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You have heard 100 times that Search Engine Optimization ( SEO) is a critical digital marketing technique, but even if you have a simple understanding of what it means, this complicated and multi-faceted creature still doesn't have a clear grasp.

SEO is composed of many different elements and it is important to understand why SEO is so important to know what they are and how they work. In short, SEO is relevant because it makes the website more accessible and that means more traffic and more opportunities for customer transformation.

It is also a powerful tool for brand recognition, building relationships with prospects, and positioning yourself as a leading and confident expert in your profession. Here's what you have to know about SEO without further ado and why it's important in the digital world today.

The main elements of SEO

keyword

The days are long gone when keywords were the only SEO technique that matters, but they are not critical yet. The difference today is that keywords need to be studied, carefully selected, and used in your content to be successful. But exactly what are the keywords? Keywords are words and phrases which are used by prospective consumers to locate online content, then used by brands to connect prospects seeking goods and services.

When looking for keywords, you need to pursue keywords that have high search rates and competitiveness and select short-duty (like the dog), long-duty keywords (like terrier puppies for the sale), and local keywords (like puppies for the sale in Boston). You can also use keywords to customize all the names, URLs, and other SEO elements on the website (more about this later).

Information Content

Content is a crucial part of SEO since it is your medium for reaching and engaging people. For example, if you own a kindergarten and want to increase your exposure, you can publish a range of blogs on gardening, plants, crops, and more. If anyone wanted to find that information, your blog would come up and you could establish a relationship with that prospect by offering useful information. When the time came for the possibility of buying a plant, for example, you will be the first nursery to recall. The content of today must be informative, but also interesting, important, committing, and shareable. Content is available in different ways, including:

• The material of the web page
• Images Images
• Blogging
• Data graphics
• Podcasting
• Websites and e-books
• Posting on social media
• Local lists

SEO off-page

SEO off-page includes external optimization activities not excluded from the platform. The key technique used for off-page SEO is to create a backlink because quality links from outside sites tell search engines that your site is valuable and high-quality, which generates competence.

There are various strategies to connect back and some of the best practices include guest posts, a lot of infographics to be shared and influencers in the contents to be noted.

Local SEO

Local SEO becomes more and more relevant because more people are using mobile search devices. 57% of all searches on tablets and smartphones are carried out today, and half of them are local purposes.

For example, if you operated a restaurant, local SEO would make sure people in your area check your site for the best restaurants. Other local SEO best practices include claiming directory listings, creating location-specific pages for your website, and creating pages on Google My Company, Google+, and Google Maps for your company.

Search Engine Marketing

SEM applies to paid Marketing campaigns, including native advertising, Google AdWords, social media ads, pay-per-click, Google Shopping Ads, display ads, and more.

While SEM is typically not an essential component of an integrated SEO strategy, it has its place as it can help you reach new and highly targeted audiences.