SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It means improving your website so that it appears higher in Google's free results when people search for what you offer. The video explains the idea in a few minutes. Here are the main points in writing.
Paid results and free results
When you search on Google, the first few results are often ads, marked "Sponsored". The advertiser pays for every click. Below them are the organic results. Nobody pays Google for those positions; Google ranks them by how relevant and useful each page is. SEO is the work of earning those organic positions.
How SEO works, in three parts
- Technical: Google must be able to find, load and understand your pages. A fast, mobile-friendly site with a clean structure helps.
- On-page: each page should clearly answer a search. Titles, headings, text, images and internal links all play a part.
- Off-page: links and mentions from other trusted websites, plus reviews and citations for local businesses, show Google that others vouch for you.
Why businesses invest in it
- Traffic keeps coming without paying for each click.
- People searching are already looking for what you sell.
- Ranking well builds trust; many people skip the ads.
What SEO is not
SEO is not a trick or a one-time setting. Results usually take three to six months, and they depend on competition. Nobody can guarantee the number one spot, so be careful of anyone who promises it.
Try it yourself
See how your page looks in Google's results with our search preview tool, and turn your services and cities into keyword ideas with the keyword combiner.
More videos: another version and a one-minute short
what is SEO | How Does it Work | Search Engine Optimization Full Information3:30what is SEO | How Does it Work | Search Engine Optimization Full Information
0:57what is seo
Want the full picture? This article is part of SEO: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
