Dominate Search Results: The Beginner's Guide to SEO

SEO is a known term, especially in the digital domain, and you likely know it stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization.’ However, merely knowing its meaning will not guarantee you rank your website on Google. SEO is a tool that, if used well, can help you reach the top of a result page, which is ultimately the goal of any business. Because 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.

And furthermore, understanding SEO is not a one-time job, it is a constant endeavour that is filled with ever-changing algorithms and updates. You need to be on your top game to achieve SEO mastery—and that is exactly what we will learn in this blog today.

What is Search Engine Optimisation?
We are not going to cover what it stands for but rather what it does. Simply put, search engine optimisation is a tool that helps you rank your website on search engines; and when we say rank, we literally mean it. If you are a business owner, you would want your website to pop-up on Google’s first result page so that you get maximum traffic on your webpage. The idea is to be visible on Google when anyone searches anything related to your business. And this is achieved by using relevant keywords which are SEO friendly.

Why is it important?
Even the best website with out-of-the-box content and top-quality products won't reach its full potential without a strong SEO strategy. It's like barking up the wrong tree. On the other hand, a website with average content and a basic design can still see significant traffic with a well-executed SEO plan. This highlights the undeniable importance of a well-crafted SEO strategy.

What are the new updates?
As part of the March 2024 core update and spam policy changes announced on March 5th, Google has made changes to target specific kinds of low-quality content. Imagine someone adding unrelated content to your website, like reviews for payday loans on an educational site! Google is cracking down on this kind of ‘sneak attack’ content, called ‘parasite SEO’ by some.

But what does this mean for website owners?
Moving forward, Google will be taking action against websites that host this type of third-party spam content. These actions can be automated or manual, depending on the severity of the issue.

Here's what you, as a website owner, can do:
Maintain control over your website content: Be aware of what's being published on your site. If you're unsure about the origin or purpose of certain content, investigate further.
Review your contributor guidelines: If you accept guest posts or other forms of third-party content, ensure your guidelines clearly outline your expectations regarding content quality and relevance.
Monitor your backlinks: While Google is targeting third-party content hosted on your site, it's also worth monitoring your backlinks for any suspicious activity.

By staying vigilant and maintaining control over your content, you can help ensure your website continues to rank well in search results and avoids potential penalties from Google.

Conclusion:
This beginner's guide to SEO has equipped you with the basics: what SEO does, why it matters, and even how to stay up-to-date with Google's ever-changing algorithms. However, you need to remember that SEO is a continuous journey, and by utilising relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and staying vigilant about your website's content, you're well on your way to dominating search results and attracting those valuable website visitors.