What is search engine optimisation (SEO)?

In brief, search engine optimisation involves structuring your website in a way that effectively answers the questions people turn to Google for. Search engines continuously “visit” websites to assess their content. Better content leads to better rankings for those questions (keywords) and, consequently, more traffic to your site. This explanation might suggest that the most effective way to build a website would be to copy and paste an encyclopaedia to attract as much traffic as possible. If you try this, feel free to report back with the results!

For the rest of us who need to manage our resources more consciously, there are, fortunately, strategies to get excellent value from an SEO strategy. In this article, we will go through what SEO is in a broader sense.

Read more about how Bombayworks works with SEO here

When we ask questions on Google, they tend to be at a basic level, like "food dinner cheap fast." Therefore, they are referred to as search terms, search words, or keywords. However, it is good to remember that even the shortest search terms are essentially a question.

By researching which keywords are relevant to your product, you can design your website content to answer these. This research is called keyword analysis, and when done correctly, it paints a clear picture of your customer's buying journey and how you should be visible throughout this journey.

An SEO strategy, unfortunately, often means that someone occasionally “tinkers with the website.” The truth is that search engine optimisation takes a long time, often several months, and small, aimless changes can become ineffective. We always recommend conducting a thorough analysis to identify the site’s weaknesses and potential. With the analysis in hand, a strategy with clear end goals can be formulated. We have a detailed article on SEO strategy that you can read here.

Technical SEO: Does the site perform well from a technical perspective?

On-page SEO: How does the site’s content perform? What can and should we build upon?

Off-page SEO: How does the site’s authority compare to competitors?

There are various tools available to help with your SEO strategy. These tools can help identify keywords, analyse your website for improvements, monitor your ranking in search engines, and much more. Examples of popular SEO tools include Google Analytics, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz.

If you are new to SEO or lack the resources to handle it internally, seeking external help might be a good idea. There are many SEO agencies and consultants that offer services ranging from one-time consultations to fully managing a complete SEO strategy. We outline how such a collaboration works in this article.

If your website isn’t showing on Google, several factors could be at play. It could be anything from technical issues on your website to a lack of content optimised for search engines. Ensuring your website is properly indexed by Google and following best practices for SEO is essential. This includes having relevant and high-quality content, a mobile-friendly web design, and strong internal and external links.

An effective link strategy can have a significant impact on search engine optimisation. Links to your website (backlinks) act as votes of credibility and relevance in the eyes of search engines. Acquiring high-quality, relevant links to your website can improve your ranking and visibility. It’s important to focus on building natural links by creating valuable content that other websites want to link to. Don’t forget about internal links!

Here, we want to issue a warning. Buying links might seem like a quick and easy shortcut to improvement, but we strongly advise against it. Google and other search engines are working to clamp down on purchased links that do not occur naturally and can penalise websites that attempt this tactic. Instead of buying links, it’s better to invest time and resources into valuable content that naturally attracts links.

The big buzz in the SEO world is Google’s new product, Search Generative Experience (SGE). It’s a way of integrating AI into search results. We’ve seen it in Bing for a while, but now it’s starting to appear in Google. Read more about what SGE is here!