What is SEO? The Definitive Guide to Understanding It All

Hello! I'm Pablo Garcia, and today I come to talk to you about one of those terms that seem simple, but actually hide a complex and fascinating world behind: SEO.

Throughout my professional life, I have come across this little word on more occasions than I can count. And let me tell you one thing: SEO is much more than a set of techniques to position a website in Google. It is a science, an art, and if I dare, even a philosophy of digital life.

1. Introduction to SEO: What the hell is it?

First, let's go to the basics: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which in English means Search Engine Optimization. But what exactly does that mean

In simple terms, SEO is the process of optimizing a website so that it appears in the top search results when someone searches for something on Google (or any other search engine, although let's be honest, who uses any other than Google?). This is no small thing, because if you don't appear on the first page of results, you basically don't exist.

And no, I'm not exaggerating. 75% of users never get past the first page of Google. So if you want your website to get visitors, you need to be on that first page. And how do you achieve that? That's where SEO comes in.

2. My first contact with SEO

Let me tell you a little personal story. It was 2008 when I first came across the word SEO. I had a small blog about technology, where I wrote about gadgets and geeky things that I was passionate about. I had no idea what SEO was, I just wanted to share what I knew with the world.

But one day, a friend told me: "Pablo, if you don't optimize your blog for SEO, you'll never get traffic". I, with the arrogance of someone who thinks he knows everything, replied, "SEO? Bah, that's not for me. I just want to write."

Mistake. Blunder.

A few months later, my blog was dead. No one was reading it, and I didn't understand why. That's when I realized that SEO wasn't optional; it was a necessity.

3. The pillars of SEO: What do you need to know?

To understand SEO in all its magnitude, you need to know its three fundamental pillars:

SEO On-Page: This refers to all the actions you can take within your website to improve its search engine rankings. It includes things like keyword optimization, creating quality content, proper use of HTML tags, and improving page load speed. If you don't take care of On-Page SEO, you're wasting your time.

Off-Page SEO: Here we talk about all the actions that are taken outside your website to improve its authority and relevance. Off-Page SEO includes link building (backlinks), mentions on social networks, and reviews on external sites. It's like building a network of influential friends who speak well of you.

Technical SEO: This is the pillar that is less seen, but absolutely crucial. It refers to optimizing the technical structure of your website, such as the robots.txt file, the sitemap, the use of canonical tags, and the implementation of good structured data markup. Technical SEO is what allows search engines to understand and navigate your website correctly.

4. The importance of keywords

Now, I want to talk to you about something that is the basis of all good SEO: the keywords. These are the words or phrases that users type into Google when they search for something.

When you do SEO, your goal is for your website to show up when people search for those keywords. But it's not as simple as picking a couple of words and putting them everywhere. You have to do some fine, almost craftsman-like work to select the right keywords and use them as effectively as possible.

Keyword Research

This is where keyword research comes in. It's all about finding those hidden gems that your potential visitors are looking for, but that are not yet saturated with competition. To do this, there are tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush that allow you to see how many times a keyword is searched for per month and how much competition there is.

When I started, I did everything by hand, but today, if you're not using keyword research tools, you're working in the Stone Age of SEO.

Proper Use of Keywords

Once you have your keywords, you need to use them strategically. Here are some tips:

Include the keyword in the title of your page. This is crucial because search engines give a lot of weight to the title when deciding what your page is about.

Use it in the first paragraph of the content. There's nothing like starting strong and making it clear what you're going to talk about.

Distribute it naturally throughout the text. It's not about shoehorn it into every sentence; Google has gotten very good at detecting keyword stuffing, and if you get caught, you'll get penalized.

Use synonyms and variations. Remember that search engines are intelligent and understand context, so don't obsess over repeating the exact keyword over and over again.

5. Content is king: myth or reality?

One of the most repeated mantras in the SEO world is that "content is king". And let me tell you something: it's true... in part.

Content is extremely important, yes. But not just any content. The content that succeeds in SEO is the one that brings real value to the user. That means relevant, original, and useful content.

When you write for SEO, it's not just about stuffing your page with keywords. You have to write with solving a problem or answering a question your audience has.

How to create SEO-optimized content

Here are some tips based on my experience:

Research what your audience wants. Use tools like Google Trends and Answer the Public to see what questions and topics are being searched in your niche.

Create long and detailed content. Google tends to value longer articles (over 1500 words) more, as long as they are of quality. The deeper and more detailed your content is, the better.

Use headings and subheadings. This not only makes your content easier to read, but also helps search engines better understand the structure of your page. H1, H2 and H3 are your friends.

Include internal and external links. Link to other pages on your own site (this is called internal linking) and to external sources of authority. Google values sites that are part of a larger ecosystem.

Optimize your images. Use descriptive file names, add alternative text (alt text) and make sure your images are not too heavy so as not to slow down page loading.

6. Speed and user experience: 21st century SEO

Years ago, SEO was almost exclusively about keywords and links. But times have changed, my friend. Today, user experience (UX) is a key factor in SEO.

Google has made it clear that it wants to provide the best possible experience for its users. And that means your website must be fast, secure, and easy to use.

Load speed

One of the things Google values most is the load speed of a page. If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, you're in trouble. Users are impatient, and if they have to wait, they will simply leave.

To improve loading speed, here are some tips:

Optimize your images. As I mentioned before, use lightweight image formats like WebP and make sure they are compressed without losing too much quality.

Minimize the use of scripts and plugins. The more scripts and plugins you use, the slower your site will be. Use only those that are absolutely necessary.

Use good hosting. Don't skimp on hosting. A good server can make the difference between a fast site and a slow one.

User Experience (UX)

User experience is not just about loading speed. It also includes how easy it is to navigate your site, how it looks on mobile devices, and whether your content is accessible and readable.

Some things to keep in mind:

Responsive design. Your site should look and function well on both desktop and mobile. Google penalizes sites that are not optimized for mobile.

Ease of navigation. Your site should have a clear and easy-to-follow structure. Use intuitive menus and make sure users can find what they are looking for without difficulty.

Readable content. Use appropriately sized fonts, short paragraphs and plenty of white space. Make it easy to read.

7. Off-Page SEO: The importance of links

We have already talked about the importance of links in Off-Page SEO. But I want to delve a little deeper into this topic because it's crucial to any self-respecting SEO strategy.

Link Building

Link Building is, in essence, the process of getting other websites to link to yours. Why is this important? Because Google sees every link to your site as a vote of confidence. The more quality links you have, the more authority your site will have, and the better it will rank.

But beware, not all links are equal. One link from a high authority site (like a university or a major media outlet) is worth much more than a hundred links from small blogs.

Strategies to get quality links

Here are some strategies I've used successfully:

Create exceptional content. The best way to get links is to create content so good that others will want to link to it. This can be detailed guides, case studies, infographics, or any other type of content that provides significant value.

Guest Blogging. Write articles for other sites in your niche and make sure they include a link to your site. It's an old strategy, but it still works.

Broken Link Building. Find broken links on other sites (using tools like Ahrefs), and offer to replace them with a link to your relevant content.

8. SEO and social networks: A dynamic duo

Although links from social networks do not carry the same weight as traditional links in terms of Off-Page SEO, do not underestimate their power. Social networks can generate traffic, increase the visibility of your content and, in the long run, improve your SEO.

How to use social networks to improve your SEO

Share your content. It seems obvious, but many people don't do it effectively. Share every new post on all your social networks and encourage your followers to do the same.

Interact with your audience. Engagement is key. The more you interact with your audience, the more likely they are to share your content, which can lead to more links and therefore better SEO.

Collaborate with influencers. If you can get influencers in your niche to share your content, you'll see an increase in your traffic and, possibly, your links.

9. Measurement and tuning: The key to long-term success

One thing I've learned over the years is that SEO is not a one-time effort. It is an ongoing process of measuring, tweaking, and optimizing.

Tools to measure your SEO

There are many tools you can use to measure your SEO performance. Some of my favorites are:

• Google Analytics: Gives you a detailed view of how users interact with your website.
• Google Search Console: Shows you how Google sees your site, including errors, links, and more.
• Ahrefs: A powerful tool for analyzing links, keywords, and competition.

What to measure and how to adjust

You should measure things like:

• Organic traffic: How many people are coming to your site from search engines.
• Keyword positions: How your chosen keywords are ranking.
• Conversion rates: What percentage of your visitors take the action you want (buy, subscribe, etc.).

Based on this data, adjust your strategy. If something is not working, change it. If something is working well, do more of it.

10. Conclusion: SEO is a journey, not a destination

If you've made it this far, you already know that SEO is a long and sometimes complicated journey, but extremely rewarding. There's nothing like watching your site rise in Google rankings and the traffic start to flow in.