What is SEO?

At first glance, SEO seems quite complicated. Given that it is a relatively new discipline, many people are not even aware of its existence. However, it now plays an important role in the lives of all professionals looking to make themselves known. But what exactly is SEO?

SEO, definition

First of all,

However, SEO does not only concern the website in question. It encompasses a broader domain, including the external environment of the website. That is why in SEO, we distinguish between two different methods:  

• "off-site"

• “on-site”

Before awarding you one of the top positions among search results, they first check if you deserve it or not. For this, they thoroughly analyze your site. If you have followed all the

In conclusion, here is a first summary of what SEO is:

The operation of SEO

In SEO, avoid doing things your own way. You risk over-optimizing your site, which will cause a lot of damage. Instead, stick to the rules imposed by search engines. Each of these rules revolves around these 3 main axes:

Method

The side

Content

We call it

Reputation

The

These 3 main axes depend on each other: web actors will have no interest in recommending your site if it is not well designed, or if the content has no added value! It is a virtuous circle, for which you will need to roll up your sleeves and demonstrate rigor.

In conclusion, SEO can be defined as the set of

The basics of SEO

The success of SEO techniques relies on several criteria (which we will see the details of in the following paragraph). In this one, we will first address the basics...

The

Next comes the

The relevance of content is the key to success in SEO. It is only by basing yourself on this criterion that you will be able to produce quality content that meets the expectations of users.

The other SEO criteria to absolutely consider

If you want your SEO strategy to be effective, you will need to pay special attention to the following 8 points:  

• The contents

So that your content can be qualified as

Finally, the

If you want to know how to write an effective article,

• The structure

As an expert SEO, I work closely with the structure of web content. Search engine robots navigate the internet, visiting various sites. When they arrive on your site, these robots analyze its structure to try to recognize its theme, and then index it.

That is why you must take care of the structure of your site by thinking carefully about:

• Create a link between the pages

• Écrire l’URL de chaque page correctement

• Insérer des titres et sous-titres

• Rédiger un meta titre pertinent

All this while taking into account the keywords you have defined!

The

• The links

There are two types of links:

• Internal links

• The external links

On the other hand, there is also:

• Natural links

• Unnatural links

We are most interested in natural external links. The more links pointing to your site, the more popular and visible it will become: a successful SEO!

• A responsive design

It is said that a site is responsive if

Do you know that such a website enhances visibility? Indeed, most searches are now done from a mobile device... Hence the importance of adapting your site design to these devices!

Try to put yourself in the shoes of internet users. Let's say you enter the following query on Google, and you do it via your smartphone: what is SEO? You will then click on the site that interests you, but you will only stay there if it is adapted to the screen of the device.

And if you need help with the creation or optimization of your website, I am here to help you!

• The Meta description

The meta description is a short text that appears under the URL, used as a description. At first glance, it seems to have no connection with SEO... And yet, it is largely thanks to it that you will get natural clicks! It generally contains

• The titles

An attractive title is good, but be careful, it should respect a certain number of characters to be as effective as possible: ideally,

• The Permalinks

In other words, it is about

• Social networks

Let's now focus on the social dimension... Yes,

For some examples of how to manage your social media, visit

The risks involved in SEO

SEO does not really present any risks: it is the way people use it that can be dangerous.

In 2000, SEO was very different from what it is today. Back then, nothing was complicated. It was simply a matter of:

• Choose the right domain name

• Remplir le contenu de mot-clé, de quelque façon que ce soit

• Ne pas oublier des liens (eh oui, même n’importe lesquels !)

The checks and other penalties were not at all relevant at that time..

And now? Everything is evolving, and digital even faster: including SEO, of course

At the slightest penalty, sanctions quickly rain down, but not only that... Website optimization procedures are currently much more complicated. But don't panic, I'm not here to discourage you! On the contrary: if many companies have been able to work on their SEO and benefit from it, know that you are also capable of doing so.

But then what do you need exactly? You will need to be able to answer the question "what is SEO", and master its codes. Do not be afraid of the task ahead, and arm yourself with courage, patience, and determination!

The mistakes to avoid in SEO

As SEO is still a practice that the general public may not necessarily understand, some people have false ideas about it and think that anything goes... However, there are practices that must be absolutely banned, otherwise you could face sanctions. So be careful to avoid them! Let's look at some of them:  

• The excesses

It is true that keywords are the backbone of a good (SEO-optimized) article, but

• Cloning, or duplicate content

It's not just excesses that bother Google: cloning does too. More commonly known by its English term "duplicate content", it simply refers to content that appears on the internet more than once, in more than one place (meaning, on more than one site). So avoid at all costs copying and pasting from a source that is not your own!

Indeed, when faced with two identical elements, the search engine will only choose one, the one that appears to be the most reliable and well-documented

• Link building

We have discussed the different types of links a little earlier in this article, and you have discovered that natural links are indeed the most advantageous... But what about paid links?

Let the facts answer this question: several directories aimed at providing links have disappeared

But what does it want exactly? Google tends to value links from credible, reliable sites. Obtaining links on these sites will allow you to increase your organic traffic and boost your credibility..

Discover other techniques to increase your traffic

• The hidden texts and links

It is a technique as old as the world: cheating.

You thought you could outsmart the search engine algorithm by hiding your content from the naked eye? Think again. Even by placing text written in lowercase, Google will still find you, and you know it now:

"All means are good when they are effective," they used to say. This expression is not true in SEO, because

Why use SEO?

After reviewing all the previous points, are you still not convinced? Here is a summary of the reasons why you should have it

• You ensure your visibility

As its name indicates in French, SEO (therefore

However, be careful: in general, these are not

• You create your brand / You strengthen your brand image

By taking SEO into account, you ensure your popularity! Indeed,

By the same token, the

So far, have you been able to see the importance of knowing the answer to: what is SEO? -> interest query, but rephrase differently

In short,

Close to 80,000 searches are conducted on Google per second

What is the current state of SEO?

As I mentioned earlier, SEO is constantly evolving! The only way to survive in this jungle is to stay up to date with the latest trends.

For example, for this current year:

• A migration to HTTPS

Google is banning non-HTTPS e-commerce sites from their first page. Make sure to check yours!

• Geolocated searches

If you have an observant mind, you may have noticed that the results of your Google searches take into account your geographic location. So, you know what you have to do: optimize your site locally (in addition to internationally of course). By doing this, you increase your chances of appearing on the first pages of the SERP!

• Voice searches

Certainly, keywords are important, but with voice search, other parameters come into play... Have you noticed that when performing a voice search, we tend to do it in the form of a question? Hence the need to focus on content that answers a specific question, even if it takes the form of a full sentence. So keep this in mind when choosing your keywords!

• The videos are very popular

Visual content is increasingly in demand. Images had their golden age, but they are no longer sufficient on their own: videos are the new stars of content, and you would be better off giving them a prominent place!

• In 2019, SEO becomes SXO: Search eXperience Optimization

The term SEO is starting to become outdated, hence this new designation. As the name suggests, in addition to the SEO criteria that we have seen throughout this article, we will especially take into account the user experience (UX).

• Focus on user experience

UX includes many things, such as the platform interface (design and structure), site ergonomics (loading speed and weight) ... which only make up the visible part of the iceberg. However, their power is not insignificant: the bounce and conversion rates of the site depend on them!

UX requires continuous work: be patient. SEO is a long process, the results obtained will also last in the long term. But if you want to boost the process a little,

There you have it, you now have all the keys in hand to embark on the SEO adventure, or at least to understand the benefits for your business