Search engines have become a constant and indispensable presence in our lives, interacting with technology on a daily basis. Over the years, the use of the web has grown significantly, resulting in continuous advancements in how users interact with online technologies. From the early search engines of the '90s, such as Aliweb, progressing through Yahoo in 1994 to Google in 1998, search engines have revolutionized how people seek information, conduct searches, and engage in online activities. The increase in Internet access is tied to the benefits and opportunities it offers, such as the possibility of earning through website creation and business promotion.
Digital marketing is a fiercely competitive and ever-evolving field that doesn't tolerate stagnation or resistance to change. When applied correctly, it has the potential to significantly elevate brand awareness and profitability. Search Engine Marketing (SEM), a vast realm within digital marketing, breaks down into PPC (Pay Per Click) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). A pivotal practice for organic growth in digital marketing involves generating content across multiple channels and interconnecting these external channels, using the website as the primary hub—an approach known as off-site SEO. The focus has shifted from traditional marketing to inbound marketing, where users voluntarily engage with a company's content. Inbound marketing leverages the creation of informative content, the use of social media, and the development of incentives to capture the audience's attention and convert them into potential customers, along with search engine optimization, encompassing both on-site and off-site optimization strategies.
Ranking on search engines becomes crucial for attracting visits, as users rarely explore lower positions. Hence arises the need to implement SEO, a set of techniques to enhance a website's visibility in the organic results of search engines. The objective of SEO is to secure a top-tier position among the myriad web pages, leveraging specific keywords. Although it demands time and resources, it stands as an indispensable practice for online success.
In Italy, Google dominates with a market share of 96.28% in September 2022. It's evident that optimizing for Google is essential for promoting a website or online business. An advantage is that Google favors sites promoted naturally and without payment, offering effective SEO opportunities even for those with limited marketing budgets. Within Google Ads, there's the option to achieve higher placement by paying for advertising that appears under the "Ads" label, monetizing each click on the advertisement (pay per click).
SEO is divided into three categories: on-page (internal optimization), off-page (external strategies), and technical. On-page SEO involves internal elements such as keywords, URLs, metadata, and user experience, aiming to clearly communicate the content and purpose of the page to Google. The site's structure is crucial for user experience and positioning in search results.
Off-page SEO, on the other hand, includes activities external to the site, such as link building and presence on social networks, aiming to improve overall quality and positioning. Social networks have gained a significant role in recent years, indirectly influencing site positioning.
Technical SEO focuses on the technical aspects of the site, improving structure and efficiency, such as tracking flow, loading time, and server configuration. Google uses various factors, such as domain age, keyword density, and social media authority, to ensure relevant results. Collaboration with professionals, such as writers and graphic designers, is essential to create a quality website that satisfies users and adheres to SEO guidelines.
Key concepts
Keyword: terms or word combinations entered into search engines by users to find information. To develop a strategy through keywords, it's crucial to understand one's target audience and comprehend the intentions guiding the consumer. The ranking position on a SERP (Search Engine Result Pages), which is the display of results in a search engine, is determined by the navigation query, i.e., the words typed by the user to find a website or a page. Keywords drive the visibility of a website, and generally, there are three types:
- Informative keywords: the aim is to obtain information, inspiration, or solve problems. Among the results, you'll find blogs, forums, reviews and comments.
- Transactional keywords: the aim is to purchase a product, compare prices, or obtain offers. According to a WordStream study, almost 65% of clicks on transactional SERPs occur on paid ads. A good strategy includes both paid and organic ads.
- Mixed keywords: there isn't a clear search intention. The results can be a mix of blogs, magazines, forums, marketplaces, and online stores.
Long Tail Keywords: specific keywords composed of three or more terms.
They can be anterior or posterior to the main keyword.
- Anterior longtail: "buying bags"
- Posterior longtail: "affordable bags"
Algorithm: a complex system of mathematical formulas that organises pages in search engines to provide relevant information.
Conversion rate: measures the success of a digital campaign by calculating the percentage of users who perform specific actions on a website, such as purchases or registrations.
Domain: a unique address of a website, often aligning with the brand name.
Subdomains: lower levels under the main domain that can improve indexing but require specific optimization.
Link: a clickable element on a site that connects to another document or performs various actions, including opening another page or downloading a file.
URL: specific address of a subpage on a website, differing from the domain and often containing additional information.
CTR (Click-Through Rate): a metric that measures the success of a digital campaign, calculated as (clicks on an ad / views) x 100.
Blog: a portal with articles or posts organized to keep users updated, a powerful marketing tool to advertise, strengthen relationships, and present news.
Bounce Rate: percentage of abandoned visits, indicating when a user leaves the site without taking actions, calculated as (abandoned visits / visits) x 100. Important for evaluating user experience and influence search result rankings.
In conclusion, there are two sets of practices and approaches in the SEO realm: White Hat SEO, which adheres to search engine guidelines and Black Hat SEO, employing techniques that deviate from these guidelines. SEO research is constrained due to a scarcity of accessible data and the intricacy of ranking algorithms. Investing in brand quality and awareness enhances organic traffic and site authority.
To enhance search quality, search engines consistently pursue improvement through guideline reviews. Therefore, employing white hat SEO techniques is crucial to mitigate the risk of penalties following an update. Furthermore, white hat techniques, apart from aligning with ethical principles of online competitiveness, impart reliability and credibility to users, ensuring long-term sustainability.