SEO Guide for Dummies

Search Engine Optimization… wait, what? Yes, that’s what SEO services stand for. I know—that didn’t help much, right? So, let’s start from the beginning, shall we?

Search engines are what we use to find everything. I like to call them “the dummies’ best friend.” The most widely used search engine is Google, but some people also use Bing, Baidu, Yahoo, and others.

When you search for something on these platforms, thousands and thousands of websites show up.

But how do these search engines decide who comes first, second, or third?

Google Algorithm

Search engines use algorithms to sort results. Here are some of the main factors they prioritize:

  • Speed – Websites that load faster will rank higher
  • Keywords – Websites that contain the words or terms being searched
  • Outbound Links – Websites that link to other relevant websites
  • Backlinks – Websites that have other sites linking back to them
  • Third-Party Profiles – Businesses or individuals with profiles on platforms like Google My Business, Hotfrog, Yelp, TripAdvisor, BBB, etc.

There are thousands of rules to follow. The more of them your website follows, the higher it will rank.

The problem is that, according to MOZ, Google updates its algorithm about 600 times per year. That means these rules are constantly changing. What puts your website in first place today may not be enough tomorrow.

So how are you going to make sure your website follows all of Google, Bing, or Yahoo’s rules?
How will you find the best directories and list your business?
How will you know which keywords to use?
How will you build enough backlinks to improve your ranking?
Not to mention compressing and adjusting image sizes or optimizing your website speed.

So… What Is SEO?

Guess what? That’s exactly what SEO is.

Following these practices helps your website meet search engine criteria and improves your chances of ranking on the first page—ideally in the top 10 results.

SEO Services Checklist

Here are some of the most common SEO tasks:

  • Optimize images
  • Find the right keywords and implement them on your website
  • Tag images properly
  • Create SEO-friendly URLs
  • Improve website loading speed
  • List your business on popular directories (build citations)
  • Build backlinks
  • Optimize your website for mobile devices

It’s a lot of work—I know. That’s why there are SEO experts whose job is to help your website rank higher on search engines.

Do You Need SEO Services?

Yes—you do.

Learn More

Here you can see recent algorithm updates:
https://www.stanventures.com/blog/google-algorithm-update-2019/
https://searchengineland.com/library/google/google-algorithm-updates

Here’s a great explanation from Google itself on how search works:
https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/algorithms/