What Is SEO, Guide For College Students

You might have encountered this word when you were browsing the internet.  You often see this when you try to search “how to optimize my website and social media posts”. But what really is SEO? How important is it that even major companies are applying it to their business strategy? Here are some quick guides to help you understand what SEO means.

The SEO Basics

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”. It is a practice of increasing the quantity and quality of a specific website traffic. It allows your brand to become the top priority when someone searches on the web. 

How It Works

Basically, SEO is not just related to the search engine but also how people behave online. By understanding how a person searches online like the types of contents and words they are using, it will allow you to easily connect to these people by using keywords that would make your website appear at the top of the search list.

Why Is It Important?

It is true that paid advertising and social media platforms can generate website traffic but, the majority of the online traffic is more driven by search engines. 

Based on results, only 2.8% of internet users click on paid advertisements in the US. This shows that SEO provides more traffic opportunity compared to other forms of advertising. 

SEO is also one of the online marketing channels that can gradually grow over time without the need of any continuous funding. Search engines have come a long way since it was first developed. And by optimizing your site, it will give the search engine more information to better rank your content in the search results.

Can I Do SEO By Myself?

Just like anything else, yes it can be done. Though it requires your time and willingness to understand how to properly set an SEO. 

If you prefer to go the other route, there are professional SEO services available out there that vary in terms of their knowledge and quality of work. Just remember that as SEO can do wonders for your brand, an improper SEO setup can do harm as well.

Types Of SEO

There are two types of SEO, a “white” hat and a “black” hat. A black hat SEO is a practice wherein the user fools/spam the search engine. Though considered effective by some, it is illegal and doing this puts your website at risk of being penalized or worse being taken off the search engine. That is why it is very important that you understand how your SEO is being set up as your business relies on it.

How To Properly Set Up An SEO?

Before you start up an SEO, the first thing you need to do is determine what your website’s goal is. Each website has specific goals and differs from one another. 

By knowing your specific goal, you would be able to create the appropriate SEO strategy for the task. Is your site’s goal to increase your sales, leads, applications, website click and so on?. Just take note that even though SEO is designed to bring in website traffic, what is important is that people actually go into your site.

How Do You Determine if Your SEO is Effective?

To know if your SEO is working for you, you need to measure and understand certain things. One good indicator is your set KPI. If you are hitting them then it’s a good sign that the SEO is effective. 

Another is the way people behave within your site. Are they browsing it or simply clicking then exit? 

Your conversion rate is also important. This is the number of people that actually purchase or signup against the number of unique visits. Your site’s ranking is an indicator, but this should not be the sole basis for the effectiveness of your SEO. 

SEO is an effective and cost-effective way of creating a sustainable business. It allows you to generate sales by directing website traffic into your sites, which if done correctly, can convert the readers to purchasers. 

Just remember,  just like anything else, before embarking on an investment, make sure that you are properly educated and you fully understand what you are getting into.