What SEO means

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and is the basis for creating content that is easy for search engines to find. Search engines have certain parameters that they look for on a website and therefore rank the page for the search results. The better your content is optimised for search engines, the more prominent your website will appear in a search, i.e. the better your page rank.

Why SEO?

Search engines, especially Google, have a great interest in delivering good and relevant results to users. To do this, there are different factors that lead to a website being classified as good content by a search engine. "Good content" means that users actually find what they are looking for. Anyone searching for "SEO" certainly doesn't want to find out about the city of Seoul, and anyone typing in "SEO meaning" is not (yet) looking for an offer to purchase an SEO tool.

SEO is a no-cost opportunity for anyone to push their website and to be found more easily. If you optimise your content, you generate real, organic traffic and attract users to your website with their search without having to place expensive ads. The exact factors that search engines use to distinguish good from bad content remain a secret of Google and Co., but there are some reliable tips and tricks on how to optimise your content and make your website perform better.

What is the difference between SEO and SEM or SEA?

While SEO is mainly about optimising the content on your pages, you often come across other abbreviations in this context. SEM (Search Enginge Marketing) and SEA (Search Enginge Advertising) will be briefly explained here. SEM refers to all online marketing measures aimed at organic search results. This includes SEO to place the respective website as high as possible in the search results. SEA, on the other hand, describes active advertising in the search results, e.g. placing an ad (usually the first three or four results of a Google search) or the appearance of relevant products in the Google Shopping results.

In short: SEM = SEO + SEA

Keyword Research

In addition to some technical requirements that your website must fulfil, the first step towards successful search engine optimisation is a keyword research. Keywords are catchphrases or buzzwords that describe your content well. But it is not enough to find or even create a suitable term. It is important that users actually use this word in their search. To find out what words are being searched for, you have to do some research. There are several keyword finder tools, such as the Google Keyword Planner (a Google Ads account is required), AnswerThePublic, Ubersuggest, Seobility, and many more.

Basically, the more frequently a keyword is searched for by users, the greater the competition for this keyword. So you may want to use a less popular keyword or so-called Long Tail Keywords to get a better ranking and not compete with the big ones in the beginning.

Short Tail Keywords vs. Long Tail Keywords

Keywords do not necessarily have to consist of only one word. Up to three words are considered Short Tail Keywords. These have a high search volume: more people search for "SEO" or "SEO definition" than for "SEO explained for beginners". Long Tail Keywords, on the other hand, have the advantage of being more precise and less competitive. From the short tail keyword "SEO" it is not possible to deduce whether someone is looking for a definition, a tool, tips, advice or a checklist. For your website in general and for each page of your website, you should define one main keyword.

Optimise content

Once you have decided on a keyword, the next step is to optimise the actual content. The homepage, i.e. your main page, is not only your showcase, but also the main anchorage for all subpages you create. In addition to the general measures for content optimisation, the homepage also plays a significant role.

Each subpage should be accessible with a maximum of 3 clicks from the homepage. This happens via

•     the homepage content (e.g. links in the text)
•     the navigation menu
•     the footer
•     the sitemap

Optimising a page step by step

Once you have your keyword, it will be clear what the page should and should not be about. You can now finally start to create your original text content.

Page title (title tag)

Obviously, you should use your main keyword in the page title. This is one of the most important spots you should place your keyword. This page title is (usually) also the title that is displayed in a search. However, please don't behave like a robot: the same keyword in every place will bore users, and even search engines do not regard it as a quality feature. It is much better to play with the main keyword: Build a keyword cloud and use relevant synonyms or long tail keywords, put your keyword in relation and context with other frequently searched topics. This way you will also have the chance to rank for other keywords. However, try to keep the title under 70 characters so that it is not cut off in the search results.

Meta descriptions

At this point you will realise how boring it is to always repeat the same keyword. The description of a page is the text displayed in a search (under the page title) and should not be longer than 150 characters. As a rule, two concise sentences are enough to encircle the content of the page. Ideally, you will be able to spark curiosity in users with this short text. A bit like a subtitle (the meta description can be identical to the subtitle of your post).

Digression: Bounce Rate

Another important point for the ranking of your website is the bounce rate. This is about users leaving your site within a few seconds (via the browser's back button). The more often users behave in this way on your site, the higher your bounce rate. A high bounce rate leads to your page ranking poorly or not at all for a keyword. The reasons for this user behaviour are manifold; sometimes it has a technical background ( loading times are too long), but it is often also due to the content. It may be that your content does not match the search term (keyword spamming), or there is too little content or the content is simply not relevant for users. If your bounce rate is too high, you should definitely check your content thoroughly!

Text & Header

Once you have filled in the meta information for your page, it's time for the actual content. In general, you should make sure that your content is well structured. On the one hand, it is more difficult for users to concentrate on a long continuous text, and on the other hand, search engines use your headings to classify the content. So divide your text into paragraphs and units of meaning. Headers should be ordered hierarchically and each page should have only one main header (H1). The H1 tag should be at the top of the page and contain your keyword. All other headings (H2, H3, ...) help you to place other versions of your keyword in the text. You can also highlight keywords with a <STRONG> tag (in some text editors this works simply by writing a word in bold).

Images and resources

The use of images and graphics is not only a must for the visual presentation of your homepage, but also a means to appeal to search engines. However, it is also essential to include the correct meta-information. What is important is the title of the image file (as precise as necessary, as short as possible) and an ALT text. This alternative text not only has the function of optimising your content for search engines, but also contributes to accessibility. People with visual impairments often use programmes that read the content of a website aloud to them. Both types of programmes can read file names better if they are written with hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_). As long as your image does not appear on your page exclusively for decorative purposes (e.g. abstract patterns), you must include an ALT text that briefly describes the content of an image. With resources, such as PDFs, it is the same: match the file name and add a short description when setting the link.

Links

Links are an often underestimated tool for SEO. The URL of the website is the first item that is evaluated by search engines. Links - be they internal or external - ensure that your content is found more easily on the website (for users as well as for search engines) and increase the credibility of your website. External links from other sites to your website are particularly important. If other (respectable) sites include your content, this is like a letter of recommendation and pushes your page rank tremendously.

URLs

Ideally, your main keyword is already included in the name of your website. If it is a subpage, it is a good idea to add the keyword to the URL. The URL should be as short as possible and describe the content well. If you are writing an article in which wristwatches are reviewed, the URL could be www.enterprise.xy/wristwatches-for-less-than-100-reviewed for example. As specific as necessary; as short as possible. Once again, we recommend using hyphens instead of underscores between words, as these can be read better by search engines and other programmes (keyword: accessibility).

Link title and anchor text

In addition to the URL, you should also use link titles and anchor texts as SEO tools. An anchor text is the words in the body text (or navigation) that are linked. Again, use your keywords or at least a good description of what the user can expect at the end of the link. So it is better to describe a link with more information about SEO instead of click here. Most content management systems will open a pop-up where you can enter more information about a link, including the link title. A descriptive keyword or a short informative sentence should go here.

Tip: When setting an external link to a third-party website, it is a good idea to have the link open automatically in a new window/bowser tab so that users are not led away from your website.

At first, it seems overwhelming to consider so many details in order to optimise a page. However, once you have a rough understanding of how search engines work (and search engines are constantly evolving - so no one knows exactly), it becomes much easier to create content accordingly. Once you have found your keyword, you are ready to go!

SEO checklist

•     Keyword*: Includes long and short tail keywords, keyword cloud and synonyms. Use only relevant keywords!
•     One main keyword per page
•     Each page accessible with max. 3 clicks from the main page
•     Keyword* in anchor text and link title for links
•     Keyword* in the URL of the page
•     Keyword* in the page title
•     Keyword* in the meta description for the page
•     Keyword* in the headlines and content
•     Keyword* in the file name and ALT text of the images