Thread: [FAQ] Search Engine Optimization Basics for Newbie

Introduction (SEO 101)

What is SEO?

SEO = Search Engine Optimization, ie getting your site ranked higher so more people show up at your doorstep.

In theory we’re interested in all search engines. In practice SEO = Google.


What's the difference between SEO and SEM?

While some people use SEO and SEM interchangeably, SEO (search engine optimization) is actually a part of SEM (search engine marketing).

SEO refers to the process of using on and off page factors (typically free) to get your web pages ranked for your chosen keywords in order to get more search engine traffic to your sites. SEM takes it a step farther to include using paid search engine listings and paid inclusion to get more traffic to your websites.


What's the difference between paid and organic search listings?

Organic search engine listings are the main results users see when they do a Google search. The websites appearing in the organic listings appear because those sites are most relevant to the user’s keywords. Indeed, most of these sites appear in the top of the search engine results because the webmasters of these sites have used SEO tactics to ensure top rankings.

The paid (or “sponsored”) listings usually appear on the top, bottom and to the right of the regular organic listings. Usually these are pay per click (PPC) ads, which means the website owner only pays when someone clicks on his ad (as opposed to paying for impressions).

This isn’t an either/or game. Just because you do SEO doesn’t mean you can’t/shouldn’t use PPC and vice versa.

SEO is not free traffic, it takes time and/or money to get good organic rankings but in the long run it’s usually cheaper than PPC.


What's on-page SEO?

On-page SEO refers to the things you do on your own site to enhance it’s ranking in the search engines. This includes but is not limited to:

• Creating content around specific keywords.
• Formatting/designing your site so that the most important keywords are emphasized and appear near the top of the page.
• Including the chosen keywords in meta tags.
• Including the keywords in the navigation menu and other links.
• Using your keywords in other parts of your site, such as the title of the page, the file name, etc.
• Using related keywords on the site (see the question on LSI for more information).

What's off-page SEO?

Off page SEO refers to those things you do outside of your own web pages to enhance their rankings in the search engines.

This is a glorified way of saying, “get links” and did I mention, “more links”.


How quickly will I see results?

If you target long tail keywords you can see results pretty quickly but always remember SEO is a long term strategy not a set and forget thing.

If you’re after more competitive keywords prepare to commit to it for at least three months of consistent effort.


Should I rank my own content or articles on other sites?

Yes – but let’s qualify that.

Because you can’t control what third-party sites do, you should focus the vast majority of your efforts on ranking content on your own sites.

However, you can leverage high-ranking third-party sites by posting SEO’ed content on them and then you including a link back to your own site. Not only do you get the SEO benefits of the backlinks, you’ll also get indirect search engine traffic from people clicking through to your main site.



Google and Page Rank

What is Page Rank?

Page Rank (PR) is a numeric value from 0-10 that Google assigns to your individual web pages, and it’s a measure of how important that page is.

Google determines this importance by looking at how many other high quality, relevant pages link to a particular page. The more links – and the better quality those links are – the more “votes” a page gets in terms of importance. And the more “votes” a site gets, generally the higher the PR.


How often does Google update Page Rank?

It used to be every 3 months but it’s becoming more and more erratic.


Does PR matter?

Yes and no.

Originally PR was all that mattered in the search rankings but today that’s just not true since there are a myriad of other factors that Google considers when weighting who should appear where.

That said, high PR is always worth having just don’t obsess over it.


What is the "Google Dance"?

When “stuff” changes the SERPs fluctuate, sometimes wildly. One day your site could be number 1 and the next nowhere to be seen. One of the main contributing factors to that is how Google sees your backlinks (which you’re consistently building, right?).

Don’t obsess over it, just keep building and you’ll be fine.


How does Google personalize my results?

If you’re signed into Google, then Google keeps track of what search engine results you’ve clicked on. And even if you’re not signed in, Google keeps track of what results people who use your computer click on.

Over time, Google starts to detect a pattern. For example, if you seem to always click on Wikipedia results, then Google will start showing you more Wikipedia results. If you always click on health results from webmd.com, then you’ll get more webmd.com results when you run a health-related search.

Nice stuff but you forgot doing it in your post title itself. Such a big post and the title will score a 0 for this. It should be some what like "Basics of SEO and Google PageRank".

Very nice post, and very useful also. The Title is the main thing for your thread. Please have some suitable Title for your thread.

@Jigmet

It can happen with anybody, I have changed the title to basics of SEO for more visibility.

@eJoker

Nice post and good content for a Newbie.

Originally Posted by Jigmet

Nice stuff but you forgot doing it in your post title itself. Such a big post and the title will score a 0 for this. It should be some what like "Basics of SEO and Google PageRank".

thanks for changing.
next i will be careful

I think this is enough for a newbie . If he wants to learn more then he should start searching in google and start learning and for any clarification you can post your query on this forum.. Thanks ejoker for a detail post.