Expert SEO Services

General SEO Questions

What does “SEO” stand for and when was the term first used?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. While the exact first use is debated, the term gained popularity in the mid-1990s as the first search engines like AltaVista and Yahoo! emerged, and webmasters began to try and influence their rankings.

Is there a “father” of SEO?

Unlike other industries, there is no single “father” of SEO. It’s an industry that evolved collaboratively. Early pioneers in the mid-90s, who experimented with ranking factors and shared their findings in online forums, are considered the foundational figures.

What are algorithms and why should I care?

Search engine algorithms are complex formulas used by search engines (like Google) to rank web pages. They analyze hundreds of factors to determine which pages are most relevant and authoritative for a user’s search query. You should care because understanding these algorithms is key to improving your site’s visibility and attracting more organic traffic.

What is AI SEO?

AI SEO refers to the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, both by search engines to understand content and rank results (e.g., Google’s BERT and MUM), and by SEO professionals to automate tasks, analyze data, and create content.

What is GEO?

The rise of artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing digital marketing by shifting search from a keyword-based model to one driven by user intent and conversational interactions. To succeed in this new landscape, a strategy known as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is essential, which focuses on creating machine-readable, factually accurate content and using structured data to ensure visibility in AI-powered search results.

The Importance and History of SEO

What is the history of SEO and how did it evolve?

SEO started with simple on-page tactics like keyword stuffing in the 1990s. Over time, search engines became smarter, moving to analyze backlinks and then a wide range of sophisticated signals. The evolution has been from manipulating search engines to a more holistic approach focused on creating high-quality, user-centric content and a great user experience.

Why is SEO so important for my business?

SEO is crucial because it helps your business gain visibility and attract qualified, organic traffic. When people search for products or services you offer, you want to be at the top of their results. It’s a long-term strategy that builds brand authority and can be a highly cost-effective marketing channel.

Can I do SEO myself or do I need to hire someone?

You can absolutely learn the basics and do some SEO yourself, especially for a personal blog or small project. However, for a business aiming to compete in a crowded market, hiring a professional or an agency is often more efficient. Professional SEOs stay up-to-date with algorithm changes and have the tools and expertise to build a comprehensive, effective strategy.

The Basics Of Search Engine Optimization or SEO Explained

What Does SEO include?

SEO includes all processes taken to help any content to rank higher in search engine results. The process of “working” on a page or site SEO is called “Search Engine Optimization” or just “optimization”.

What is Organic SEO?

Organic SEO is making a page or site more search engine friendly so that the page or site will rank high in the organic search results. Organic SEO differs from paid advertisement and should not be confused with it. In paid ads, you need to pay money every time you want the ad to appear. But organic SEO does not cost you anything. Organic SEO basically means that the focus is on organic ranking, and one of the benefits of this type of SEO (if done correctly) is that you do not have to pay to be on the front page of a search engine result page.

Use SEO to get on the top of the world

How Does SEO Work?

SEO works through search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo by sending their bots to crawl your website. These search bots, or spiders as they are also called, scour the internet to find content. This content is then used to help determine what a certain page or site should actually be ranked for. Search engine results depend on many different factors such as the content’s relevance, structure, how helpful the content is, who links to it and so forth.

There are more than 200 factors that come into play for SEO and these factors could be split into 2 main groups: On-page and Off-page:

• On-page SEO – Working on the page of a site to ensure that it comes up strong in the search results. On-page SEO includes things like making sure the content is good, adding alt tags to images, creating strong title and meta tags, making sure the page loads quickly and so forth.
• Off-page SEO – Getting a page to rank strongly in the search results by working on different sites or pages. Off-page includes things like creating back links to a page of different sites or other pages, sharing the pages in social media sites and so forth.

SEO Techniques and Strategies

SEO is a continuous process and cannot be achieved overnight. There are some basic strategies that are applied to rank in search results.

Here are a few of the key search engine optimization techniques:

• Content – Content is still the king! That said, you need to think about what content you should curate for your site. The site content needs to be driven based on the website users. Your content should be meaningful to your target audience and you need to publish well researched and in depth articles for them. But before you start with “just any content”, make sure you know what your frequent users are looking for. Once you have the topic that you want to publish, break it down for your users and make it actionable. The easiest way to this is to try and answer the questions that your site visitors are hoping to get.
• 2. Keyword Research – As we have already pointed out, search engines have their method of analyzing content. Keywords are those words that you want to rank for and the content you curate needs to center around those specific words. Search engine crawlers (also referred to as bots or spiders) will “read” your entire post and analyze it. The hope is that you selected terms that have value to your site users. The more frequently searched keywords will generate the most amount of web traffic, but they also tend to be more competitive. But if you do your SEO work well, the rewards will be tremendous.
• 3. On-page Optimization – On-page optimization as mentioned is the work on the actual page or article to get a strong rank in the search engine results. Some of the things that you need to pay attention to include: title tags, meta descriptions, site structure, linking internally from other pages on your site, selecting the best url, making sure the images are relevant and tagged correctly and that the page is mobile friendly (meaning that it looks good on different mobile devices and different screen sizes). Technical optimization for site speed and security measures also accounts for on-page optimization but these are usually best left to the professionals.
• 4. Site Architecture Optimization – A great website accounts for a good user experience, which is an important aspect of Search Engine Optimization. This includes three essential things – breadcrumbs, creating proper pages and child pages and / or categories and sub categories. In addition, the actual domain name will play a key SEO role here as well.
• 5. Semantic markup – Semantic markup basically means that you are structuring the code on your site to help reinforce the actual meaning of the content that lives on the page. In addition, this helps the search engines understand what your content is really about. This in turn will help the bots analyze the content more efficiently and will help to rank your page higher in the search results. In addition to code markups, you will also need to generate an XML site map that will tell the search engines “where” to find all the articles, products posts and pages that you have.
• 6. Link building – To help show search engines that your content is important, you would need to link to it. This aspect of SEO work breaks down to both internal (as in coming links from other pages on your site) and external links (as in coming links from other sites). Links are like “trusted” votes received from other pages and other sites. In coming links tell search engines the content is relevant and the higher quality site links (such as links from the top news sites) will help your content rank better and faster. When it comes to external links coming into your page, try to think quality over quantity. By this, we mean that one direct link from The New York Times will help push up your rank much better and faster than 100 links from lower ranked directories.

SEO is a process of improving the quality and quantity of your website content

Why do we need SEO and why can’t we do without it?

SEO is a process of constantly improving the quality and quantity of your website content and increasing the number of visitors a website gets.

Here are three basic and significant benefits of SEO:

• SEO Increases Organic Visibility – Content has no value if it doesn’t reach the right audience. Effective SEO strategy will help increase the organic visibility of your content, giving it a chance to get the right audience. The more people see your content the more chances you have of growing your business.
• Impressive ROI – Your Return on Investment (ROI) increases by adopting the right search engine optimization techniques. By attracting the right people to your site, there is a bigger chance to have more businesses.
• Trust Factor – Example: ranking in the number one position in Google for a search term will automatically create a trust factor for your company. The general public understands that so many companies are constantly competing for the highest placement. So, if Google (for example) decided that you should rank in the #1 position for a search term, it must mean you are the best of the best for that query.

3 Handy Search Engine Optimization Tools

Tools can enhance your Search engine optimization techniques, especially if you ate a novice in the game. Here are the top three tools to consider.

• SEMrush – SemRush is a robust online SEO tool that allows users to monitor, analyze and compare pages and ranks with their competitors. They also offer site auditing tools that could help identify potential issues within your site.
• Google Search Console – Formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, the GSC is a free tool that should be used to  monitor your website’s health and rank. The Google SEO search console helps you understand Google’s search results better that will help optimize your site.
• Ubersuggest – Ubersuggest is also a free tool that can be utilized for keyword research and checking the domain authority. The report includes competition, CPC, keyword volume and seasonal trends.

Common SEO Questions & Best Practices

What are some common SEO mistakes to avoid?

Common mistakes include keyword stuffing (overusing keywords), ignoring technical SEO issues (like slow page speed), creating low-quality or duplicate content, and neglecting internal linking. Focusing on quality over quantity and a positive user experience is key to avoiding these pitfalls.

What are the basic rules of SEO?

The fundamental rules of SEO are:

• Provide value: Create unique, high-quality content that genuinely helps users.
• Be findable: Ensure your site is technically sound, fast, and easily crawlable by search engines.
• Earn trust: Build a strong backlink profile and domain authority.
• Optimize for people: While you need to be mindful of algorithms, always prioritize creating a good experience for your human visitors.

What are some SEO examples?

• Content Optimization: Writing a blog post titled “10 Best Running Shoes for Beginners” and optimizing it with relevant keywords.
• Local SEO: Claiming your business on Google Business Profile so you show up on “near me” searches.
• Link Building: Getting a mention and a link from a popular industry blog.
• Technical SEO: Improving your website’s loading speed to provide a better user experience.

Local SEO and Tools

What is Local SEO?

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online presence to attract more business from local searches. This is especially important for brick-and-mortar businesses. It involves optimizing your Google Business Profile, building local citations, and acquiring local backlinks.

What are some key SEO tools and how do I use them?

• Google Search Console (GSC): Use GSC to monitor your site’s performance in Google search results, find technical issues, and see which queries bring you traffic.
• Google Analytics (GA): Use GA to understand your website visitors’ behavior, see which pages they visit, and track conversions.
• SEMrush & Ahrefs: These are comprehensive third-party tools used for keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink analysis.

Off-Page SEO

What is Off-Page SEO and why does it matter?

Off-page SEO refers to all the actions taken outside of your website to impact your rankings. It’s about building your site’s authority and trust. It matters because search engines use these external signals, particularly backlinks, as a vote of confidence in your site.

What are backlinks and why do I need them?

Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. They are a core component of off-page SEO because they signal to search engines that others vouch for your content. The more high-quality, relevant backlinks you have, the more trustworthy and authoritative your site appears, which can lead to higher rankings.

Is off-page SEO more important than on-page SEO?

Neither is more important; they are complementary. On-page SEO lays the foundation by making your site understandable to search engines and users, while off-page SEO builds authority and trust. A strong SEO strategy requires both.

What about social media, guest blogging, and podcasts for off-page SEO?

These activities don’t directly pass “link equity” (unless a backlink is included), but they are crucial for a holistic strategy. They help you build your brand, increase visibility, and can lead to natural backlinks as people discover your content and link to it. Guest blogging is a direct way to earn a backlink.

What is Domain Authority (DA)?

Domain Authority (DA) is a third-party metric (created by Moz) that predicts how well a website will rank. It’s a score from 1-100, and it’s heavily influenced by the quantity and quality of backlinks. Building DA is a key goal of off-page SEO.

On-Site / On-Page SEO

What is On-Page SEO and why does it matter?

On-Page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. This includes optimizing your content, title tags, headings, and internal links. It matters because it helps search engines understand what your page is about.

What are the basic on-page elements?

Key on-page elements include:

• URL slug: The user-friendly part of your URL (e.g., /expert-seo-services).
• Title tag: The clickable headline that appears in search results.
• Meta description: The short snippet that appears under the title in search results.
• Headings (H1, H2, H3 tags): Used to structure your content, making it scannable for both users and search engines.
• Internal linking: Links from one page on your site to another.

What is content and why is it important for SEO?

Content is the information on your web page—text, images, videos, etc. It’s the most important factor for SEO. Search engines want to provide the best possible answer to a user’s query, and high-quality, relevant content is how you do that.

What are sitemaps?

A sitemap is a file that lists the URLs of all the pages on your website that you want search engines to crawl. It helps search engines discover your pages more efficiently.

What is topical authority and how do I get it?

Topical authority is when a website is seen as a go-to source for a specific topic or niche. You build it by creating a cluster of interlinked, high-quality content that comprehensively covers a particular subject area. For example, if you write 20 detailed articles about different aspects of “content marketing,” Google will see you as an authority on that topic.

What are keywords and how do I use them?

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines. Keyword research is the process of finding the right keywords to target. You should use keywords naturally throughout your content, especially in your title, headings, and the first paragraph. Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that often have lower competition but higher conversion rates.

How do images factor into SEO?

Images can improve user experience and provide another way to rank. Key image optimization tactics include using descriptive alt text (for accessibility and SEO) and compressing images to improve page speed.

What is technical SEO?

Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes elements of your website to ensure it is crawlable and indexable by search engines. This includes optimizing for site speed, mobile-friendliness, and implementing proper sitemaps and schema markup.