How Does SEO Work?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s unpaid results. It involves making certain changes to the website’s structure and content to make it more attractive to search engines. This is important because search engines use algorithms to rank websites based on their relevance to a user’s search query. By making strategic changes to your website, you can improve its ranking on search engines and increase the amount of organic traffic it receives.

How SEO Works

Here is an overview of eight points, highlighting how search engine optimization works:

1. Search engines crawl the web

The first step in the SEO process is for search engines to crawl the web. This involves sending out a team of robots, called spiders or crawlers, to discover new and updated pages. The crawlers follow links from one page to another, and index the content they find.

2. Search engines build an index

Once the crawlers have discovered and indexed a page, the search engine stores it in an index, which is a massive database of all the pages that have been discovered by the crawlers. The index is used to quickly retrieve relevant pages when a user conducts a search.

3. Users enter a search query

When a user wants to find something on the internet, they enter a search query into a search engine. The search query is a word or phrase that describes what the user is looking for.

4. Search engines match the query with indexed pages

When a user enters a search query, the search engine uses algorithms to match the query with the pages in its index. The algorithms take into account various factors, such as the relevance and quality of the pages, as well as the user’s location and search history.

5. Search engines rank the matching pages

Once the search engine has identified the pages that match the user’s query, it ranks them in order of relevance. The most relevant pages are shown at the top of the search results, while the least relevant pages are shown at the bottom.

6. Users click on a search result

When a user sees a search result that looks relevant to their query, they click on the link to visit the website. This is called a “click-through.”

7. Search engines track the clicks

When a user clicks on a search result, the search engine tracks the click. This helps the search engine learn which pages are the most popular and relevant for a given query. Over time, the search engine uses this information to improve its ranking algorithms and provide better search results.

8. Websites track the traffic

When a user clicks on a search result and visits a website, the website tracks the traffic. This is typically done using a tool like Google Analytics or Fathom Analytics. The website owner can use this information to learn which pages are the most popular, and make changes to improve the user experience and increase engagement.

Factors That Affect A Website’s SEO Ranking

There are many factors that can affect a website’s ranking on search engines. Some of the most noteworthy factors include:

The quality and relevance of the website’s content
The structure and organization of the website
The website’s loading speed
The presence of keywords in the website’s content and metadata
The number and quality of other websites that link to the website
The user experience on the website, including its design and navigation

By making strategic changes to these and other factors, website owners can improve their website’s ranking on search engines and increase the amount of organic traffic it receives.

How To Improve Your Website’s SEO

Here is a list of six points for improving your website’s search engine optimization:

1. Create high-quality and relevant content

One of the most important factors in SEO is the quality and relevance of a website’s content. Search engines want to provide users with the most relevant and useful results, so they will reward websites that have well-written and informative content. To improve your website’s content, make sure to:

Write for your audience, not for search engines. Your content should be useful and interesting to your readers, not just stuffed with keywords.
Use keywords, but don’t overdo it. Keywords are important for helping search engines understand the topic of your content. However, if you use too many keywords, it can make your content difficult to read and may even be considered spam.
Use subheadings, lists, and other formatting techniques to make your content easy to read and scan.
Keep your content up to date. As time goes on, your content may become outdated or irrelevant. Make sure to regularly review and update your content to keep it fresh and accurate.

2. Optimize your website’s structure and organization

Another important factor in SEO is the structure and organization of your website. A well-structured website is easy for both users and search engines to navigate, which can improve its ranking. To optimize your website’s structure and organization, make sure to:

Use a clear and hierarchical website structure. Organize your content into categories and subcategories, and use a navigation menu to help users and search engines find the content they’re looking for.
Use descriptive and informative URLs. Instead of using URLs that are long and difficult to understand, try to use URLs that accurately describe the page’s content. For example, “https://www.solespire.com/articles/how-to-get-started-with-seo/” is better than “https://www.solespire.com/?p=2288“.
Use breadcrumb trails. Breadcrumb trails are links that show the user’s location within the website’s hierarchy. For example, “Home > Smartphones > iPhone” shows that the user is on the “iPhone” page, which is part of the “Smartphones” category, which is a subdirectory of the “Home” page.

3. Improve your website’s loading speed

Another important factor in SEO is the loading speed of your website. Users expect websites to load quickly, and search engines will reward websites that load faster with a higher ranking. To improve your website’s loading speed, make sure to:

Optimize your images. Large and uncompressed images can significantly slow down your website. Make sure to optimize your images by reducing their size and using appropriate formats, such as JPEG for photographs and PNG for graphics. Better yet, you should be optimizing your images with the use of WebP, a format developed by Google and designed to provide better image quality and smaller file sizes compared to other common image formats, such as JPEG and PNG.
- Over 43% of the web uses WordPress, and so as a webmaster, you most likely fall into that group. Here are three points on how you can use WebP images on your WordPress site:
  1. Use a plugin: There are a number of WordPress plugins that can convert images to WebP format and serve them to visitors who are using compatible web browsers. Some popular options include EWWW Image Optimizer, CW Image Optimizer, and Converter for Media (used by us at Solespire).
  2. Manually convert and upload images: You can also convert images to WebP format using tools like Adobe Photoshop or the WebP Converter for Windows and then upload them to your WordPress site.
  3. Use the <picture> element: You can use the HTML <picture> element to display WebP images on your WordPress site. This involves creating separate versions of your images in WebP and other formats, and then using the <picture> element to specify which version to use depending on the browser.
- It’s worth noting that not all web browsers, smartphones, and devices may support WebP, so it’s a good idea to also provide fallback images in a more widely-supported format, like JPEG or PNG. The Converter for Media plugin that we use, provides this fallback feature.
Use a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN is a network of servers that delivers your website’s content to users based on their location. By using a CDN, you can reduce the distance that your website’s data has to travel, and improve its loading speed.
Minimize the use of plugins and third-party scripts. Plugins and third-party scripts can add useful features to your website, but they can also slow it down. Make sure to only use plugins and scripts that are necessary, and when possible, consider alternatives that are lighter and faster.

4. Use keywords in your website’s content and metadata

As mentioned earlier, keywords are important for helping search engines understand the topic of your content. By using relevant keywords in your website’s content and metadata, you can improve its ranking for those keywords. To use keywords effectively, make sure to:

Do keyword research. Before you start using keywords, it’s important to do some research to find out which keywords are the most relevant and popular for your website. There are many tools available that can help you do keyword research, such as Google’s Keyword Planner or Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer.
Use keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions. The page title and meta description are important elements of your website’s metadata. They are used by search engines to understand the content of your page, and they are also shown to users in the search results. Make sure to include your keywords in these elements, but don’t stuff them with too many keywords.
Use keywords in your headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings are used to organize and structure your content, and they can also help search engines understand the topic of your page. Make sure to include your keywords in your headings and subheadings, but again, don’t overdo it.

5. Get other websites to link to your website

Another important factor in SEO is the number and quality of other websites that link to your website. When a website links to yours, it’s like a vote of confidence. It tells search engines that your website is relevant and trustworthy, which can improve its ranking. To get other websites to link to yours, make sure to:

Create high-quality and useful content. One of the best ways to get other websites to link to yours is to create content that is so good that other people want to share it. By creating valuable and interesting content, you can increase the chances that other websites will link to it.
Reach out to other websites. Once you have created some high-quality content, don’t be afraid to reach out to other websites and ask them to link to it. This can be as simple as sending an email or leaving a comment on their website.
Use social media. Social media is a great way to promote your content and get other websites to link to it. By sharing your content on social media networks, you can increase its visibility and reach a wider audience.

6. Improve the user experience on your website

The user experience (UX) on your website is also an important factor in SEO. Search engines want to provide users with the best possible experience, so they will reward websites that are easy to use and navigate. To improve the user experience on your website, make sure to:

Make your website easy to navigate. Your website’s navigation should be clear and intuitive, so that users can easily find the content they’re looking for.
Make your website mobile-friendly. More and more users are accessing the internet on their smartphones and tablets, so it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices.
Make your website fast and responsive. As mentioned earlier, users expect websites to load quickly and be responsive to their actions. Make sure to optimize your website for speed and performance, and test it regularly to make sure it’s working as expected.

By following these tips and making the necessary changes to your website, you can improve its ranking on search engines and increase the amount of organic traffic it receives. SEO is not a one-time effort, but rather a continuous process of improvement. By regularly reviewing and updating your website, you can ensure that it stays relevant and continues to perform well in search engines, for the likes of Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Qwant, Yandex, Baidu, and more.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that SEO is the process of making changes to a website to improve its ranking on search engines and increase the amount of organic traffic it receives. It involves making changes to a website’s structure and content, as well as following best practices for keywords, links, and user experience. By pursuing these tips and regularly reviewing and updating your website, you can improve your website’s ranking on search engines and attract more visitors.