TLDR: SEO is optimizing content for search engines like Google to get free, consistent traffic by understanding search algorithms and user intent.
This article is a summary of a You Tube video “What is SEO and How Does it Work?” by Ahrefs
Key Takeaways:
- Definition of SEO: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is optimizing content to be discovered through a search engine’s organic search results.
- Function of Search Engines: Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to return the most relevant results from a massive index of web pages.
- Importance of SEO: SEO provides free, consistent traffic and allows access to large audiences that would otherwise be unreachable.
- Google’s Ranking Process: Google uses crawlers to gather information and create an index. Its algorithms then use factors like keywords and content freshness to rank pages.
- Knowledge Graph: Google’s Knowledge Graph enhances search results by understanding the context of people, places, and things.
- Search Intent: Understanding the user’s intent behind a query is crucial for SEO success. This includes content type, format, and freshness.
- Relevance and Quality: Google looks for relevant content and high-quality pages, which are determined by expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT).
- Usability Factors: Page speed and mobile-friendliness are important usability factors that affect search rankings.
- User Experience: Google prioritizes results that offer a good user experience, including personalized data based on location, search history, and settings.
- Personalized Search Results: Google personalizes search suggestions and results based on the user’s location and previous searches.
