According to research, both Google and Bing make up for approximately 85% of all internet searches. If you have an online business or website, and you are not using search engine optimization with Google, you are missing out on a lot of potential business.

You could have the most attractive website on the internet, yet, without search engine optimization, you are essentially running in circles without any traffic to see it!

The question is, what is search engine optimization? Why is it so important, and how can you create a winning SEO strategy that draws in more traffic?

Thankfully, we’ve created this article to help you understand the three major perks of SEO, how to create a winning SEO strategy, and how to get started! Keep on reading to learn how you can use SEO to draw in more traffic and convert more sales today!

1. What Is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization is the practice of strategically drawing in more organic web traffic, and increasing your rankings on the search engine results page (SERP) on Google. If you want to get ahead of your competition without needing to spend endless dollars on paid ads, you need an SEO strategy to help you climb the rankings.

2. Different Types of SEO

Within the SEO world, there are two main categories of strategies. It is essential that you understand the difference, as one category will help you organically climb the rankings and the other will get you penalized and banned by Google.

White Hat SEO

Google outlines white hat SEO techniques and how to abide by the terms and conditions of Google’s search engines.

Some of the practices include:

• Posting original content
• Using appropriate keyword implementation
• Having a mobile-friendly website
• Clear and concise meta-descriptions
• Using the right linking strategies

White hat techniques may take a bit longer to gain organic traffic, but this means that you will never be flagged by Google by practicing illegal techniques.

Black Hat SEO

Black hat SEO consists of strategies that break the rules of Google’s terms and conditions. Using black hat SEO tactics will not only get you penalized by Google, but they could also get you blacklisted if your tactics are severe enough.

Some black hat SEO tactics include:

• Keyword stuffing
• Plagiarism
• Creating multiple pages with duplicate content
• Using a manipulative link strategy
• Cloaking

As Google changes its algorithms constantly, that also means that you would have to continuously change black hat tactics. Not only is this more time consuming, but also riskier for being caught. It is just not worth it!

3. Winning SEO Strategies

Search engine optimization is an umbrella term for many different strategies that will help you increase your SERP results.

Some of these techniques are:

• Link building
• On-page SEO
• Off-page SEO
• Keyword research
• Keyword optimization
• Meta descriptions
• Creating readable and related content
• Header tags
• URL structures

There are many strategies to use, and no strategy is more important than the other. This means that you must learn and understand SEO to climb the rankings!

Learn More About Search Engine Optimization

Congratulations! You have now gone from asking “what is search engine optimization?” to knowing the correct strategies to use to climb those SERP rankings!

If you want to learn more about how an SEO agency can help you climb the rankings even faster, feel free to contact us.