SEO FAQs
SEO FAQs
SEO Terms Explained in a Simple Way
If you’re new to SEO, you’ve probably got a lot of inquiries or are unclear about some of the SEO terms. In this post, we will explain the SEO terms in a simple manner and provide answers to 60 commonly asked questions.
Table of Contents
1. What is SEO?
SEO is a short form for “search engine optimization”. It’s a marketing strategy used to improve the visibility of a website on search engine organic results pages (SERPs).
2. Why is SEO important?
SEO is important because it can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages, which can lead to more traffic and more customers.
3. How does SEO work?
SEO works by optimizing your website for search engines. This includes things like choosing the right keywords, creating quality content, and building backlinks.
4. What are keywords?
Keywords are the words and phrases that people use when they search for something on the internet.
5. How do I choose the right keywords?
There are a few things to consider when choosing keywords, such as relevancy, search volume, and competition. For more tips on how to find the right keywords, read our Keyword Research Guide.
6. What are meta tags?
Meta tags are snippets of code that provide information about a web page to the search engines. The two most important meta tags are the title tag and the description tag.
7. What is a title tag?
The title tag is the most important meta tag, as it tells the search engine what the web page is about. The title should be brief, keyword rich, and accurately describe the content on the page.
8. What is a description tag?
The description tag provides a brief summary of the web page’s content. The description should be keyword rich and accurately describe the content on the page.
9. What is anchor text?
Anchor text is the visible text that is used when hyperlinking to another page or website. It is important to use keyword-rich anchor text in order to improve your site’s SEO.
10. What is a robots.txt file?
A robots.txt file is a text file that tells the search engines which pages on your website they should and shouldn’t crawl.
11. What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that contains a list of all the pages on your website. It helps the search engines find and index your pages.
12. What are backlinks?
Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They’re important for SEO because they help search engines find and index your website, and help improve your website’s visibility and authority. The more quality backlinks you have, the better. For more tips on how to build quality backlinks, read our SEO Backlinks Guide.
13. How do I get backlinks?
There are a few ways to get backlinks, such as guest blogging, directory submissions, and social media.
14. What is on-page SEO?
On-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s pages for search engines. This includes things like choosing the right keywords and creating quality content. For more tips on on-page SEO, read our On-page SEO Guide.
15. What is off-page SEO?
Off-page SEO is the process of optimizing your website for things that happen off of your website, such as backlinks and social media signals.
16. What is quality content?
Quality content is well-written, informative, and relevant to your audience.
17. How often should I update my content?
It’s generally recommended to update your content on a regular basis, especially if you’re running a blog or news website.
18. What is a natural backlink?
A natural backlink is a backlink that you didn’t have to actively seek out. They’re usually the result of creating great content that other people want to link to.
19. What is a paid link?
A paid link is a backlink that you’ve acquired by paying for it. This is generally frowned upon by Google and can result in penalties.
20. What is link building?
Link building is the process of acquiring links from other websites. This can be done through guest blogging, directory submissions, or social media. For more tips on how to build quality backlinks, read our SEO Backlinks Guide.
Do You Want To Build High Quality Backlinks To Your Site?
21. How can I build backlinks?
There are a few ways to build backlinks, such as guest blogging, social bookmarking, and directory submission. The best link-building techniques are the ones that result in high-quality backlinks.
22. What is a Google penalty?
A Google penalty is when your website is penalized by Google for violating its guidelines. This can happen if you engage in black hat SEO techniques or spammy backlinks. If you are penalized by Google, it can result in your website being removed from their search engine results pages (SERPs).
23. How do I avoid penalties?
The best way to avoid penalties is to follow Google’s guidelines and create high-quality, original content.
24. What is a Google penalty recovery?
A Google penalty recovery is the process of trying to get your website reinstated in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) after it has been penalized. This can be a difficult and time-consuming process, but it is possible to recover from a Google penalty. Engage the help of a Google SEO consultant to assist you.
25. What are some common SEO mistakes?
Common SEO mistakes include not using keyword-rich titles, not using proper keyword density, stuffing keywords into content, using too many affiliate links, and excessive cross-linking.
26. How can I avoid making SEO mistakes?
Local business site owners can avoid making SEO mistakes by taking the time to properly research the topic and understand what factors search engines use to rank websites. They should also consider hiring an experienced SEO professional to help them with the optimization of their site.
27. What is duplicate content?
Duplicate content is content that appears on more than one web page, whether it’s on your own site or someone else’s. Search engines don’t like duplicate content and may penalize your website if they find it.
28. What is overoptimization?
Overoptimization is the act of using too many keywords or keyword phrases on a web page in an attempt to rank higher in the search engines. This can actually hurt your ranking and should be avoided.
29. What is SERP?
SERP stands for “search engine results page.” This is the page that you see when you do a search in Google or another search engine. It includes the results of that search, as well as any ads that may be relevant to your query.
30. What is a featured snippet?
A featured snippet is a box that appears at the top of the SERP that includes a summary of the answer to your query, as well as a link to the full page of content. Featured snippets are designed to give users quick and easy answers to their queries.
31. What are social media signals?
Social media signals refer to the indicators that show how popular and active a website is on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
32. What is black hat SEO?
Black hat SEO is any type of SEO that goes against the guidelines set forth by the search engines. This includes things like Cloaking, Doorway pages, Hidden text or links, Scraping content, and Keyword stuffing.
33. What is cloaking?
Cloaking is the practice of showing one version of a web page to search engine crawlers and another version to human users. This is considered to be black hat SEO and can result in your website being banned from the search engines.
34. What are doorway pages?
Doorway pages are pages that are created solely for the purpose of ranking high in search engines. They don’t provide any real value to the user and should be avoided.
35. What is hidden text or links?
Hidden text or links are text or links that are not visible to the human eye but are still accessible to search engine crawlers. This is considered to be black hat SEO and can result in your website being banned from the search engines.
36. What is scraping content?
Scraping content is the practice of copying content from another website and passing it off as your own. This is plagiarism and is a surefire way to get your website penalized by search engines.
37. What is keyword stuffing?
Keyword stuffing is the act of filling a web page with repeated keywords in an attempt to manipulate a site’s ranking in Google search results. Repeating the same terms or phrases so often that it sounds unnatural, for example:
We sell custom engagement rings. Our custom engagement rings are custom designed. If you’re thinking of buying a custom engagement ring, please contact our custom engagement ring specialists at custom.engagement.rings@example.com
This is considered to be black hat SEO and can result in your website being banned from the search engines.
38. What is white hat SEO?
White hat SEO is any type of SEO that follows the guidelines set forth by the search engines. This includes things like creating quality content, using keyword-rich anchor text, and building backlinks naturally.
39. What is gray hat SEO?
Gray hat SEO is any type of SEO that falls in between black hat and white hat. This includes things like link buying, article spinning, and using private blog networks.
40. What is negative SEO?
Negative SEO is the practice of trying to harm a competitor’s website by using black hat techniques. This can include things like building bad backlinks to their website or creating duplicate content.
Do You Want Your Site To Rank On Google 1st Page?
41. What is schema markup?
Schema markup is a code that helps search engines understand the content on your website. It is used to provide structured data about your website and its contents. It is not directly a ranking factor but it can indirectly help your website rank higher in the search engines. This is because it helps search engines understand your website better which can lead to improved crawling and indexing. In turn, this can lead to higher rankings. For more tips on how to implement schema markup, read our Schema Markup Guide.
42. What is technical SEO?
Technical SEO is the practice of optimizing the technical aspects of a website in order to increase the ranking of its pages in search engines. Technical SEO issues are any type of issue that prevents search engines from being able to crawl and index your website properly. This can include things like duplicate meta, broken links, 302 redirects, 404 errors, and using incorrect canonical tags. It also includes things like setting up sitemaps, fixing broken links, and increasing website speed. For more tips on how to fix technical SEO issues, read our Technical SEO Guide.
43. What is the Google algorithm?
The Google algorithm is the set of rules followed by Google in order to rank websites in their search engine results pages (SERPs). These rules are constantly changing and evolving, which is why it’s important to stay up to date on the latest SEO news and changes.
44. What is Google Panda?
Google Panda is a part of the Google algorithm that is responsible for penalizing websites that have low-quality or thin content. This means that if your website has a lot of pages with very little content, you may be at risk of being penalized by Google Panda.
45. What is Google Penguin?
Google Penguin is a part of the Google algorithm that is responsible for penalizing websites that engage in black hat SEO techniques, such as link buying, keyword stuffing, and duplicate content.
46. What is Google Hummingbird?
Google Hummingbird is the name given to the latest version of the Google algorithm. This update was designed to better handle searches that were more conversational in nature.
47. What is an SEO audit?
An SEO audit is a review of your website to identify any potential issues that could be holding back its ranking in the search engines. This can include things like examining your website’s structure, content, links, and other factors. An SEO audit can help you identify any areas that need to be improved in order to rank higher in the search engines. If you would like to get an audit on your site, click here to request your free SEO audit.
48. What is eCommerce SEO?
eCommerce SEO is the process of optimizing your online store for search engines. This can include things like optimizing your website for specific keywords, optimizing your product pages, and creating targeted landing pages. For more information, read our eCommerce SEO Guide.
49. What is disavow?
Disavow is a tool that allows you to tell Google that you do not want certain links to your website to be counted. This can be useful if you have a lot of low-quality or spammy links pointing to your website.
50. How is website conversion optimization different from search engine optimization?
Website conversion optimization is focused on increasing the number of visitors to your website who take the desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Search engine optimization is focused on increasing the number of visitors to your website from the search engines.
51. What is an SEO scam?
An SEO scam is a type of internet fraud that typically involves promising to deliver guaranteed results in the search engines for a fee. These scams are often carried out by individuals or an SEO agency that has no real experience in SEO. Read our guide on 8 Ways To Spot SEO Scams.
52. What is online reputation management?
Online reputation management (ORM) is the process of monitoring and managing your online reputation. This can include things like monitoring what is being said about you or your business online, responding to negative reviews or comments, and proactively managing your online presence. To learn more, read our Online Reputation Management Guide.
53. What is keyword cannibalization?
Keyword cannibalization is when you are targeting the same keyword with multiple pages on your website. This can be an issue because it can split your website’s link equity and make it harder for you to rank in the search engines. For more tips on how to spot and fix cannibalization issues, read our Keyword Cannibalization Guide.
54. What is a backlink audit?
A backlink audit is a review of all the links pointing to your website. This can be done for a variety of reasons, such as identifying low-quality or spammy links, investigating why a competitor is ranking higher than you, or tracking your link-building progress over time.
55. What does SEO site analysis involve?
There are a few key things that an SEO site analysis will involve:
- Checking the health of your website
- Looking for any technical issues that could be holding back your website
- Analyzing your website’s structure and navigation
- Examining your website’s content to see if it is optimized for the search engines
- Checking your website’s backlink profile to see if there are any issues
- Identifying any potential areas for improvement
56. What does SEO competitor analysis involve?
There are a few key things that an SEO competitor analysis will involve:
- Looking at the websites of your competitors to see what they are doing well and what could be improved
- Analyzing their website’s structure, content, and backlinks
- Identifying any potential areas where you could outrank them in the search engines
- Looking for any opportunities to get more targeted traffic from the search engines
57. What does SEO content writing involve?
There are a few key things that SEO content writing involves:
- Researching and finding the right keywords to target
- Writing content that is optimized for the search engines and your target keywords
- Making sure your content is informative, well-written, and engaging
58. What is an SEO agency?
An SEO agency is a company that specializes in providing SEO services to clients. The role of an SEO company is to help optimize websites for search engines and increased traffic to your website. SEO agencies offer a variety of services, such as on-page optimization, link building, and other SEO strategies.
59. What is an SEO package like?
An SEO package is typically a monthly service that includes things like on-page optimization, link building, and other SEO strategies. The exact services included in an SEO package can vary from agency to agency.
60. What is web analytics?
Web analytics is the process of analyzing data from your website to see how people are using it. This can include things like tracking the number of visitors to your website, what pages they visit, how long they stay on your site, and what actions they take.
Conclusion
SEO is a complex and ever-changing field. If you’re looking for professional and high-quality SEO services, then you’ve come to the right place. We pride ourselves on providing the best possible service to our clients.
We understand that your website is your online identity and that it needs to be visible in order for your business to succeed. That’s why we offer comprehensive SEO services that are designed to help improve your website’s ranking in search engines.
Contact us today to learn more about how our SEO expert can help you take your business to the next level.
Veronica Lim
Stay In Touch
Call/Whatsapp us at (65) 9385-8095 or you may request for a callback.
Our Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9am to 6pm
We are closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.