Glossary

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Search engine optimisation, commonly shortened to SEO, is the process of improving a website so it appears more prominently in search engine results. The goal of SEO is to increase the visibility of a website when people search for topics related to its content, products, or services.

By improving search visibility, businesses can attract more organic traffic from search engines.

Search engines are one of the primary ways people discover information online. When a website appears near the top of search results, it is more likely to receive clicks and visitors.

SEO helps businesses:

  • Increase organic website traffic
  • Reach people actively searching for information or solutions
  • Build long-term online visibility
  • Reduce reliance on paid advertising

How SEO works

Search engines analyse webpages using algorithms that evaluate factors such as relevance, quality, structure, and authority. These signals help determine how pages are ranked in search results.

SEO focuses on improving these signals so search engines can better understand and recommend the content.

Key areas of SEO

SEO usually involves several different areas of optimisation.

On-page SEO
Improving the content and structure of individual webpages so search engines can understand them more easily.

Technical SEO
Optimising the technical aspects of a website, such as site speed, mobile usability, and indexing.

Content optimisation
Creating useful, relevant content that answers the questions people search for.

Internal linking
Connecting related pages across a website to improve navigation and search understanding.

SEO and content strategy

Content plays an important role in SEO. Businesses often create articles, guides, or glossary pages that answer common questions and target specific search queries.

By publishing useful and well-structured content consistently, websites can increase their visibility in search results over time.

SEO in digital marketing

SEO is often considered a long-term marketing strategy. While results may take time to develop, well-optimised content can continue attracting visitors long after it is published.

Many businesses combine SEO with other marketing channels such as paid search, content marketing, and social media to create a balanced digital strategy.

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