{"id":23610,"date":"2019-09-05T12:31:07","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T17:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=23610"},"modified":"2025-12-18T08:43:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T13:43:08","slug":"what-is-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"What is SEO and Why Does It Matter for Your Website?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving a website\u2019s content, structure, and authority to help search engines understand it better and connect it with the right audience.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">The goal of SEO is to increase visibility in search results, making it easier for people to find relevant, trustworthy, and useful content when they search for information, products, or services. This involves optimizing webpages, improving technical performance, and building credibility through links and engagement\u2014so that both search engines and users see your site as valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you sell coffee, SEO can help your website show up on the first page of Google when people search for \u201cbuy coffee\u201d. Higher rankings lead to more clicks to your website, and that means more potential customers for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why is SEO important?\" data-section=\"why-is-seo-important\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_xonwpmd8fr6y\"><\/a>Why is SEO important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two main reasons why SEO is important:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>People use Google to find all kinds of things, including products, services, and any helpful information about them. That creates search demand, which many websites compete for. The outcome of effective SEO is outranking the competition to take advantage of that search demand.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlike online advertising, the traffic you get through SEO is&nbsp;free.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, SEO benefits include free, sustainable, and passive traffic to your website month after&nbsp;month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To illustrate, our blog generates an estimated 572K visits per month from Google. Without SEO, we\u2019d have to spend over $0.5M on ads to get that traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1852\" height=\"528\" class=\"wp-image-176785\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-1.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic to Ahrefs Blog \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-1.png 1852w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-1-680x194.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-1-768x219.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image3-1-1536x438.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1852px) 100vw, 1852px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How search engines work\" data-section=\"how-search-engines-work\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_h9a9pz5wyqb8\"><\/a>How search engines work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines are designed to help you find information on the internet. They use two main components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Search index<\/strong>. A digital library of information about web&nbsp;pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search algorithms<\/strong>. Programs that match and rank results from the index based on your search query.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines work in three phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Crawling<\/strong>: Web crawlers (or spiders) visit and download webpages by following links from known&nbsp;pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indexing<\/strong>: The information from crawled pages is processed and added to the search index.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ranking<\/strong>: When you perform a search, the algorithm ranks relevant results based on various factors to provide the best answers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, in a nutshell, when you search, search engines look through all the pages in the index for relevant results. They then rank them using a computer program called an algorithm to put the best results at the top and display a search engine result page (SERP) to the&nbsp;user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1558\" height=\"1700\" class=\"wp-image-170152\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/how-search-works.png\" alt=\"How Search Engines Work\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/how-search-works.png 1558w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/how-search-works-390x425.png 390w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/how-search-works-768x838.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/how-search-works-1408x1536.png 1408w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1558px) 100vw, 1558px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What poses the main difficulty for SEOs here is that, except for some privy people at Google, nobody really knows how this ranking algorithm(s) works, so there is a lot of trial and error in the SEO industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google holds a number of patents related to how their search works in order to prevent manipulating search results and copying the secret formula of their multibillion-dollar business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, they still leave clues through their spokespeople and pages like \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230601030505\/https:\/\/www.google.com\/intl\/en_uk\/search\/howsearchworks\/algorithms\/\">How Search Works<\/a>\u201d:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>To give you the most useful information, Search algorithms look at many factors, including the words of your query, relevance and usability of pages, expertise of sources and your location and settings. The weight applied to each factor varies depending on the nature of your query \u2013 for example, the freshness of the content plays a bigger role in answering queries about current news topics than it does about dictionary definitions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>We also have evidence of some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">ranking signals<\/a> Google uses. Here are the seven they already confirmed:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Backlinks.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Relevance (search intent).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Freshness.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>HTTPS (site security).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobile-friendliness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Page speed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intrusive interstitials.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s not all. Google likes to \u201cstir things up\u201d a bit by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search\/howsearchworks\/how-search-works\/ranking-results\/#context\"> personalizing search results<\/a> based&nbsp;on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Location<\/strong>. Shows results relevant to your geographical area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Language<\/strong>. Ranks content in the language you understand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Search history<\/strong>. Tailors results based on your past searches.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/how-do-search-engines-work\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-do-search-engines-work\/\">How Do Search Engines Work? Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How SEO works\" data-section=\"how-seo works\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_c8z2dp41ry19\"><\/a>How SEO&nbsp;works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO<\/a> works by creating high-quality, relevant content with good UX about things people search for, and then proving to Google it deserves to&nbsp;rank.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do SEO effectively, these four things matter the&nbsp;most:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keyword research.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search intent.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content quality.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>User experience and usability of the&nbsp;page.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_4wfw54bbvuaa\"><\/a>1. Keyword research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To drive organic traffic, your content needs to be created specifically for topics that people actually search for. Otherwise, no one will be able to find your page on Google\u2019s search result pages (SERPs), and you won\u2019t get any organic traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, the best kind of topics are the ones that hold business value to you. Otherwise, you\u2019re unlikely to attract potential customers through SEO.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find topics that meet both criteria, you need a keyword research tool like<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\"> Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The general process of keyword research goes like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter a few industry-related \u201cseed\u201d phrases. For instance, \u201cparenting\u201d, \u201cnewborn\u201d, \u201ctoddler\u201d, \u201cbabies\u201d, \u201ckids\u201d.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Refine the list with filters such as<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/keyword-difficulty\"> keyword difficulty<\/a>, minimum traffic potential, or excluding keywords you already rank&nbsp;for.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pick keywords that fit your website best.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1245\" class=\"wp-image-176786\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6.png\" alt=\"Quick keyword research in Ahrefs \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image6-1536x957.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/keyword-research\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">Keyword Research: The Beginner\u2019s Guide by Ahrefs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_4nx2zhqceufu\"><\/a>2. Search intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Search intent is the reason behind the search. In other words, why did the person make this search? Was it to buy something, to learn something, or maybe to find a particular site?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are important questions to answer before you start creating content because<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/intl\/en_uk\/search\/howsearchworks\/how-search-works\/ranking-results\/#quality\"> Google evaluates content relevancy<\/a> based on how well a page serves search intent. Irrelevant content won\u2019t get&nbsp;far.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, interactive tools dominate the first page for \u201cdays between dates\u201d whereas videos dominate for \u201cexcel for beginners.\u201d This is a clear indication of what searchers want and the best type of content to create for each keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1928\" class=\"wp-image-170153\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/search-intent.png\" alt=\"Search intent varies depending on the search query\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/search-intent.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/search-intent-353x425.png 353w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/search-intent-768x925.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/search-intent-1275x1536.png 1275w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason why this is happening is that Google interprets the motive behind the query and shows the results the user wants to&nbsp;see.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search intent is not always that obvious. In some cases, it can be mixed or fractured. But to make their jobs easier, SEOs typically classify possible reasons behind the search into four categories:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Informational<\/strong>. The searcher is looking for information, e.g., \u201cwho invented the&nbsp;mouse\u201d.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Navigational<\/strong>. The intent is to find a specific website, e.g., \u201cfacebook login\u201d.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commercial<\/strong> investigation. The searcher wants to buy a specific product but needs to do more research, e.g., \u201cahrefs review\u201d.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transactional<\/strong>. Pure buying mode, e.g., \u201cbuy iphone 15\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you optimize for search intent? Look at the top-ranking pages and ask yourself questions to identify the \u201c3 C\u2019s of search intent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Content type<\/strong>: Are most of the results blog posts, product pages, category pages, landing pages, or something else?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content format<\/strong>: Is Google mainly ranking how-to guides, list-style articles, tutorials, comparisons, opinion pieces, or something entirely different?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content angle<\/strong>: Is there a common theme or unique selling point across the top-ranking pages? If so, this gives you some insight into what might be important to searchers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, most top-ranking pages for \u201cavocado seed\u201d are blog posts serving as how-to guides for planting the seed. The use of \u201ceasy\u201d and \u201csimple\u201d angles indicates that searchers are beginners looking for straightforward advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1428\" height=\"1406\" class=\"wp-image-174675\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/dominating-intent-on-a-serp.jpeg\" alt=\"Dominating intent on a SERP\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/dominating-intent-on-a-serp.jpeg 1428w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/dominating-intent-on-a-serp-432x425.jpeg 432w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/dominating-intent-on-a-serp-768x756.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1428px) 100vw, 1428px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re an <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\">Ahrefs<\/a> user, you can also use the <strong>Identify intents <\/strong>AI feature to see the type of search intent that gets the most traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"991\" class=\"wp-image-176536\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/identify-intents-feature-in-ahrefs-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"Identify intents feature in Ahrefs.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/identify-intents-feature-in-ahrefs-1-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/identify-intents-feature-in-ahrefs-1-1-680x329.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/identify-intents-feature-in-ahrefs-1-1-768x372.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/identify-intents-feature-in-ahrefs-1-1-1536x743.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">What is Search Intent? A Complete Guide for Beginners<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_uigcy6hom1aa\"><\/a>3. Content quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google ranks pages, not entire websites. And over the years, it has developed guidelines and<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\"> ranking factors<\/a> to test pages for signs of quality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, there are three things key to demonstrating content quality in the eyes of Google:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Optimized content.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Backlinks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optimized content&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Content optimization concerns the information you provide on any given page. If you want to outrank your competitors, your content has to&nbsp;be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Helpful<\/strong>. Offer relevant, thorough answers; give searchers what they expect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easy to digest<\/strong>. Use simple language with uncomplicated sentences to improve readability (about half of Americans read at a<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Literacy_in_the_United_States\"> below 6th-grade reading level<\/a>). Use images where you can make the content more comprehensible.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Well-structured<\/strong>. Follow a logical structure, use headings to separate different sections.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unique<\/strong>. You can increase your chances of ranking if you bring something new and interesting to the SERPs, such as original research.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fresh<\/strong>. More important in search queries that require up-to-date information.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of that, you need to follow some simple on-page SEO best practices. Page elements like title tags, image alt text, or schema markup can help Google better understand your content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These on-page SEO techniques are easy to use so whenever you need to, just check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\">beginner\u2019s guide on-page SEO<\/a> to get some tips and use our free AI writing tools to streamline the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>E-E-A-T (previously E-A-T)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\">E-E-A-T<\/a> (aka Double-E-A-T) is a set of guidelines that Google\u2019s quality raters use to assess the quality of search results. And it looks beyond the information on your website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E-E-A-T applies to all topics, but it\u2019s more impactful on<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/ymyl-pages\"> YMYL<\/a> topics (Your Money or Your Life) - topics that can potentially impact a person\u2019s future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, Google looks for signs of overall trustworthiness on your pages before it serves them to searchers. Specifically, it looks&nbsp;for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Experience<\/strong>. As in first-hand experience with the subject matter (product, problem, event, place, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expertise<\/strong>. Formal expertise, qualifications, and education of the content creator.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Authoritativeness<\/strong>. The extent to which the content creator or the website is known as a go-to source for the topic. In other words, reputation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trustworthiness<\/strong>. Legitimacy, transparency, and accuracy of the website and its content. It\u2019s the<a href=\"https:\/\/static.googleusercontent.com\/media\/guidelines.raterhub.com\/en\/\/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf\"> most important criterion<\/a> out of them&nbsp;all.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Arguably the most impactful way of improving E-E-A-T on your pages is getting more quality links from other websites - backlinks. And this brings us to one of the most powerful ranking factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Backlinks<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks (or inbound links, incoming links) are links from a page on one website to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"847\" class=\"wp-image-176790\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image8.jpg\" alt=\"What are backlinks \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image8.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image8-680x360.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image8-768x407.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/image8-1536x813.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Backlinks act as votes. Generally speaking, pages with more votes tend to rank higher.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1189\" class=\"wp-image-170146\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-8.png\" alt=\"Pages with more backlinks tend to rank higher\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-8.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-8-572x425.png 572w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-8-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-8-1536x1141.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>How do we know? We <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-traffic-study\/\">studied<\/a> almost one billion web pages and found a clear correlation between referring domains (links from unique websites) and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/organic-search\/\">organic search traffic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1678\" height=\"1658\" class=\"wp-image-170147\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9.png\" alt=\"Referring domains and organic search traffic correlation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9.png 1678w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9-430x425.png 430w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9-768x759.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9-1536x1518.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-9-120x120.png 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1678px) 100vw, 1678px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting more links to your pages is called link building. Overall, there are three ways to get backlinks, and you can (even should) use all of&nbsp;them:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Earn<\/strong> backlinks by creating compelling content with<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-bait\/\"> assets designed to attract backlinks<\/a>, such as original studies, free resources, infographics, or a unique view on a&nbsp;topic.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create<\/strong> backlinks by manually adding them to popular directories and resource pages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build<\/strong> backlinks by<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blogger-outreach\/\"> reaching out<\/a> to people who can include links to your pages on their website.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Link building is something that preoccupies the SEO industry. In fact, many SEOs and agencies specialize in that alone. To give you an idea of how this works, here\u2019s a quick overview of a few popular backlink building techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/haro-link-building\/\"><strong>Broken link building<\/strong><\/a>: Find a \u201cdead page\u201d and ask linkers to swap the links to a working page on your&nbsp;site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/guest-blogging\/\"><strong>Guest blogging<\/strong><\/a>: Write a blog post for another website and earn a link back to your site in return.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/skyscraper-technique\/\"><strong>The Skyscraper Technique<\/strong><\/a>: Find content with lots of backlinks, create something better, then ask everyone linking to the content you improved to link to you instead.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/resource-page-link-building\/\"><strong>Resource page link building<\/strong><\/a>: Get backlinks from webpages that curate and link out to useful industry resources.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/haro-link-building\/\"><strong>HARO (and similar services)<\/strong><\/a>: Use services like HARO to find relevant journalist requests for quotes. You can usually earn a link to your site if your quote gets published.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>What you want, though, is not just any kind of backlinks. The consensus in the SEO community is that there are five factors that make up a backlink\u2019s quality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1414\" class=\"wp-image-170149\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-11.png\" alt=\"What makes a good backlink\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-11.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-11-481x425.png 481w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-11-768x679.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/word-image-170138-11-1536x1357.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We cover all of them in detail in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">link building guide for beginners<\/a>. But here\u2019s the takeaway to remember: the best links come from relevant, authoritative websites and are placed within the main content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since these kinds of links are so valuable, they became sort of the currency of the web. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so challenging to get good quality links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/link-building\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">Link Building for SEO: The Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-strategies\/\">9 EASY Link Building Strategies (That ANYONE Can&nbsp;Use)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"FAQ\" data-section=\"faq\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. User experience and usability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google evaluates the user experience (UX) of any given page by looking at a set of<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/page-experience\"> page experience signals<\/a>. Here are the signals they openly talk&nbsp;about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Good Core Web Vitals scores (CWV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security (whether the page connects via&nbsp;HTTPS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobile-friendliness (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/mobile-first-indexing\/\">Google uses the mobile version<\/a> of your pages for indexing and ranking)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding intrusive interstitials and dialogs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep things short and simple, we won\u2019t go through those signals here. But it\u2019s enough to understand that Google wants to serve mobile-friendly pages that load reasonably fast, have a stable interface without big popups that cover content (unless it\u2019s for legal reasons), and have a SSL or TSL certificate set up (which you can get for&nbsp;free).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All those elements are pretty much web design standard these days. Google doesn\u2019t require your website to have a state-of-the-art visual design or be the fastest site on the web. And if you look at this<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweor.com\/firstimpressions\"> statistic from Adobe<\/a>, that care for UX does make&nbsp;sense:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Nearly 8 in 10 of consumers would stop engaging with content that doesn\u2019t display well on their device.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/core-web-vitals\/\">A Primer On Core Web Vitals<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How local SEO&nbsp;works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Local SEO is a strategy to make your business more visible in local search results on search engines like Google. When people search for services or products near them, local SEO helps your business appear at the top of the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1205\" class=\"wp-image-176787\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7-1.png\" alt=\"Search result with local intent \" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7-1.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7-1-680x410.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7-1-768x463.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/image7-1-1536x926.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There are additional factors that impact Local SEO. On top of what we\u2019ve discussed so far, here\u2019s what matters for searchers with local intent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Google Business Profile. <\/strong>Create a profile for your business on Google. It includes your name, address, phone number, hours, and photos. This profile helps you show up in the \u201cmap pack,\u201d the section with a map and a list of businesses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reviews. <\/strong>Encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews on your Google profile and other review sites. Reviews build trust and can improve your rankings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keywords with local search intent. <\/strong>Use SEO tools like Ahrefs Keywords Explorer to find search queries for local products or services (e.g. \u201cvet near me\u201d) and gauge their traffic potential and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-difficulty\/\">ranking difficulty<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consistency. <\/strong>Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (also known as the NAP) are the same everywhere online \u2014 on your website, social media, and local directories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local Listings. <\/strong>Get your business listed in online directories (big ones like Yelp, and directories in your niche) and local websites (e.g., blogs reviewing local restaurants).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how to do local SEO in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/local-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/local-seo\/\">complete guide for beginners<\/a>.&nbsp;<a id=\"post-170138-_89d3y94mscbi\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_infg0eax8ftw\"><\/a>What is the difference between SEO, SEM, and&nbsp;PPC?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEM (Search Engine Marketing) has the broadest scope of those three, encompassing generating traffic from organic search (SEO) and paying for traffic with PPC search ads. Learn more about the difference in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-vs-sem\/\">our guide to SEO vs. SEM<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_97kuj1lrydpo\"><\/a>What are the types of&nbsp;SEO?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are 3 main types of&nbsp;SEO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/on-page-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/on-page-seo\/\">On-page SEO<\/a> concentrates on ranking factors occurring on a page, such as aligning with search intent or improving content quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/off-page-seo\">Off-page SEO<\/a> concentrates on ranking factors occurring outside of a page, such as building backlinks, or optimizing a Google Business Profile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/technical-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/technical-seo\/\">Technical SEO<\/a> is the process of optimizing a website to help search engines find, crawl, understand, and index your&nbsp;pages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also a few subtypes of SEO focusing on specific business conditions such as<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/local-seo\" data-ahr=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/local-seo\/\"> local SEO<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ecommerce-seo\/\"> ecommerce SEO<\/a>, or<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/enterprise-seo\/\"> enterprise SEO<\/a>. But if you want a full list of all the types of SEO, we compiled one <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/types-of-seo\/\">here<\/a> (67 types of SEO to&nbsp;date).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_m5eh2947n8p\"><\/a>How can I learn&nbsp;SEO?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many good resources you can find online, and a good portion of them are free. You can start with our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO for beginners<\/a> or take <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/academy\">free courses in Ahrefs\u2019 Academy<\/a>.<a id=\"post-170138-_x1tb1nojrfhd\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I do SEO on my&nbsp;own?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The short answer is yes if you run a small to medium-sized website. All you need is some time to learn and practice SEO, plus good SEO tools that offer vast and accurate <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/big-data\">data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For bigger sites, more than one SEO specialist may be needed. You may need to hire someone or outsource to freelancers or an agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO tools - which ones do I&nbsp;need?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two basic types of tools for&nbsp;SEO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-search-console\/\">Google Search Console<\/a><\/strong> is a free tool that provides click, click-through rate and SERP impression data straight from Google and notifies you of technical issues and manual actions. The data is limited but it\u2019s considered to be the most accurate so pretty much every SEO professional uses the Search Console.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An all-in-one SEO tool like<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/ahrefs.com\"><strong> Ahrefs<\/strong> <\/a>compensates for Google Search Console\u2019s data limitations and provides additional features that SEO would be impossible without. All-in-one tools allow you to analyze your competitors\u2019 organic performance, do keyword research, track your rankings across many locations, analyze backlinks and find backlink opportunities, audit and optimize your website for over 160 technical issues, and&nbsp;more.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you just want to try with free tools first, you will find lots of them online. Ahrefs provides fourteen<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/free-seo-tools\"> free SEO tools<\/a>, one for every aspect of SEO, including your central SEO dashboard called <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Webmaster Tools<\/a>. Want even more options? Check out our list of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/free-seo-tools\/\">31 free SEO tools<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_8cusd1wc4vms\"><\/a>How much time does SEO&nbsp;take?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO is usually a lengthy process. We <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-long-does-seo-take\/\">learned from over 4k respondents<\/a> that it typically takes between 3-6 months to see results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-170138-_ylkra6s8hbgd\"><\/a>How much does SEO&nbsp;cost?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to hire someone for SEO instead of doing it yourself, your options are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hiring an agency. Probably the most expensive option, costing $134.66\/hour (+ retainer) on average.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiring freelancers\/consultants. On average, SEO consultants cost $122.33\/hour (+ retainer), and freelancers cost $68\/hour (+ retainer).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building an in-house team. On average, an in-house SEO specialist costs $71K\/year (in the U.S.). Naturally, the salary will largely depend on the experience of the employee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The cost estimates are based on our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-pricing\/\">study<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What latest SEO trends are worth following?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent article, we analyzed <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-trends\/\">ten influential SEO trends for 2024<\/a>. Based on our research, we think these four trends are definitely worth implementing and keeping an eye on for further development:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Video SEO<\/strong>. Video SEO is essential due to steady search trends and can significantly boost visibility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SGE (Search Generative Experience, now \u201cAI Overview\u201d)<\/strong>. Google recently rolled out a feature that uses AI to generate exhaustive answers to search queries. Follow Google\u2019s search essentials guidelines to appear in those AI overviews.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>AI SEO.<\/strong> AI tools improve efficiency and save time in various SEO&nbsp;tasks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Information Gain. <\/strong>Google\u2019s patented way to assign a score to your content to determine its uniqueness. For instance, original content could be something that offers a unique perspective or original research.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-trends\/\">full article<\/a> to learn more, and see which other trends could be worth following under some circumstances and which are best avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got questions or comments? Ping me on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/home\">X<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mateusz-makosiewicz-38154b67\/\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The goal of SEO is to increase visibility in search results, making it easier for people to find relevant, trustworthy, and useful content when they search for information, products, or services. This involves optimizing webpages, improving technical performance, and building<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-23610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is SEO and Why Does It Matter for Your Website?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SEO stands for search engine optimization. It&#039;s the process of improving a website&#039;s visibility in search engines to get more traffic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-is-seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is SEO and Why Does It Matter for Your Website?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Everyone&#039;s heard of SEO. 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