What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)- Complete Guide

SEO Tutorial

Our SEO tutorial provides both basic and advanced level concepts, techniques, and strategies of SEO and proves helpful for both newbie & experienced professionals in this industry. Basically, SEO stands for search engine optimization and it is a technique to optimize a website according to search engine guidelines so that it ranks on the top position in SERP (search engine results page).

Our SEO tutorial provides a detailed explanation of all the key concepts of Search Engine Optimization such as competitor analysis, keyword research, list of SEO tools, content writing, backlinks, website structure, popular search engine algorithms, key metrics, white hat/black hat/gray hat SEO along with suitable examples.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is one of the most important branches of digital marketing for business growth. SEO is the process of optimizing a website according to the guidelines set by major search engines like Google, Yahoo, Baidu, Bing, etc.

The end goal of SEO is to ensure that a website is properly optimized in terms of good quality content, internal links with relevant pages, keyword utilization, backlinks from 3rd party sites, mobile friendly, proper headings (h1/h2/h3) tags, etc. so that it appear on the top position when a user searches for some products or services or general information.

Proper SEO will help a website to receive better online visibility & ranking for keywords and further receive more traffic from search engines. Usually, a website ranking in the 1st position will receive more organic traffic when compared with a website that is ranking in the 8th or 9th position in SERP.

So, every website owner tries to ensure that their website ranks in the top position for gaining more search engine traffic without spending any money.

How Does Search Engine Optimization Work?

Search Engine Optimization is a fast changing industry with new updates & algorithm changes happening every week. The tips, strategies, practices, and rules applicable a few months ago won’t work today and what is working today may not give results next year.

Before we start with this SEO Tutorial, let’s understand how SEO works. Basically, there are 3 most important components which search engines like Bing, Google, etc. use to rank a webpage in the organic search engine result page. These are:-

1)Crawling

2)Indexing

3)Serving

1. Crawling

Search Engines use Bots (sometimes also known as spiders or crawlers) to crawl a complete website and its associated webpage.

2. Indexing

Once Crawling is done; Search engines (like Google) bots analyze the content of a website and store them in their database for Indexing purposes. Google has a powerful complete internal server that stores that content in their index for later use.

3. Serving

After Crawling and Indexing are done, Google serves the required information to the user. This usually happens when someone searches for the required information by typing relevant terms/queries (also known as Keywords).

List of Key Metrics Used by Search Engines for Ranking Purpose

A popular search engine like Google has its own internal algorithms (or rules) that determine the keyword ranking in SERP. Some of the key metrics utilized by search engines while determining the quality and relevance of a website are listed below:-

1)Content Relevancy:-

Search Engines check the quality of a website’s content and determine how well it is informative, engaging, and matches the end user search query.

2)Placement of Keyword inside the WebPage Content:-

Utilization of keywords on important places like Title tag, Heading Tag (H2/H2/H3), Image ALT Tag, and throughout the content is very important for getting top ranking in the organic search results.

3)WebPage Load Speed:-

A web page that loads quickly is liked by users the most. Search engines give more priority to those websites that deliver the content at a fast speed.

4)Mobile Friendliness:-

In the past couple of years, with the evolution of mobile, tablet, and other related devices, responsive design has played an important role in top keyword ranking for maximum keywords. It is one of the key metrics used by search engines while analyzing a website’s user experience on mobile devices.

5)Quality of Backlinks

The number of quality and relevant backlinks from 3rd party websites is another key parameter that search engines consider while evaluating the position of a website in SERP.

Along with these above metrics, Google Search Engines use various other helpful parameters like User Experience (UI/UX), Social Media Signals, Technical SEO, Page Authority, and Local SEO Signals in providing the keyword ranking to any website.

So, as website owners it is essential to properly understand these important search metrics and then optimize their website for keyword ranking improvement in organic search listing pages (i.e. SERP).

SEO Tutorial Index

1)Types of SEO

Upto Now we have fully understood that Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing a website according to the guidelines set by search engines (like Google, Bing, etc.) in order to improve a website’s position in organic search results and further fetch more traffic to the website organically.

A website that follows the search engine algorithms, creates original top quality content, links to highly authoritative websites (i.e. backlinks) and is easy to navigate for the end user always receives more traffic from the search engines by acquiring a top position in SERP.

Usually, popular search engines like Google have their own set of rules (also termed algorithms) that a website owner needs to follow while optimizing a website. If the website SEO is done according to these guidelines; then it is called white hat SEO.

In the same manner, if a website is not following these search engine guidelines; then it is termed as black hat SEO. Usually, black hat SEO techniques give immediate positive results, but it happens in the short term.

In the reverse manner; white hat SEO takes time to implement, but it works for a longer duration and websites that implement these white hat SEO techniques receive more organic traffic for months and years.

• White Hat SEO
• Black Hat SEO
• How Search Engine Works
• What is Domain
• What is WWW
• Search Engine vs Portal
• Google Algorithm Updates
• Research and Analysis

2)SEO Keyword Research

• Competitors’ Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Choosing Best Keywords
• Keyword Research Tools
• SEO Guidelines

3)Website Design Guidelines

• Content Optimization
• SEO Design and Layout
• On-Page SEO

4)On Page Optimization

• SEO Page Title
• SEO Meta Description
• SEO Meta Keywords
• SEO Headings
• SEO Optimized Domain
• SEO Canonical Tag
• SEO Meta Tags
• Miscellaneous Meta Tags
• Open Graph Meta Tags
• SEO Images
• SEO Internal link
• SEO Site Map
• SEO Hidden Text
• SEO Web Hosting
• SEO Robots Meta Tag
• SEO 301 Redirect
• SEO 404 error
• Off-Page SEO

5)Off Page Optimization

• SEO Page Rank
• SEO Link Popularity
• SEO Directory Submission
• SEO Social Bookmarks
• SEO Blog Submission
• SEO Article Submission
• SEO Reciprocal
• SEO Forum Posting
• Search Engine Submission
• RSS Feed Submission
• Press Release Submission