By now , you probably know that your website is one of your most powerful marketing tools . It provides your customers with key information , it communicates your brand , and it can even generate leads . None of these benefits can be realized though if no one is able to find your website . Search engine optimization ( SEO ) matters because ranking higher than your competition in the search engine results pages ( SERPs ) has a material impact on your bottom line . SEO results in more traffic , which leads to more customers and more deals . These optimizations will have a long-term effect , without perpetual cost .
When a user enters a search term ( query ) into a search engine , it uses a set of rules , called an algorithm , to sort and deliver results that are relevant to that search query . The output typically contains both sponsored and organic results . For this article , we ’ re going to look at improving position in the organic search results , as optimizing ads is a very different process . Additionally , organic search results cover more digital real estate , appear more credible to savvy searchers , and receive more clicks than paid advertisements .
The Search Engine Secret Sauce
7 | MILE62
So , how does the algorithm decide what pages are most relevant to the search query ? There ’ s no exact answer to this question . Each of the major search engines has its own algorithm , which evolves over time . Plus , if any one person knew the exact rules for ranking higher in the results pages of a particular search engine , the results could be manipulated . What is known , are key ranking factors and SEO best practices which have been established over time - through insights from the search engine companies and the experience of