What Are Top 10 Elements of an SEO Process?

Let’s start with a few definitions. SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization“. And it’s a process aimed at making the website more visible in organic search results by achieving better ranking positions for specific keywords. In other words, SEO process consists in building and optimizing a website in such a way that makes it easy to find by the search engines’ robots. It makes it respond to users’ queries well, too.

Two main SEO aspects are the following: website optimization and linkbuilding (in other words, SEO on-site and off-site). These aspects, albeit different, are not separate – they constantly interact with and influence each other. Without the other, neither will function properly. A good Search Engine Optimization process is such an optimization, that makes the website meet the preferences of both human users and search engine robots. It often implies remaking not only the content that’s already found in the site, but also redesigning of the code itself. Also, the content should always be unique and elaborate. Those two points – the content and the code – have huge impact on website ranking for a keyword in search results.

Linkbuilding, on the other hand, is creating links on the other websites. However, one should remember, that in 2018 SEO, the quality of the links surpasses quantity. It pays off to create links on websites considered trustworthy by the search engines – links with high URL Rating and Domain Rating parameters. Those links will be beneficial to our website.

What are the most important elements of any SEO process and the good practices that make the process successful?

Where to start SEO Process?

Proper SEO process is a long game. On how long it takes before satisfactory outcomes appear, depends on many factors that need to be taken into account. 

Let’s say we run an ecommerce (online store) that already has a steady number of customers, but we want to increase the revenue and have more profits. Those are the perfect circumstances to launch a SEO process. The first 4 steps are:

1. Keyword research – at the beginning, we need to come up with keywords that define our business best. Keep in mind that the phrases cannot be too general. The general ones will always have a high search volume, but the users thus led to our website are those without specific needs. They are not likely to convert. A content-focused website analysis is therefore a must. For a proper analysis and keyword selection, tools can be used, too. 
   
2. Search result competition analysis – thorough knowledge of your race opponents beforehand pays off. That applies to SEO, too. In SEO it means a need for analysing the competing sites – those keeping us from ranking higher in Google search results. Such an analysis should focus on keywords and the traffic they generate on the one hand, as well as backlinks and the referring domains on the other. The image of our competition thus built, is a comprehensive one. Only this way we know the challenges our SEO process will face.
   
3. The expectations for the SEO process make an important issue. The selected keywords should focus on increasing valuable website traffic and engender a better search engine visibility. If at some point the amount of keywords feels overwhelming, there are some useful tricks for that, too. 
   
4. SEO audit. No effective SEO process will ever happen without a detailed website audit. This is an in-depth analysis of all SEO-relevant page features. This is how you find out how well does your website fit into the Google guidelines. The conclusions of SEO audit are crucial for the initial scope of the on-site process and linkbuilding. 

SEO iterations

We already know that SEO is a long-term process. On the top of that, it can be characterised as iterative and needing ever-perfecting. There is no snowball effect in SEO. If the process ceases, the website rankings will inevitably drop. In short, in SEO patience wins the day. The subsequent five main SEO process phases are as follows:

1. Website optimization – a necessary activity, increasing the site visibility for both search engines robots and the users. The site’s content, pics included, needs to be adjusted to the requirements of Google search engine robots. This will result in your website ranking better and the visibility increasing, too. 
   
2. Effective linkbuilding implies creating valuable links referring to our website in various places across the web. We can distinguish between internal and external links. The links of the first type work within our domain, and the second one is created outside the domain. Both link types are of crucial importance for SEO. Proper linkbuilding needs a proper on-site optimization, as well as unique content, too. The most popular sources of external links are forums, blogs, social media, sponsored articles, NAP business cards and, last but not least, highly controversial among search optimization experts, SEO website directories. Links created in some of those places will transfer large “power” (or “link juice”) to your own domain – those are the ones that have a high URL Rating.
   
3. Website development. Your should constantly improve your website. Updating often with unique content and important adjustments will positively influence the search engine rankings. Embracing the philosophy of a constant change pays off, as Google’s algorithms are ever-changing – proper SEO process required responding to them accordingly. 
   
4. Guideline-based SEO process – the SEO process for our website should always meet the rules laid out by Google. Following those rules is no less but the key to your success. Each offense of those Google stores in its memory, and the website will certainly bear the consequences. It may range even to be a total exclusion from the Google index or rendering the page non-existent. Thorough reading Google Search Console tips is therefore a must. This is how you make sure that your SEO is done by the book.
   
5. Result analysis. Seeing the effects of the SEO process takes efforts, too. For seeing any effects clearly, one needs to keep track of the results of the process and check them regularly. Reporting on a regular basis is a way to go here. Regular checking the rankings for the phrases and the related alterations of organic traffic is a must. This allows us to respond quickly and effectively in case of failure and modify the adopted SEO strategy.
   
6. Reporting – any changes in the rankings for keywords need to be systematically reported. This gives us the opportunity to see clearly how well the SEO process works.

An effective SEO process

SEO process is time-consuming. The activities undertaken as a part of the process should be consistent and any changes taking place after certain optimizations, carefully monitored. This is crucial, since it allows us to modify and improve our activities on an ongoing basis. Especially bearing that the Google’s algorithms are not fixed and the search results are deeply influenced by their updates.

Therefore, for a SEO process to be done right, it should be handed over to the experts in this field. Only this way really you can rest assured that your website is always properly optimized, in line with the latest Google search guidelines. Keeping your website updated SEO-wise will result in increased traffic on site, higher conversion rate and revenue.