Basic Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as SEO, is improving website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website in a search engine's unpaid results. The goal is to improve a website's rank in search engine results and attract more visitors. Three common SEO strategies include:Search Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as SEO, is improving website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website in a search engine's unpaid results. The goal is to improve a website's rank in search engine results and attract more visitors. Three common SEO strategies include:

1. Create relevant visitor content. Content should be on-topic for the website and provide value to visitors.

2. Improve the structure and navigation of a website. Verify that the site loads quickly and all links work appropriately.

3. Build a network of high-quality backlinks (sites that link to your website) to a website.

SEO keywords are specific words or phrases strategically included in website content and metadata to improve a website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Keywords must mirror the substance of a website and mimic the search queries users enter into search engines. SEO keywords assist search engine's interpretation of a website's content and can improve the relevance of a website's subject matter. However, it is crucial to implement keywords naturally and not overutilize them, as search engines may penalize websites for keyword abuse.

Reiterating keywords on the same web page, attempting to hide keywords by blending them into the same color page background (cloaking), or stuffing a page with irrelevant keywords to manipulate search engine results are all considered keyword spamming or keyword stuffing. Keyword spamming is a black hat SEO technique and may be penalized by search engines. Search engines may go so far as to remove your pages from their search results. Focus instead on quality, relevant content that benefits your website visitors.

Search engines read structured data to ascertain the contents of a website and to deploy extra details in search engine results pages (SERPs). Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and its content, such as the title, author, publication date, and summary of an article. Providing structured data allows website owners to help search engines interpret the content of their pages and present more relevant search results to users. 

Website owners may use many forms of structured data, such as JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa. Google currently recommends the JSON-LD format. 

Common structured data types include organization and product information, location, ratings, events, and recipes. Including structured data on your website can improve your chances of a richer, more informative presentation in SERPs, which may drive more traffic to a website.

SEO best practices include creating high-quality content relevant to users and combining relevant keywords with optimized website structure and navigation. Implementing descriptive, keyword-rich meta tags, building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, and optimizing website speed and mobile responsiveness are crucial elements of SEO. Updating and refreshing website content to keep it relevant and engaging prompts return visitors. It's also important to avoid black hat SEO practices, such as cloaking, keyword stuffing, and purchasing backlinks, to avoid penalties from search engines. Following these SEO best practices, websites can boost Search Engine rankings and derive more traffic from organic searches.