What is SEO?

SEO is the method of enhancing website or web page in a search engine result pages(SERPs). SEO full form is - Search Engine Optimization.

Most popular search engines are Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask, Aol. Search Engine Optimization is powerful digital marketing technique for online presence of a company business, products and services in the Google and other Search engine.

Purpose of SEO - Why is SEO important for digital marketing?

As we know people do millions of searches every month at Google and other search engine site - Bing, Yahoo, Ask, Aol. Purpose of SEO is to list the website at google SERP(Search engine result page). Google search result page, lists website page link after typing specific keyword in search box to deliver information about website business, products and services.

In simple words we can say - SEO makes or relates your website pages(your business, product or services page), search engine freindly for greater visibility and digital organic traffic.

Here, in this article , keyword PIZZA and page source of dominos.co.in has been demonstrated for example purpose only. One can take own keyword and domain.

Below snapshot shows Google search engine result pages(SERP) for keyword – PIZZA

At above snapshot SERP, there are three important items – TITLE, LINK and DESCRIPTION
a. Title of the page (Big text in blue color)
b. Link of the page (Small text in green color)
c. Description of the page(Small texts in black color)

What are the basics of SEO?

Very simple ‘question alert’ happens in the mind – How can it be followed in web page?

Answer is following :
Google Crawler(Web page scanner or spider or robots : Google's main crawler is called Googlebot. Googlebot finds pages in two ways: through an add URL form, www.google.com/addurl.html, and through finding links by crawling the web) looks following elements (html tags) in web page -
a. <title></title>
b. <meta name="description" content="" / >
c. <meta name="keywords" content="" / >

For example -
Type http://www.dominos.co.in/ in your browser url box and take source code visibility(right click at web page , select and click – View Page Source).

One can view following html tags and texts :

<title>Dominos Pizza Online: Dominos Offers Pizza Online Ordering & Delivery</title>
<meta name="description" content="Dominos Pizza Online: Dominos Pizza India offers delicious pizza online through domino pizzas restaurants. Call 68886888 for Home Delivery Guarantee in 30 min in India. Order online your favourite dominos pizzas, pastas and drinks." />
<meta name="keywords" content="pizza dominos, dominos pizza, pizza online, dominos pizza India, domino pizza India, dominos pizzas, online dominos pizza, domino pizzas, dominos, pizza domino" />

Here, Title represents main or core aspects about the company or website,
Description represents short introductory text about the company or website,
Keywords represent –searching word of surfer or user ‘s mind.

NOTE: There is character limit for Title and Description. Most search engines use a maximum of 70 chars for the title and maximum of 160 chars for the description. Character limit suggestion can be checked and verified in different SEO Tools . It will be explained in next “Supporting Tools or Plugins” section.

Which tools can you use for SEO?

Following are some of the essential and effective plugins for wordpress. View download link via google search by simply placing the plugin title in search box.

Platinum SEO Pack

Optimizes your WordPress blog for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).Platinum SEO Plugin offers Complete onsite SEO solution for your WordPress blog.Platinum SEO Plugin offers all the functionalities of All In One SEO pack.

Google XML Sitemaps

This plugin will generate a special XML sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com to better index your blog. With such a sitemap, it's much easier for the crawlers to see the complete structure of your site and retrieve it more efficiently.

Google Analytics

This is a kind of tool developed by Google. It helps you to monitor the visitors of your website/blog. It shows you complete information Who, What, Where and When audience visits your website/blog. WordPress allows you to integrate the Google Analytics plugin with your site/blog. This is one of the most famous tools available that provides you complete information of every visitors on your website/blog.

Twitter Tools

Twitter Tools is a plugin that creates a complete integration between your WordPress blog and your Twitter account. It enhances site traffic, good for SEO

Google Webmaster tools

It is not plugin. It's free, requires gmail account.
Google's spiders regularly crawl the web to rebuild google search index. You can submit your website url directly via this. Visit and add your domain at : http://www.google.com/addurl

Verification or Checks: How do I know if SEO is working?

SEO activities and reports can be checked via online crawler view tool, different add-ons and extentions. Following are some of good of them :

Browser : Firefox

Add-ons : Search Status
Display the Google PageRank, Alexa rank, Compete ranking and SEOmoz Linkscape mozRank anywhere in your browser, along with fast keyword density analyser, keyword/nofollow highlighting, backward/related links, canonical links, WHOIS, robots and more.
Download or installation link:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/searchstatus/
Below is image visual for this add-ons in firefox browser. One can check available options by right click at blue icon(@) as in image visual in red circle

Browser : Google Chrome

Extention : SEO Site Tools
Download or Installation :
Please download or add in google chrome via google.com
Below is image visual for this extention in google chrome browser. One can check available options by right click at search icon as in image visual in red circle

Crawler View of the Page

Crawler view report is crucial activity for SEO. It gives actual view of the crawler irrespective or designs and codes. Use a text browser, such as Lynx, to examine your site.
Search "Text Browser" in Google search. Online Lynx viewer is also available.
Most spiders see your site much as Lynx would. If features such as JavaScript, cookies, session IDs, frames, DHTML, or Macromedia Flash keep you from seeing your entire site in a text browser, then spiders may have trouble crawling it.

Page analysis for SEO can also be checked by online available tool - MetaChecker. We have to place post or page url for analysis. It will show results analysis list of keywords, webpage analysis, website meta tags, meta tags analysis, current server status, rating bar and seo page view.

Guidelines:

1. When your site is ready

Submit a Sitemap in the Google Search Console. Google uses your Sitemap to learn about the structure of your site and to increase google coverage of your webpages

2. Use ‘robots.txt’ file

Make use of the robots.txt file on your web server. This file tells crawlers which directories can or cannot be crawled. You can also control search engine to do or not to do crawling. These bots are automated, and before they access pages of a site, they check to see if a robots.txt file exists that prevents them from accessing certain pages. This file resides at root of the domain.

Sample code for ‘robots.txt’ file -
User-agent: *
Disallow: /cgi-bin/
Disallow: /tmp/

Meaning of code in robots.txt file :
To exclude all robots from the entire server
User-agent: *
Disallow: /

To allow all robots complete access
User-agent: *
Disallow:
(or just create an empty "/robots.txt" file, or don't use one at all)

To exclude all robots from part of the server
User-agent: *
Disallow: /cgi-bin/
Disallow: /tmp/
Disallow: /junk/

To exclude a single robot
User-agent: BadBot
Disallow: /

To allow a single robot
User-agent: Google
Disallow:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /

Robots file ‘robots.txt’ file is open, so you can examine and learn freely at any domain. Common path would be http://www.yourdomain.com/robots.txt

Just check for an example to view internal command in robots.txt, like -
http://www.dominos.co.in/robots.txt
http://franconnect.com/robots.txt
http://www.mycaptivate.com/robots.txt
http://www.aldaindia.com/shop/robots.txt

Online robots generator is available at :
http://www.seochat.com/seo-tools/robots-generator/

Robots action can also be used at page specific. For example : To prevent all robots from indexing a page on your site, place the following meta tag into the <head> section of your page:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

To allow other robots to index the page on your site, preventing only Google's robots from indexing the page:
<meta name="googlebot" content="noindex">

3. Use ALT attributes in the image

Don't use images to display important names, content, or links. Search engines or Crawler have the same problem as blind users. They cannot see the images. Crawler doesn't recognize text contained in graphics. Use ALT attributes if the main content and keywords on your page can't be formatted in regular HTML. For images that play only a decorative role in the page, use an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image.
Tell us as much as you can about the image. For example, my-new-black-kitten.jpg is a lot more informative than IMG00023.JPG

4. Misuse of ALT attributes

Filling alt attributes with keywords results in a negative user experience, and may cause your site to be perceived as spam. Instead, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context.

Best:
<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="Dalmatian puppy playing fetch">

To be avoided
<img src="puppy.jpg" alt="puppy dog baby dog pup pups puppies doggies pups litter puppies dog retriever labrador wolfhound setter pointer puppy jack russell terrier puppies dog food cheap dogfood puppy food"/>

5. Use DIV instead of TABLE

Div is better than table for search engine optimization. Following are reasons

• Div Loads faster than Tables
• Div is great for SEO – powerful to do content positioning. So basically you can place the bulk of your rich content closer to the top of your HTML code, but it will still render on the browser in the same place
• DIVs can reduce the size of page(Google crawl first 100KB of the webpage) - Use of DIVs and CSS can allow you to reduce the size of your HTML significantly, depending on how nested your tables are. TABLE tags require, TR, TD, and some cases include, TH, THEAD, TBODY, TFOOT. This adds quite a few tags that can all be condensed into a few DIVs.

6. Avoid Broken Link and HTML

Check for broken links and correct HTML. Broken links checker tools are available online or as addons or extension in browser. Do google search for Broken links checker tools.

7. Use SITEMAP page in the website

Offer a site map to your users with links that point to the important parts of your site. If the site map has an extremely large number of links, you may want to break the site map into multiple pages.

8. Avoid more links at the page

Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number(fewer than 100).
Google uses to index only about 100 kilobytes of a page.
If a page started to have more than that many links, there was a chance that the page would be so long that Google would truncate the page and wouldn’t index the entire page.

9. Avoid Repetition of Keywords In The Title

Search engines are very particular about this- too much keyword repetition in a title tag communicates keyword stuffing (negative impact) to search engines.

10. Use the H1 Tag for Your First Heading

Beginning your web page with a heading that summarizes your content and setting the heading in the HTML H1 tag can help foster search engine optimization, or SEO. The top of every web page that you want to optimize for SEO should, in my opinion, start with a pithy H1 heading that accurately summarizes the page's content. Using an H1 tag -- the top-level heading in HTML -- for the first headline helps reveal your web page's structure to search engines and helps improve your natural search results.
The H1 heading comes shortly after the opening body tag, like this:
<html>
...
<body>
<h1>Begin Each Page with an H1 Header</h1>
...

11. Avoid Redirection url at page

Redirects make site analysis more difficult for search robots, with resulting adverse effects on seo. Do not use redirects unless there is a clear reason for doing so.

12. Use Keywords in links

A simple seo rule – use keywords in the text of page links that refer to other pages on your site and to any external Internet resources. Keywords in such links can slightly enhance page rank.

13. Avoid subdirectories

If there are not too many pages on your site (up to a couple of dozen), it is best to place them all in the root directory of your site. Search engines consider such pages to be more important than ones in subdirectories.

14. Hidden text, a deceptive seo method

The last two issues are not really mistakes but deliberate attempts to deceive search engines using illicit seo methods. Hidden text (when the text color coincides with the background color, for example) allows site owners to cram a page with their desired keywords without affecting page logic or visual layout. Such text is invisible to human visitors but will be seen by search robots. The use of such deceptive optimization methods may result in banning of the site. It could be excluded from the index (database) of the search engine.

How many types of SEO are there?

SEO can be divided in two section - On-page SEO and Off-page SEO.

On-page SEO

It involves SEO steps coverage on website to enhance its performance at pages itself like - meta-tags, alt tags, heading tags, content, navigation, internal links, sitemaps, etc.

Off-page SEO

It covers activities outside of website for specific keywords or phrases related backlinks at website pages like - link building, link sharing, blogging, social networking etc.

On the basis of techniques, there are also two type of SEO - White Hat SEO and Black Hat SEO.

White Hat SEO

Techniques that search engines suggest as a part of good design are called White Hat SEO. It contains proper and well-labeled images according to the content. It is in the form of a Standard-compliant HTML.

Black Hat SEO

Techniques that search engines do not approve of and those techniques which are used for optimizing the website are called Black Hat SEO. It mainly contains duplicate contents. Such websites are mainly used to redirect users to other websites and cause traffic.

Avoid Mistakes and Wrong tactics

Content Duplicating, Off-site image and contents, Title tags duplication, Hidden texts and links, Repetition of Keywords etc.

NOTE : SEO has very comprehensive aspect of knowledge. Above details or explanation are few of them and based on practical observation at very earliest stage. Search engines are enhancing its logical ability to track page and content in comprehensive manner. So keep update yourself about them to handle SEO report and achievement of a website. There is no limit of knowledge in SEO. Today it is a separent and independent branch of IT industry with latest invented designation.

---

Best Books for SEO

---

1

Sеаrсh Engіnе Oрtіmіzаtіоn (SEO) Stаrtеr Guіdе For Beginners

Book Description

Search еngіnе орtіmіzаtіоn іѕ thе росеѕѕ оf mаkіng уоurіtе ѕіtе better for ѕеаrсh еngіnеѕ. This book is a starter guide for biginners.

If уоu hаvе а wеbѕіtе on аn аutоmаtеd wеb hоѕtіng рlаtfоrm lіkе Blogger, Wіx, оr Sԛuаrеѕрасе, or run a ѕmаll buѕіnеѕѕ аnd dоn't hаvе muсh tіmе tо рut іntо уоur wеbѕіtе, іt'ѕ wоrth lеаrnіng thе bаѕісѕ оf mаnаgіng уоur рrеѕеnсе іn search еngіnеѕ. A little knowledge can go a long way in helping you find your position.

The book is a SEO stater guide. This book or guide teaches about the best practices to make your site easier for search engines to crawl, index, and understand your content. If you own, manage, monetize, or promote online content via Google Search, then this guide is perfect for you.

The following are the lists of content that has been covered in this guide - how do search engines work, how does google work, tips for creating better seo content, website architecture, tips for an organized website architecture, link building, local SEO, Social media, technical SEO, Non-technical SEO, why SEO important, and many useful topics.

Book details

Format: Kindle Edition
Author: Lekson Rice
Publication Date: 7 September 2022
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Kindle Price: Rs. 319.00*
*Price and stock are correct and available at the time of article publication.

Get it here from Amazon

---

2

SEO Mastery for Beginners

Book Description

The book is an easy to understand guide to search engine optimization for beginner's who are looking to learn how to rank their websites higher in Google Search results.

This book will teach you how to get your website ranked high in Google using proven methods.

The following topics have been covered in the book -

Introduction to search engine optimization, How to get traffic to your site, Keyword research, How to build authority, How to improve rankings, How to get backlinks, How to optimize your website, The basics of SEO optimization, On-site optimization, Off-site optimization, Link Building Basics, 6 ways to build backlinks, Advanced SEO techniques, SEO mistakes to avoid, SEO - the path to a passive traffic

Book details

Format: Kindle Edition
Author: adam webo
Print Length: 30 pages
Publication Date: 8 September 2022
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Kindle Price: Rs. 159.00*
*Price and stock are correct and available at the time of article publication.

Get it here from Amazon

---

3

SEO: Zero to Hero

Book Description

People consider SEO to be very complex and many tulls and sits make them more complicated, but through this book, its complexity has been explained in a very simple way.

In this book, you have been explained to the SEO very easily and in a very simple language, so that you will be able to rank your blog and website easily. The following topics are covered -

1. The SEO is described in a very simple language from Suruat to the end.
2. The internal functioning of Google's algorithm and its search results are very well described.
3. Local SEO and local business SEO have been told simple ways to rank in the top so that business can grow more.
4. How to do SEO of different chaijo in blogs and websites.

Book details

Format: Kindle Edition
Author: DR. Durgesh Sisodiya
Print Length: 166 pages
Publication Date: 28 October 2021
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Kindle Price: Rs. 299.00*
*Price and stock are correct and available at the time of article publication.

Get it here from Amazon

---

4

Google's Search Engine: Put Your Website In Front Of This Global Audience

Book Description

This up-to-date and intensive book will give you the skills you need to get your website to the top of Google.

This book provides a complete and easy to understand guide to SEO. Packed with tips, tricks, tools and strategies, your website will be unbeatable.

Inside, you'll learn how to:
– Target profitable keywords with thousands of monthly discoveries, but with little competition
- Customize your website for Google
- Get high quality links from your content like university sites and news sites
- Click in the search results, even if below your rivals
- Prosperity as Google algorithm updates such as Google Panda and Penguin. All strategies in this book include white hat SEO, which means they will not be penalized in future updates.
- Get an overview of technical technology that needs to be browsed and easily indexed.
- Stunning title, material and imagination that will bring lots of backlinks and social shares
- even more

Book details

Format: Kindle Edition
Author: Tana Crandal
Print Length: 226 pages
Publication Date: 29 August 2022
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported
Enhanced typesetting: Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Kindle Price: Rs. 449.00*
*Price and stock are correct and available at the time of article publication.

Get it here from Amazon

---

5

SEO by HailyAI: A complete guide to SEO through the eyes of HailyAI

Book Description

This book is a step-by-step guide to making your website visible.

This useful guide to search engine optimization is perfectly written with halyai how search engine optimization is the key to internet marketing success.

SEO is written by the artificial intelligence system Satellite Writer by halyai. A human writer is included for editing goals and book design. Anyone who wants to learn how to do SEO in the future should read this book.

You must read this book to ensure that your site has been seen by a search engine!

Book details

Format: Kindle Edition
Author: Haily AI, Sal Peer
Publication Date: 9 August 2022
Simultaneous device usage: Unlimited
Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting: Not Enabled
X-Ray: Not Enabled
Word Wise: Not Enabled
Kindle Price: Rs. 396.00*
*Price and stock are correct and available at the time of article publication.

Get it here from Amazon

---

FAQ - Frequently Asked Question

---

What is difference between - On-page SEO and Off-page SEO?

On-page SEO means that you optimize many aspects present in your website under your own control whereas in off-page SEO you try to increase your website domain authority by getting backlinks from other websites and creating content.

What is difference between - White Hat SEO and Black Hat SEO?

White hat SEO means to improve various aspects of the website for getting a higher rank in Google search engines according to the Google search engine's suggested terms and conditions whereas black hat SEO technique is to increase the rank of the website by manipulating Google's algorithms.

What is black hat SEO examples?

In general terms, Black Hat SEO means implementing the wrong tactics for getting a higher rank of the Website in search engines. Like - hidden text, cloaking, blog comment spam, etc.

Related Article - How to write SEO-friendly blog posts

Tags : Internet Marketing, SEO

By Aashutosh Kumar Yadav

He is a PHP-based UI/Web designer and developer by profession and very interested in technical writing and blogging. He has been writing technical content for about 10 years and has proficient in practical knowledge and technical writing.
@www.infotokri.in