What is the Importance of Keyword Research in SEO Strategies for Langley Businesses?

What is the Importance of Keyword Research in SEO Strategies for Langley Businesses?

SEO strategies

Analyzing the Competitive Landscape in Langley Through Keyword Research


Analyzing the competitive landscape in Langley through keyword research is, well, nothing short of crucial when it comes to SEO strategies for local businesses. Explore Custom SEO plans available in Langley, British Columbia here. First off, lets get one thing straight: if you aint doing keyword research, youre basically shooting in the dark (and who wants to do that?).


Now, whys keyword research so darn important, you ask? For starters, it helps you get into the minds of your customers. You see, by understanding the exact phrases and terms folks are typing into their search engines, you can tailor your content to match. Its like having a secret window into their thoughts-pretty neat, huh?


But heres the kicker! It aint just about knowing what your potential customers want; its also about sussing out what your competitors are up to. By analyzing the keywords theyre chasing after, you can figure out where you stand in the grand scheme of things. Are you the top dog in Langley, or is there a bigger fish youve not yet noticed?


And lets not forget, the digital worlds a battlefield! If youre not armed with a solid list of keywords, youre basically surrendering before the fights even begun. You gotta know which keywords are worth fighting for and which ones are too hotly contested. Its all about picking your battles wisely and not wasting effort on lost causes.


Now, I hear some folks saying, "But Ive got a small business, and I dont have the budget for fancy SEO stuff." Heres the thing-the beauty of keyword research is that it doesnt have to cost an arm and a leg. SEO competitor analysis Theres heaps of tools out there that can help you out, some of them even for free!


But, oh boy, dont go thinking its a walk in the park! Its tricky business, trying to find that sweet spot of high search volume and low competition. You cant just pick any old keyword; its about relevance and intent. You want to attract visitors who are actually interested in what youve got to offer, not just random clicks.


In conclusion, (and I cant stress this enough!) keyword research is the backbone of any SEO strategy, especially for businesses in Langley looking to stand out.

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Its not just about being visible; its about being visible to the right people. So roll up your sleeves, dive into those keyword trenches, and prepare to give your business the fighting chance it deserves! And remember, in the world of SEO, a little research goes a long way!

Integrating Keyword Research with Content Marketing for Local Engagement


Ah, when were diving into the world of SEO for Langley businesses, its like, you cant help but stumble upon the critical role of keyword research, right? Its this backbone of any content marketing strategy that, well, simply cant be ignored! So, whats all the fuss about, you ask? Let me tell ya, its a big deal, and heres why.


First things first, keyword research, its not just about finding words that folks are typing into Google. No, its about understanding the very language your local audience in Langley uses (and trust me, they got their own unique way of searching for stuff). By zeroing in on the right keywords, youre essentially tuning into their conversations, their needs, and their pain points.


Now, imagine youre a plumber in Langley (just go with it for a sec). Youve got a website, and youre posting content without doing your homework on keywords. You might be talking about "pipework refurbishment," but your potential customers are searching for "leaky faucet fix in Langley" – see the disconnect? Langley digital marketing Thats where keyword research swoops in to save the day! It bridges that gap between your content and what your audience is actually searching for.


But hey, dont just slap a bunch of keywords into your content and call it a day. Nah, that wont cut it. Its about integrating those keywords naturally (yep, like they just happened to fall into the conversation). Thats how you get that local engagement – by speaking their language, answering their questions, and showing up right where theyre looking. Its like hitting the jackpot of relevance!


And another thing, local keywords can be goldmines for businesses in Langley.

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Theyre not only less competitive, but theyre also super targeted. Youre not trying to cater to the whole world, just the people in your backyard. Technical SEO Thats what makes em so powerful for small businesses looking to make a big impact in the community.


So, let me wrap this up by saying, without keyword research, youre basically shooting in the dark (and who wants to do that?). Its the compass that guides your content to the promised land of local engagement and, ultimately, business success in the charming town of Langley. Dont overlook it, or youll be missing out – big time!

Measuring the Success of SEO Efforts Post-Keyword Implementation


Oh, keyword research, its like the compass for any SEO voyage, aint it? I mean, for Langley businesses striving to make a mark online, understanding the crux of keyword research is nothing short of vital! Its this very process that helps define the roadmap for a website's content strategy and, ultimately, the success of SEO efforts.


Now, lets chat about measuring the success of SEO post-keyword implementation (cause thats what really counts, right?). SEO improvement plan First off, its not as straightforward as it sounds. You cant just pop in a bunch of keywords and expect magic to happen overnight. Nope, its a game of patience and precision.


After youve meticulously chosen your keywords - those gems that resonate with your Langley audience - you gotta keep a close eye on various metrics. Were talking about organic traffic here; it's like the bread and butter of SEO.

What is the Importance of Keyword Research in SEO Strategies for Langley Businesses?

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If more folks are landing on your site through search engines, thats a thumbs up! (Oh, and make sure theyre the right people - target audience and all that jazz.)


But wait, theres more!

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The bounce rate can tell you loads about whether your content is hitting the mark or if people are just skimming and scramming. And don't forget about the conversion rate; its a no-brainer that if visitors are turning into customers, then those keywords are doing their job, right?


Rankings, though! Langley internet marketing You gotta keep tabs on where your pages sit on the SERPs. If youre climbing up and getting cozy on that first page, you know youre doing something right. But remember, it aint just about getting to the top; its about holding your ground once you get there.


Now, it's not just about the numbers, though they do speak volumes. The quality of traffic and how engaged your users are with your content, thats the real deal. Are they sharing, commenting, and coming back for more? That's the sign of a job well done!


In conclusion, keyword research is crucial for Langley businesses (or any business, really). But dont forget, its only the beginning! Measuring the success of your SEO efforts post-keyword implementation is whatll give you the insights to adjust and improve. And lets face it, in the dynamic world of SEO, youve gotta stay on your toes! Keep at it, and success will follow (even if it takes a bit of trial and error, eh?).

Future-Proofing Langley Business SEO Strategies with Ongoing Keyword Analysis


Ah, when it comes to the bustling online marketplace in Langley, businesses mustnt overlook the sheer importance of keyword research in their SEO strategies – its like setting sail without a map (or, you know, a GPS for the modern folks).

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Now, why's that? SEO strategies Well, lets dive in!


First off, understanding the specific phrases and terms your potential customers are punching into search engines is crucial.

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Its not just about guessing what might work; its about ongoing analysis and adaptation to stay ahead of the curve.

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SEO company And believe me, that curve's always turning!


Keyword research, its the bedrock of SEO. Without it, youre essentially shooting in the dark, and who wants that? By pinpointing the right keywords, Langley businesses can tailor their content to match what locals are searching for. Its not just about being seen – its about being relevant and resonant with your audience.


Now, dont get me wrong, this isnt a one-and-done deal. The digital landscapes always evolving, and so are the words people use. Regular analysis is key (no pun intended!) to adapt to trends, seasonal shifts, and even the competition. Online marketing Langley search engine optimization You gotta keep your ear to the ground, or you risk falling behind.


Imagine this – youve got a killer product or service, but no one can find you because youre not speaking their language. That's where keyword research swoops in to save the day! It helps you understand your audiences needs and how they express them.

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And once youve got that down, you can craft content thats not just visible but valuable.


But hey, it's not all doom and gloom if you've not started yet!

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The beauty of the internet is that it's never too late to turn things around. So, roll up your sleeves, dive into that keyword analysis, and show ‘em what youve got (with a little bit of that Langley charm, of course)!


In summary, for Langley businesses aiming to future-proof their SEO strategies, ongoing keyword analysis isnt just important – its absolutely essential. Website traffic Its not just about climbing the search engine ranks; its about staying there. So, keep refining, keep analyzing, and hey, dont forget to celebrate the wins along the way!

SEO Company Langley

Entity Name Description Source
Digital marketing Strategies and techniques used to promote products or services online. Source
Search engine optimization The process of improving a website's visibility on search engines. Source
Search engine marketing Marketing strategies aimed at increasing a website's visibility in search engines through paid ads. Source
Local search (optimization) SEO practices focused on improving visibility for local searches. Source
Google A global technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products. Source
Google Maps A web mapping service developed by Google. Source
Audit An examination of records or financial accounts to verify accuracy. Source
Google Search Console A web service by Google that allows webmasters to check indexing status and optimize visibility. Source
Website audit The process of evaluating a website's performance, structure, and SEO. Source
Anchor text The visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. Source
Sitemaps Files that help search engines understand the structure of a website. Source
Web traffic The amount of data sent and received by visitors to a website. Source
Meta element HTML tags that provide metadata about a web page. Source
Pay-per-click An online advertising model where advertisers pay each time their ad is clicked. Source
Web design The process of creating the visual layout and usability of a website. Source

SEO Company Langley

Early European settlement in the area was known as "Innes Corners" (after homesteader Adam Innes); in 1911, the area became known as "Langley Prairie", part of the Township of Langley a.k.a. Langley Township since 1873. Twentieth-century improvements in transportation access, including the construction of the British Columbia Electric Railway in 1910, Fraser Highway in the 1920s, and Pattullo Bridge in 1937, profoundly impacted the area, transforming it from rural into the main urban and commercial core of the Township. In turn, this birthed the need for upgraded and new amenities, especially with respect to health, infrastructure, safety and sanitation.

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See also

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(Learn how and when to remove this message)
"SEO" redirects here. For other uses, see Seo (disambiguation).

 

Part of a series on
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Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines.[1][2] SEO targets unpaid search traffic (usually referred to as "organic" results) rather than direct traffic, referral traffic, social media traffic, or paid traffic.

Unpaid search engine traffic may originate from a variety of kinds of searches, including image search, video search, academic search,[3] news search, and industry-specific vertical search engines.

As an Internet marketing strategy, SEO considers how search engines work, the computer-programmed algorithms that dictate search engine results, what people search for, the actual search queries or keywords typed into search engines, and which search engines are preferred by a target audience. SEO is performed because a website will receive more visitors from a search engine when websites rank higher within a search engine results page (SERP), with the aim of either converting the visitors or building brand awareness.[4]

History

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Webmasters and content providers began optimizing websites for search engines in the mid-1990s, as the first search engines were cataloging the early Web. Initially, webmasters submitted the address of a page, or URL to the various search engines, which would send a web crawler to crawl that page, extract links to other pages from it, and return information found on the page to be indexed.[5]

According to a 2004 article by former industry analyst and current Google employee Danny Sullivan, the phrase "search engine optimization" probably came into use in 1997. Sullivan credits SEO practitioner Bruce Clay as one of the first people to popularize the term.[6]

Early versions of search algorithms relied on webmaster-provided information such as the keyword meta tag or index files in engines like ALIWEB. Meta tags provide a guide to each page's content. Using metadata to index pages was found to be less than reliable, however, because the webmaster's choice of keywords in the meta tag could potentially be an inaccurate representation of the site's actual content. Flawed data in meta tags, such as those that were inaccurate or incomplete, created the potential for pages to be mischaracterized in irrelevant searches.[7][dubious – discuss] Web content providers also manipulated attributes within the HTML source of a page in an attempt to rank well in search engines.[8] By 1997, search engine designers recognized that webmasters were making efforts to rank in search engines and that some webmasters were manipulating their rankings in search results by stuffing pages with excessive or irrelevant keywords. Early search engines, such as Altavista and Infoseek, adjusted their algorithms to prevent webmasters from manipulating rankings.[9]

By heavily relying on factors such as keyword density, which were exclusively within a webmaster's control, early search engines suffered from abuse and ranking manipulation. To provide better results to their users, search engines had to adapt to ensure their results pages showed the most relevant search results, rather than unrelated pages stuffed with numerous keywords by unscrupulous webmasters. This meant moving away from heavy reliance on term density to a more holistic process for scoring semantic signals.[10]

Search engines responded by developing more complex ranking algorithms, taking into account additional factors that were more difficult for webmasters to manipulate.[citation needed]

Some search engines have also reached out to the SEO industry and are frequent sponsors and guests at SEO conferences, webchats, and seminars. Major search engines provide information and guidelines to help with website optimization.[11][12] Google has a Sitemaps program to help webmasters learn if Google is having any problems indexing their website and also provides data on Google traffic to the website.[13] Bing Webmaster Tools provides a way for webmasters to submit a sitemap and web feeds, allows users to determine the "crawl rate", and track the web pages index status.

In 2015, it was reported that Google was developing and promoting mobile search as a key feature within future products. In response, many brands began to take a different approach to their Internet marketing strategies.[14]

Relationship with Google

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In 1998, two graduate students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, developed "Backrub", a search engine that relied on a mathematical algorithm to rate the prominence of web pages. The number calculated by the algorithm, PageRank, is a function of the quantity and strength of inbound links.[15] PageRank estimates the likelihood that a given page will be reached by a web user who randomly surfs the web and follows links from one page to another. In effect, this means that some links are stronger than others, as a higher PageRank page is more likely to be reached by the random web surfer.

Page and Brin founded Google in 1998.[16] Google attracted a loyal following among the growing number of Internet users, who liked its simple design.[17] Off-page factors (such as PageRank and hyperlink analysis) were considered as well as on-page factors (such as keyword frequency, meta tags, headings, links and site structure) to enable Google to avoid the kind of manipulation seen in search engines that only considered on-page factors for their rankings. Although PageRank was more difficult to game, webmasters had already developed link-building tools and schemes to influence the Inktomi search engine, and these methods proved similarly applicable to gaming PageRank. Many sites focus on exchanging, buying, and selling links, often on a massive scale. Some of these schemes involved the creation of thousands of sites for the sole purpose of link spamming.[18]

By 2004, search engines had incorporated a wide range of undisclosed factors in their ranking algorithms to reduce the impact of link manipulation.[19] The leading search engines, Google, Bing, and Yahoo, do not disclose the algorithms they use to rank pages. Some SEO practitioners have studied different approaches to search engine optimization and have shared their personal opinions.[20] Patents related to search engines can provide information to better understand search engines.[21] In 2005, Google began personalizing search results for each user. Depending on their history of previous searches, Google crafted results for logged in users.[22]

In 2007, Google announced a campaign against paid links that transfer PageRank.[23] On June 15, 2009, Google disclosed that they had taken measures to mitigate the effects of PageRank sculpting by use of the nofollow attribute on links. Matt Cutts, a well-known software engineer at Google, announced that Google Bot would no longer treat any no follow links, in the same way, to prevent SEO service providers from using nofollow for PageRank sculpting.[24] As a result of this change, the usage of nofollow led to evaporation of PageRank. In order to avoid the above, SEO engineers developed alternative techniques that replace nofollowed tags with obfuscated JavaScript and thus permit PageRank sculpting. Additionally, several solutions have been suggested that include the usage of iframes, Flash, and JavaScript.[25]

In December 2009, Google announced it would be using the web search history of all its users in order to populate search results.[26] On June 8, 2010 a new web indexing system called Google Caffeine was announced. Designed to allow users to find news results, forum posts, and other content much sooner after publishing than before, Google Caffeine was a change to the way Google updated its index in order to make things show up quicker on Google than before. According to Carrie Grimes, the software engineer who announced Caffeine for Google, "Caffeine provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index..."[27] Google Instant, real-time-search, was introduced in late 2010 in an attempt to make search results more timely and relevant. Historically site administrators have spent months or even years optimizing a website to increase search rankings. With the growth in popularity of social media sites and blogs, the leading engines made changes to their algorithms to allow fresh content to rank quickly within the search results.[28]

In February 2011, Google announced the Panda update, which penalizes websites containing content duplicated from other websites and sources. Historically websites have copied content from one another and benefited in search engine rankings by engaging in this practice. However, Google implemented a new system that punishes sites whose content is not unique.[29] The 2012 Google Penguin attempted to penalize websites that used manipulative techniques to improve their rankings on the search engine.[30] Although Google Penguin has been presented as an algorithm aimed at fighting web spam, it really focuses on spammy links[31] by gauging the quality of the sites the links are coming from. The 2013 Google Hummingbird update featured an algorithm change designed to improve Google's natural language processing and semantic understanding of web pages. Hummingbird's language processing system falls under the newly recognized term of "conversational search", where the system pays more attention to each word in the query in order to better match the pages to the meaning of the query rather than a few words.[32] With regards to the changes made to search engine optimization, for content publishers and writers, Hummingbird is intended to resolve issues by getting rid of irrelevant content and spam, allowing Google to produce high-quality content and rely on them to be 'trusted' authors.

In October 2019, Google announced they would start applying BERT models for English language search queries in the US. Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) was another attempt by Google to improve their natural language processing, but this time in order to better understand the search queries of their users.[33] In terms of search engine optimization, BERT intended to connect users more easily to relevant content and increase the quality of traffic coming to websites that are ranking in the Search Engine Results Page.

Methods

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Getting indexed

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A simple illustration of the Pagerank algorithm. Percentage shows the perceived importance.

The leading search engines, such as Google, Bing, Brave Search and Yahoo!, use crawlers to find pages for their algorithmic search results. Pages that are linked from other search engine-indexed pages do not need to be submitted because they are found automatically. The Yahoo! Directory and DMOZ, two major directories which closed in 2014 and 2017 respectively, both required manual submission and human editorial review.[34] Google offers Google Search Console, for which an XML Sitemap feed can be created and submitted for free to ensure that all pages are found, especially pages that are not discoverable by automatically following links[35] in addition to their URL submission console.[36] Yahoo! formerly operated a paid submission service that guaranteed to crawl for a cost per click;[37] however, this practice was discontinued in 2009.

Search engine crawlers may look at a number of different factors when crawling a site. Not every page is indexed by search engines. The distance of pages from the root directory of a site may also be a factor in whether or not pages get crawled.[38]

Mobile devices are used for the majority of Google searches.[39] In November 2016, Google announced a major change to the way they are crawling websites and started to make their index mobile-first, which means the mobile version of a given website becomes the starting point for what Google includes in their index.[40] In May 2019, Google updated the rendering engine of their crawler to be the latest version of Chromium (74 at the time of the announcement). Google indicated that they would regularly update the Chromium rendering engine to the latest version.[41] In December 2019, Google began updating the User-Agent string of their crawler to reflect the latest Chrome version used by their rendering service. The delay was to allow webmasters time to update their code that responded to particular bot User-Agent strings. Google ran evaluations and felt confident the impact would be minor.[42]

Preventing crawling

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Main article: Robots exclusion standard

To avoid undesirable content in the search indexes, webmasters can instruct spiders not to crawl certain files or directories through the standard robots.txt file in the root directory of the domain. Additionally, a page can be explicitly excluded from a search engine's database by using a meta tag specific to robots (usually <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> ). When a search engine visits a site, the robots.txt located in the root directory is the first file crawled. The robots.txt file is then parsed and will instruct the robot as to which pages are not to be crawled. As a search engine crawler may keep a cached copy of this file, it may on occasion crawl pages a webmaster does not wish to crawl. Pages typically prevented from being crawled include login-specific pages such as shopping carts and user-specific content such as search results from internal searches. In March 2007, Google warned webmasters that they should prevent indexing of internal search results because those pages are considered search spam.[43]

In 2020, Google sunsetted the standard (and open-sourced their code) and now treats it as a hint rather than a directive. To adequately ensure that pages are not indexed, a page-level robot's meta tag should be included.[44]

Increasing prominence

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A variety of methods can increase the prominence of a webpage within the search results. Cross linking between pages of the same website to provide more links to important pages may improve its visibility. Page design makes users trust a site and want to stay once they find it. When people bounce off a site, it counts against the site and affects its credibility.[45]

Writing content that includes frequently searched keyword phrases so as to be relevant to a wide variety of search queries will tend to increase traffic. Updating content so as to keep search engines crawling back frequently can give additional weight to a site. Adding relevant keywords to a web page's metadata, including the title tag and meta description, will tend to improve the relevancy of a site's search listings, thus increasing traffic. URL canonicalization of web pages accessible via multiple URLs, using the canonical link element[46] or via 301 redirects can help make sure links to different versions of the URL all count towards the page's link popularity score. These are known as incoming links, which point to the URL and can count towards the page link's popularity score, impacting the credibility of a website.[45]

White hat versus black hat techniques

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Common white-hat methods of search engine optimization

SEO techniques can be classified into two broad categories: techniques that search engine companies recommend as part of good design ("white hat"), and those techniques of which search engines do not approve ("black hat"). Search engines attempt to minimize the effect of the latter, among them spamdexing. Industry commentators have classified these methods and the practitioners who employ them as either white hat SEO or black hat SEO.[47] White hats tend to produce results that last a long time, whereas black hats anticipate that their sites may eventually be banned either temporarily or permanently once the search engines discover what they are doing.[48]

An SEO technique is considered a white hat if it conforms to the search engines' guidelines and involves no deception. As the search engine guidelines[11][12][49] are not written as a series of rules or commandments, this is an important distinction to note. White hat SEO is not just about following guidelines but is about ensuring that the content a search engine indexes and subsequently ranks is the same content a user will see. White hat advice is generally summed up as creating content for users, not for search engines, and then making that content easily accessible to the online "spider" algorithms, rather than attempting to trick the algorithm from its intended purpose. White hat SEO is in many ways similar to web development that promotes accessibility,[50] although the two are not identical.

Black hat SEO attempts to improve rankings in ways that are disapproved of by the search engines or involve deception. One black hat technique uses hidden text, either as text colored similar to the background, in an invisible div, or positioned off-screen. Another method gives a different page depending on whether the page is being requested by a human visitor or a search engine, a technique known as cloaking. Another category sometimes used is grey hat SEO. This is in between the black hat and white hat approaches, where the methods employed avoid the site being penalized but do not act in producing the best content for users. Grey hat SEO is entirely focused on improving search engine rankings.

Search engines may penalize sites they discover using black or grey hat methods, either by reducing their rankings or eliminating their listings from their databases altogether. Such penalties can be applied either automatically by the search engines' algorithms or by a manual site review. One example was the February 2006 Google removal of both BMW Germany and Ricoh Germany for the use of deceptive practices.[51] Both companies subsequently apologized, fixed the offending pages, and were restored to Google's search engine results page.[52]

Companies that employ black hat techniques or other spammy tactics can get their client websites banned from the search results. In 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported on a company, Traffic Power, which allegedly used high-risk techniques and failed to disclose those risks to its clients.[53] Wired magazine reported that the same company sued blogger and SEO Aaron Wall for writing about the ban.[54] Google's Matt Cutts later confirmed that Google had banned Traffic Power and some of its clients.[55]

As marketing strategy

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SEO is not an appropriate strategy for every website, and other Internet marketing strategies can be more effective, such as paid advertising through pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, depending on the site operator's goals.[editorializing] Search engine marketing (SEM) is the practice of designing, running, and optimizing search engine ad campaigns. Its difference from SEO is most simply depicted as the difference between paid and unpaid priority ranking in search results. SEM focuses on prominence more so than relevance; website developers should regard SEM with the utmost importance with consideration to visibility as most navigate to the primary listings of their search.[56] A successful Internet marketing campaign may also depend upon building high-quality web pages to engage and persuade internet users, setting up analytics programs to enable site owners to measure results, and improving a site's conversion rate.[57][58] In November 2015, Google released a full 160-page version of its Search Quality Rating Guidelines to the public,[59] which revealed a shift in their focus towards "usefulness" and mobile local search. In recent years the mobile market has exploded, overtaking the use of desktops, as shown in by StatCounter in October 2016, where they analyzed 2.5 million websites and found that 51.3% of the pages were loaded by a mobile device.[60] Google has been one of the companies that are utilizing the popularity of mobile usage by encouraging websites to use their Google Search Console, the Mobile-Friendly Test, which allows companies to measure up their website to the search engine results and determine how user-friendly their websites are. The closer the keywords are together their ranking will improve based on key terms.[45]

SEO may generate an adequate return on investment. However, search engines are not paid for organic search traffic, their algorithms change, and there are no guarantees of continued referrals. Due to this lack of guarantee and uncertainty, a business that relies heavily on search engine traffic can suffer major losses if the search engines stop sending visitors.[61] Search engines can change their algorithms, impacting a website's search engine ranking, possibly resulting in a serious loss of traffic. According to Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, in 2010, Google made over 500 algorithm changes – almost 1.5 per day.[62] It is considered a wise business practice for website operators to liberate themselves from dependence on search engine traffic.[63] In addition to accessibility in terms of web crawlers (addressed above), user web accessibility has become increasingly important for SEO.

International markets and SEO

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Optimization techniques are highly tuned to the dominant search engines in the target market. The search engines' market shares vary from market to market, as does competition. In 2003, Danny Sullivan stated that Google represented about 75% of all searches.[64] In markets outside the United States, Google's share is often larger, and data showed Google was the dominant search engine worldwide as of 2007.[65] As of 2006, Google had an 85–90% market share in Germany.[66] While there were hundreds of SEO firms in the US at that time, there were only about five in Germany.[66] As of March 2024, Google still had a significant market share of 89.85% in Germany.[67] As of June 2008, the market share of Google in the UK was close to 90% according to Hitwise.[68][obsolete source] As of March 2024, Google's market share in the UK was 93.61%.[69]

Successful search engine optimization (SEO) for international markets requires more than just translating web pages. It may also involve registering a domain name with a country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) or a relevant top-level domain (TLD) for the target market, choosing web hosting with a local IP address or server, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve website speed and performance globally. It is also important to understand the local culture so that the content feels relevant to the audience. This includes conducting keyword research for each market, using hreflang tags to target the right languages, and building local backlinks. However, the core SEO principles—such as creating high-quality content, improving user experience, and building links—remain the same, regardless of language or region.[66]

Regional search engines have a strong presence in specific markets:

  • China: Baidu leads the market, controlling about 70 to 80% market share.[70]
  • South Korea: Since the end of 2021, Naver, a domestic web portal, has gained prominence in the country.[71][72]
  • Russia: Yandex is the leading search engine in Russia. As of December 2023, it accounted for at least 63.8% of the market share.[73]

The Evolution of International SEO

[edit]

By the early 2000s, businesses recognized that the web and search engines could help them reach global audiences. As a result, the need for multilingual SEO emerged.[74] In the early years of international SEO development, simple translation was seen as sufficient. However, over time, it became clear that localization and transcreation—adapting content to local language, culture, and emotional resonance—were far more effective than basic translation.[75]

[edit]

On October 17, 2002, SearchKing filed suit in the United States District Court, Western District of Oklahoma, against the search engine Google. SearchKing's claim was that Google's tactics to prevent spamdexing constituted a tortious interference with contractual relations. On May 27, 2003, the court granted Google's motion to dismiss the complaint because SearchKing "failed to state a claim upon which relief may be granted."[76][77]

In March 2006, KinderStart filed a lawsuit against Google over search engine rankings. KinderStart's website was removed from Google's index prior to the lawsuit, and the amount of traffic to the site dropped by 70%. On March 16, 2007, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose Division) dismissed KinderStart's complaint without leave to amend and partially granted Google's motion for Rule 11 sanctions against KinderStart's attorney, requiring him to pay part of Google's legal expenses.[78][79]

See also

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