to ensure full shopping carts every day.

    Would you really like to just give up the field to the competition without getting a piece of the pie?

    Therefore,  online shops and companies that do not use SEO for themselves are giving their competitors the attention of potential customers and a lot of sales.

    Conclusion: search engine optimization is and will remain important

    Search engine optimization remains a very important element in online marketing. With a good long-term SEO strategy, you can increase your visibility in search engine results.

    Keep yourself regularly up to date on new trends or developments, as the online world is very fast-moving and Google & Co. regularly make updates and changes to the search algorithm.

    Use the data available to you from the Google Search Console and other SEO tools to create unique and high-quality content for users.

    The search engines will reward you with good rankings on the search results pages.