Digital Marketing

SEO: improving the positioning of a website on search engines

Appearance, as we know, is not everything but it is extremely important when it comes to selling a product or a service. Every shop needs quality items and a sparkling shop window, but an aesthetically appealing and tidy store is not always enough to attract passers-by and turn them into customers: it is also necessary to position it in the most visible point of the city, possibly on the main avenue .

Similarly, for every company it is not enough to have a beautiful online showcase, a professional, simple and informative site: too the positioning of the website is essential to be able to acquire visits and transform them, in the case of an e-commerce, into the much desired ones conversions.

What is SERP? What is SEO?

Positioning on search engines

What is meant by positioning? The answer is simple, indicate the location of a website on Search Engine Results Pages, notes in English with the acronym of SERP - Search Engine Result Pages.

Positioning factors

The key word is therefore positioning on the SERPs; ma what are the ranking factors? Let's take the search engine by definition: Google.

It is not yet possible to define precisely which ranking factors are used by Google, nor what is their relative value. We just know that Google factors hundreds of items – more than 200 – to determine the positioning of the sites in the organic results and that theGoogle's algorithm is constantly updated: hundreds of changes are made every year with the aim of improve the ranking criteria more and more.

On-page and off-page factors

In general, we can state that there are two macro-categories of factors taken into consideration by Google:

  • on-page positioning factorsi.e. all those factors interiorto the site, which can be directly modified by those who manage or develop the site (trivially, everything that allows search engines to correctly index the pages);
  • off-page positioning factorsi.e. all those factors externalto the site, which therefore depend on the behavior of web users (for example, citations on external sites, navigation and participation of users on the site, sharing and appreciation on social networks).

The basic idea is very simple: a site must not only be complete, accurate and informative to obtain a good position in the rankings; Google also considers external feedback and references, from other sites and users.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

Always taking Google as an example, this search engine has only 10 free positions on the front page and to be able to conquer them it is necessary improve your positioning on search engines? How? Obviously with the SEO.

SEM, SEO, SEA

Before going into the intricacies of SEO, it is good to clarify some acronyms often used when it comes to optimizing the position of a website: SEO , SEA they are part of the SEM. But what is it specifically about?

  • SEM(Search Engine Marketing) is the branch of web marketing that concerns search engines and that includes all the activities and practices aimed at generating qualified traffic to an internet site.
  • SEO(Search Engine Optimization) is the set of strategies and practices aimed at increasing the organic traffic of a site.
  • SEA(Search Engine Advertising) is the set of strategies and practices aimed at increasing the paid traffic of a site, that is, in other words, the advertising practiced on search engines.

So it is good to remember that a campaign SEO non includes only i acquisition channels a payment.

SEO as a complex process

Considering the ranking criteria, this system with two categories of factors – on-page and off-page – makes the positioning less self-referential and the SEO activity decidedly more varied and complex. In other words, un good SEO project must take into account, as far as possible, all the elements considered by search engine to increase one's performance: these are a myriad of elements which, although individually they may seem of little importance, as a whole they actually make a site worthy of positioning in the eyes of Google.

In defining an SEO strategy, it is good to make a fundamental premise: no strategy is always valid, because no algorithm is immutable; optimization, therefore, is and must be a constantly evolving process.

SEO positioning

How to define an SEO project from scratch

We will now go and see how to proceed for the definition of a SEO project starting from scratch.

Step 1: initial analysis and goal setting

First, as with any strategy, you need to define goals goals reachable: in other words, as we can increase visits and to what extent this is actually possible. To set the right goals it is therefore necessary to carry out a preliminary analysis of your initial situation of the website.

Initial Analysis

In order to obtain arealistic and truthful image of the initial situation of a site it is necessary to accomplish a quantitative analysis, collecting, where possible, as much data as available. What data are we talking about? In order to have a more complete overview of the situation, the areas to be taken into consideration are mainly three:

  • Traffic analysis (Google Analytics)
  • Positioning on Search Engines
  • Competition Analysis

The set of three analyzes will provide essential information to be able to better structure a project SEO.

A. Traffic analysis (Google Analytics)

First of all, in order to hypothesize the achievable results it is necessary to use a program of traffic analysis, i.e. tracking of visits. Google Analytics is by far the most used platform, but the situation remains the same if you want to use some other software: with dozens and dozens of graphs and percentages, Google Analytics allows you to view and analyze every aspect relating to different parameters, such as Audience, Channels di Beta srl, Behavior of identification e Conversions.

The information that must be most taken into consideration during the first analysis of a website are:

  • Total visits (sessions)
  • Organic visits (organic traffic session)
  • Landing pages
  • User interaction by acquisition channel

As with any time series analysis, we recommend compare a time interval with the same interval of the previous year to eliminate the seasonal component: it will thus be possible to understand the current and past performance of the website and monitor its progress, observing visits and user behavior over the period to grasp the strengths and weaknesses in terms of traffic.

B. Analysis of kewyords and relative positioning on search engines

In parallel, it will be necessary to proceed with one selection of Keyword. These keywords correspond to all those search terms entered on Google and which refer to a page of results corresponding to different web pages. Thanks for details software - officially provided by the main search engines - it is possible to track the most sought after and therefore most competitive keywords within a given semantic and thematic area.

A very popular software for conducting keyword analysis is Ubersuggest.

At this point, if the goal is increase your search engine rankings, it is good to proceed with one overview of current placements: also in this case, particular software will give a precise vision of the keywords for which the site is positioned, and which therefore generate more traffic, and of the semantic areas which, on the contrary, are not giving the desired results.

This kind of analysis it is essential to proceed with the definition of an SEO strategy, as it allows you to understand the competitiveness of the site with respect to certain keywords and to distribute SEO efforts efficiently among the different keywords. Choosing the keywords around which to build your optimization strategy is fundamental: selecting the wrong mix can prove to be a waste of time and energy, and risks compromising any position already earned with other keywords.

Clearly, the greater the use of a keyword in searches, the greater the traffic generated by it and the greater the attention paid to it by the various websites, which struggle to grab the largest slice of organic by positioning themselves in the top positions of the SERPs . In other words, the greater the competitiveness, the higher the competition will be, and therefore the commitment - and time - necessary to position yourself with the keyword in question.

Carry out an analysis of kewyords it therefore means knowing not only the popularity, but also the competition of each keyword.

Once you have selected a set of keywords it is still good to consider that the decision is never final: as mentioned above, no strategy is eternal, it is a process of constant refinement.

Finally, to develop an optimal strategy, it is essential to keep in mind the so-called long tail theory elaborated by Chris Anderson which, applied to SEO, suggests preferring less specific keywords, with a limited search volume but with less competition and therefore with a higher conversion rate.

C. Competition analysis

As with any other strategic decision, before proceeding with the definition of a plan it is always good to make acompetition analysis: understand if and how the main ones competitors are carrying out digital marketing activities is as important as trying to identify their placements.

Access to classified and confidential information is not essential for the analysis: a website is visible and accessible to whoever. It is sufficient to use certain software to identify the typical elements of an SEO strategy, obtaining useful indications on the type and extent of the activity of websites marketing turning point.

Goal setting

Once the analysis is complete it will be possible to define the achievable goals with the SEO campaign and then define the parameters and characteristics of the project.

Step n.2: SEO Positioning – Search Engine Optimization

Once the objectives have been defined, it will be possible to proceed with the definition of one SEO strategy. We have previously defined the two macro-categories of positioning factors and explained the importance of considering both for the SEO activity: one perfect optimization of the site, on the one hand, e external activities that bring good references to the site on the other. What does this mean in practice?

  • On page SEOmainly indicates the activities of technical and qualitative optimization of the site and inserting content quality.
  • Off page SEOmainly indicates the activity of link building and other activities of brand care, as newsletter and relations with an influencer.

Let's go now to see these activities in more detail.

Main on-page SEO activities

  • Technical optimization of the site, ie optimization of the code, which must be complete with the necessary tags to guarantee correct indexing by search engines, and optimization of the server in terms of speed. However, there are also many other components that should be present within the code for correct indexing and which are often ignored by Web Masters: Meta Tag Keywords, Text Formatting Tags, Title attribute and link for product name, attribute rel = canonical, robots file, sitemap, HTTPS protocol and so much more.
  • Optimization based on keywords: once you have selected the best keywords for your site, you need to include them in some elements of the snippets, such as:
    • Title tag, or the text that indicates to the search engine the title of the page;
    • Meta Description, or the introductory phrase that appears in the SERP below the Title Tag;
    • Headline tags, or titles and subtitles that make the textual content of a page more readable not only for users, but also for search engines;
    • URL, or the sequence of words that uniquely identifies a web page;
    • alt attribute, that is, the alternative text to the image that actually explains its content.
  • Qualitative optimization of the site, that is, optimization in terms of usability e websites design, such as the presence of widgets and links to social networks, the use of a review system, the presence and quality of information content.
  • Content insertion and optimization, such as blogs, boxes, information pages and descriptions. To be considered quality by search engines, content should be rich, informative, well formatted and complete with keywords, outbound link insertion.

Main off-page SEO activities:

  • Link building, that is, creation of positive references on external sites by publishing articles and press releases that refer to the pages of the site.
  • Link earning which occurs when links on external sites are "earned" based on the quality of the content.
  • Social sharing of content, through collaborations with prominent social personalities thanks to theinfluence marketing.

Organic indexing cost

Step 3: Analysis of results and monitoring

Once a strategy has been defined, it is good to consider that a continuous and constant monitoring is necessary to maintain good performance.

First, a continuation is needed monitoring in terms of Reporting through Google Analytics, essential to have an overview of user behavior and conversions, in order to optimize the site starting from the same interactions.

Secondly, it is good to periodically check theperformance of the site in terms of positioning, in order to evaluate the progress and quantify the results achieved through the SEO campaign. This activity is not only essential for cyclically checking the results of the activity, but it is also essential to be able to make ongoing changes to the strategy.

We have already said this before, but it is good to reiterate it: search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, which is why SEO must mean continuous striving for improvement, constant improvement and meticulous analysis.

The world of the Web is, in fact, in constant change and a small variation in the algorithms can lead to significant consequences. Or again, more simply, with the advent of smartphones e tablets A optimal viewing on mobile devices has been introduced in the parameters.

It is for this reason that one constant attention in terms of SEO it becomes necessary: ​​the world changes, technologies evolve and what works today may no longer work tomorrow.

A continuous one is useful in this sense competitor analysis and their strategies, which not only analyzes their trends and positioning, but also considers the structure of the site and its characteristics.

One last tip: to get more data for good tracking results we suggest you to try a very effective software called SEMrush.

Seo

SEO: Trends of 2023

As every year news arrives in the world of marketing, algorithms change or new trends.

In this regard Google in 2023 has introduced news regarding the topic of positioning on the search engine. But what trends, news and new strategies have been introduced in SEO area in this new year?

Already with the update made in August 2022, Google has chosen to focus on the quality of content by penalizing those pages and sites created with the sole purpose of obtaining good positioning. In 2023, therefore, they will be rewarded by Google i content human friendly, i.e. capable of informing and helping users.

In 2023, moreover, the need for improve the browsing experience within the site through technical improvements that allow, for example, to load pages faster.

It will also be necessary to analyze the trends in vogue among generation z and alpha generation users: the very young, in fact, carry out more and more searches through non-traditional channels such as Twitch or TikTok, a social network that in 2023 began to present itself to users as a sort of new search engine.

It can no longer be underestimatedaccessibility of the site which must be able to be navigated easily even by people with disabilities. Google will therefore reward those pages equipped with features such as the Alt tag for images, descriptions of non-text elements, the use of tags to present the organization of the title or graphic choices that make everything more readable.

As already emerged in previous years, it will therefore be important to pay attention to voice searches.

SEO and voice search software

voice search software they are already considerably present in everyone's daily life, thanks to the fact that most people now use services via their mobile device. But how can this affect the Search Engine Optimization?

When a site is optimized for certain keywords it is important to include different sources to get a 360 ° overview of search queries.

La Google Voice Search, will be an increasingly constant presence in the everyday life of users of online services from smartphones. More and more people will use it, therefore developing content through question and answer we will take advantage of this trend. There Google Voice Search it works according to a question and answer principle, the user asks a question verbally and the search engine presents more solutions through the results found in line with the user's needs.

A good SEO optimization job, also with a view to Google Voice Search, will increase the chances of obtaining positive results in this field too..

SEO digital marketing

The Importance of User Experience in SEO

As we have anticipated, even in 2023 the content quality which will therefore become an increasingly relevant element from an SEO perspective. Insert on your site multimedia content such as images and videos in fact, it will make it possible to acquire greater relevance and to receive the so-called backlink from another site.

In the field of backlink the ranking factor by Google remains important if our site is cited by a site considered authoritative. Creating quality content definitely helps in earning backlinks.

This backlink practice is one of the strategies to focus on for SEO, it is important to be able to implement a correct strategy web marketing e SEO copywriting.

The browsing experience will have to be improved not only in terms of content, but also in terms of mobile usability. Mobile First it will have to be repeated like a mantra, according to some data, in fact, by 2025 more than 70% of users will use the internet through devices mobile devices. For this reason, Google has implemented indexing from a perspective mobile-first.

Your site then, for one good indexing on search engines must be able to adapt as best as possible to all formats, especially the mobile devices.

It cannot therefore be neglected User Experience, i.e. the behavior of users and their use of the service. Therefore, attention must be paid to thedesign orientation for the target, on optimizing usability by the user in order to guarantee a high conversion rate.

search engine optimization

SEO integrates with social networks

We have already mentioned that Social Media is increasingly linked to the world of Search Engine Optimization. Social media they have no direct effect on SEO, because of the links nofollow, but the interactions obtained on these profiles are an indication of approval and interest on the part of users and potential customers. Their link with SEO is indirect: good communication will enter people's heads, thus perhaps leading them to quote us in articles or link us.

Keywords still represent, without any doubt, the fundamental element for optimizing the positioning of a web page on search engines. However, social shares influence SEO optimization as they increase the visibility of content, prolong the life of the site, improve and increase brand awareness and have a direct positive effect on local searches.

So, Facebook likes, Twitter retweets, and LinkedIn shares are all interactions they can bring to the acquisition of added value to the content in terms of reachof traffic and improvement of the SEO side positioning. In this way it will be possible to observe a growth in terms of lead generation and an increase in the number of conversions.

Furthermore, social pages are often one of the first results that appear when searching for a company or brand name. The strategy to follow is therefore to be present with at least 10 of the top results in search engines for your brand with social profiles. Social like Facebook e LinkedIn they are authoritative in the eyes of Google and it is therefore easy for them to be positioned at the top.

A well-optimized and quality content will have a high number of shares and will acquire more and more visibility, effectively reaching an ever wider audience.

Research and analysis of Keyword it certainly remains the basis of the SEO strategy, but it is becoming increasingly important to create content suitable for Social Media.

search engine optimization

SEO Campaigns for E-Commerce: Web Design, Structure and Hierarchy

E-commerce nowadays they are playing an increasingly important role for many companies. E-commerce sites have developed following the advent of digital and have completely revolutionized the morphology of the market.

In addition to the big giants, first and foremost Amazon, many other smaller businesses have also had to adapt to new needs in order to continue operating on the market.

The advent of the internet has completely changed the characteristics of the market, also leading consumers to change the way they make purchases which are made more and more frequently through e-commerce.

In this regard, however, it is very important to underline that, if on the one hand e-commerce is gaining more and more importance for companies, on the other hand, however, many of these they do not have the knowledge and skills necessary to develop e-commerce effectively as they do not fully know the potential of this sector.

Contrary to what many still think, developing a quality e-commerce requires time, dedication and specific knowledge.

First of all, it is very important during the creation of an e-commerce take into account the structure and graphics of the site but without neglecting the positioning that e-commerce has on search engines.

A good positioning on search engines translates into an increase in visits which can then be transformed into conversions or loyalty, with a clearly positive impact on your business.

For the creation of a good e-commerce site, in addition to what has already been said for websites, it is therefore important to simultaneously take into consideration factors internal to the site and factors external to the site.

I internal site factors they depend on behaviors and actions that can be implemented by whoever manages the site. In particular, attention must be paid to:

  • The structural organization of e-commerce which must be equipped with a simple and intuitive menu not only for the users who navigate it, but also for the search engines who scan it.
  • Product datasheets they must contain the main keywords and must present themselves as original and well-structured content capable of effectively describing the product.
  • Title tags, Meta Descriptions and URLs must contain the keywords and must not exceed the number of characters visible in the preview shown by search engines.
  • The sitemap it must always be updated and organized in a hierarchical way.
  • Pictures must be resized to speed up loading. In addition, alternative text (ALT) and a caption must always be entered.
  • The e-commerce it must have an optimal loading speed and must also have a version mobile-friendly.

I factors external to the site which instead depend on the behavior of external users:

  • External links on authoritative pages.
  • Social Media Shares which can be favored by optimizing the site for social media.
  • Reviews on opinion sites to increase SEO visibility.

Market Analysis, Competitive Context of Reference and Definition of Objectives

After this very general consideration, it is appropriate to proceed with the study of the initial fundamental steps to create an effective e-commerce with a good positioning.

The first crucial step is the initial analysis of the market and the competitive context. This first step is very important because it allows you to have a realistic general overview of the characteristics of the market in which it operates, how you position yourself in it and what are the main characteristics of the competitors.

These activities are very important as an e-commerce is a real business and not just a website.

Once you have identified the key features of the industry it is worth proceeding with the analysis of competitors, in particular their strengths and weaknesses. These, in fact, are very important because they also help a lot in defining the strategy.

In addition to analyzing the competitors, it is also necessary to proceed with an analysis of its positioning on the market. If the e-commerce site is already present, it is essential to analyze the positioning on the web and doing a traffic analysis. If, on the other hand, the site has to be created from scratch, it is better to focus on a SWOT analysis, or rather on an analysis that identifies the strengths (Strengths), weaknesses (weaknesses), Opportunities (Opportunities) and threats (Threats) of the project.

At a later time you can switch to goal setting more realistically and accurately.

Development of an e-commerce from a technical point of view

Several aspects need to be taken into account at this stage. First of all it is important to take care of the graphic structure of e-commerce. This, in fact, in addition to being aesthetically beautiful and cared for, should also be the most user friendly possible. Here it is therefore necessary to pay attention to choice of contents, always perfectly formatted and optimized, To choice of images and to the more general care of all the graphic formatting.

The development of an e-commerce site from a technical point of view is certainly much more complex than any web page, so it is necessary to enrich the e-commerce with a whole series of functionality and plug-ins necessary for the sale, To management of sales, orders and customer care. E-commerce sites must also be organized according to a hierarchical structure that helps optimize their positioning on search engines.

Furthermore, already in the technical development phase it is very important to pay attention to the SEO elements necessary to ensure a good ranking. You must proceed with an optimization of meta title and meta-descriptioninclusion of blogs, verified reviews and quality information pages.

 

To conclude, operating in the digital market today is very important even if it is a rather complex market that requires the right knowledge and skills to move with professionalism and success.

For companies today it is essential to know how to exploit all the opportunities offered by the digital market. However, it is necessary to do so have detailed knowledge and skills. Only in this way is it possible to implement a successful digital marketing strategy that knows how to effectively integrate various strategies.

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