What is SEO? Guide to search engine optimization in 2023

The dear child has many names, and this is also the case when it comes to SEO.
SEO is an abbreviation of Search Engine Optimization.

Confusion notwithstanding - the goal is the same. In a nutshell, search engine optimisation is about optimising the content and technical aspects of your website so that it ranks for valuable keywords and appears at the top of Google's coveted page 1.

And there's good reason to be visible on Google Search. The search engine is one of the most well-known and used search engines in the world, and in 2021 it had a market share of 95.12% for search engines in Denmark!

And that's where SEO comes in - search engine optimisation
gives you the best chance of being visible in search results when potential customers are looking for your services or products.

Simply because it can be your shortcut to success on Google - and therefore success in your business. Because one thing is having a website. It's another thing to get it seen by your target audience.

And that's where SEO comes in. Because you can probably get to the top of Google via Google's paid search results Google Ads. But since the vast majority of information-seeking users click on so-called organic search results rather than ads, being visible where users click is key.

Without a targeted SEO effort, however, your website is likely to live a lonely life in the darkest recesses of Google - far from the attention of your potential customers. That's why SEO is an indispensable part of your marketing strategy if you want to drive traffic to your website.

With a targeted and structured SEO strategy, you can achieve the following benefits:

• Gain visibility in search engines.
• Be seen by potential customers - at all stages of their buying journey.
• Receive relevant traffic to your website.
• Get more enquiries.

Search engine optimisation can therefore ultimately help to create more turnover in your business. In other words, it can be a valuable investment for your business.

Search engine optimisation is about optimising a number of factors that Google considers to be quality for users - and that can help a website rank higher in search results.

In fact, Google has hundreds of factors in the equation. Factors that together determine how a website ranks for certain keywords in search results. You can think of it as one big equation, where each factor has an impact on how visible your website will be. That's why there's no fixed recipe for getting to the top of Google - just as results don't come overnight.

Overall, however, there are 3 main elements that can help you get started: content, technique and authority.

The content of your website is important. But if the technical stuff isn't right, Google won't find the site readable, and the site won't be user-friendly for your potential customers. That's why optimising the technical factors - technical SEO - is also a vital part of search engine optimising a website.

Technical SEO is the slightly more long-haired part of search engine optimisation. It requires a good understanding of what goes on inside the engine room of your website.
In practice, technical SEO includes analysis:

• the quality of the source code on the website
• whether the page is indexed correctly
• whether it is mobile-friendly
• whether there is duplicate content
• if there are heavy images or other elements on the page that make it slow.

Technical SEO also includes dead link analysis and redirection, search engine friendly URL naming, ALT and H tag optimisation, page titles and meta descriptions, and structured data setup to help Google understand the content of the website.

And that's just a small sample of the many tasks within technical SEO. Long story short, the purpose of technical SEO is to get a website to perform technically optimally. Partly to give users the best experience, but also to make the site more readable by Google - and thus increase the chance of coming out on top.

Having knowledge and insight into Google's algorithms is crucial when working with search engine optimisation. It's the algorithms that help determine where your website appears in search results.

That's why an algorithm update will always make SEO specialists hold their breath - because if an update means the house of cards falls, years of strategic work could be wasted.

However, there's rarely much to worry about as long as you put your users first. Google Search is a search engine that will always try to display the content that is most relevant to the user's search - and this is exactly what you need to keep in mind when working with SEO!

And while it's not always easy to understand Google's exact algorithms, there are several parameters that can have a significant impact on a website's search rankings - and are therefore worth considering when starting your SEO adventure.

Past experience shows that the following factors help determine where in the rankings your website will appear:

• User's specific search
• Geographical location of the user
• Credibility of the website
• Usability of the website
• Relevance of the website.

SEO is long-term and continuous work that never really ends. Google's algorithms are complex and ever-changing, and competition for the top spots on Google can be fierce.

If you've tried your hand at search engine optimisation, you know that it can be difficult to make sense of a SEO strategy. But you have to start somewhere.

A SEO strategy might look like this:

If it's an older website, it might be a good idea to start by prioritising the technical side of SEO. It's incredibly important that your website works properly, otherwise it can compromise search engine optimisation - and then your hard work won't be of much use.

That's another reason why it makes sense to consider hiring an agency to handle your SEO - it requires technical savvy.

Get a quick overview with Screaming Frog
There are several programs that can give you an overview of the technical quality of your website. One of them is Screaming Frog, which quickly identifies and visualises technical issues.

Areas worth investigating first:

In short, you can get a complete overview of SEO technical pitfalls that can hinder better organic keyword rankings in search engines.

There are, of course, many other areas to look at, but some are more urgent than others. Remember, it's about getting an overview from the start so you know what needs your attention most.

You can read more about the Screaming Frog in Webamp's post 'Seven tips to improve your SEO via Screaming Frog''.

In keyword analysis, you need to go full throttle. You need to look at it as a data-driven brainstorm where you find all the keyword combinations that can relate to your business. It's a good idea to consider the following questions when embarking on an exciting keyword analysis.

1. What products/services do we offer?
2. What products/services are most important to us?
3. Which products/services are most in demand?

While it's good that you include as many keyword combinations as possible in your keyword analysis, it doesn't mean that you should immediately try to optimise all of them at the same time. It's difficult to judge how many are appropriate to start with, as it depends on how competitive the keywords are - however, most people will start by focusing on around 5-10 keyword combinations.

Keyword analysis can start with something as simple as a brainstorm and your knowledge of your own industry and how your target audience searches. For example, if you are a dentist with a dental clinic in Østerbro in Copenhagen, keywords such as 'tandlæge', 'tandklinik', 'root canal treatment', 'tandpine', 'tandkrone' etc. will be relevant to look at. Since you are dealing with a clinic that is typically interested in local customers, you will also focus on the locations Østerbro and Copenhagen rather than a nationwide search.

A brainstorm can be a good place to start. However, we would always recommend a more data-driven approach.

Tools like Ahrefs and Google Search Console have everything you need to do a good keyword analysis.

In Ahrefs, for example, you can extract the keywords your website is already ranking for and see estimated monthly search volume and your ranking on these. This way you can get an overview of where there is room for improvement. You can also do competitor analysis in the 'Content gap' feature. Here you can enter your own domain and compare it with one or more competitors' domains and get an overview of relevant keywords they rank for but you don't. 

In the example below I have compared a wine merchant's website with a competitor's. 

If you have a website that contains a lot of landing pages with well-written and descriptive content for all your services and/or products - well, then you can immediately start SEO. However, few people have that.

There's one thing you're allowed to steal with - and that's your eyes. Explore the websites that are on the first page for your keyword and see how comprehensive their texts are. Are there 2000 words on the landing pages? Well, then it most likely needs to have the same.

In addition, it's important to optimise keywords on the pages where it makes the most sense - and mixing too many topics and keywords is rarely a good tactic. Let's use the dentist example again. Google is all about user-friendliness, and it's not clear to the user if they have to read about teeth straightening on the same page where you find information about tooth removal.

You should always bear in mind that if YOU are in doubt whether it makes sense, then Google certainly will be too. Later in the guide, you'll find more information on how to write good SEO copy.

The goal of search engine optimisation is visibility, which should ultimately lead to more sales or enquiries through your website. That's why it's a good idea to set up proper tracking of visitors, referrals, sales, newsletter sign-ups and other key metrics that can tell you about the return on your SEO efforts.

Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager are indispensable tools here. Analytics can give you almost any data you need about your website, while Tag Manager is the link between your site and your Analytics account to make sure you're measuring the right metrics.

The quantity and quality of links pointing to your site from other sites has a big impact on your site's authority - and therefore your rankings on Google. That's why it's important to keep working on getting relevant links to your site. This discipline is known as 'link building'. This means links from pages that are thematically similar to yours.

Links from generic private blogging networks, shady casino sites and lurid porn sites are not relevant links. Links from industry associations, suppliers, partners, bloggers, sponsors, press releases and reviews are.

So while the quantity of links matters, the quality is the most important. Better one relevant link than 10 irrelevant ones.

There's no such thing as resting on your laurels when it comes to SEO. Google's algorithm is complex, just as competition for certain keywords can be high. That's why it's important to continually evaluate the return on your efforts.

For example, do you rank poorly for certain keywords? Is your website not generating enough enquiries? Or are your users otherwise not interacting with your content as desired?

These are questions that you must ask yourself on an ongoing basis, and which form the basis for possible optimisation.

While there are hundreds of internal and external factors that can affect your SEO strategy, the optimization process is often referred to as two general categories: on-page and off-page SEO.

Outbound link building is used to link to external pages that make sense and are relevant to your visitors. Outbound link building has been used in several places in this guide - can you spot them? Psst. you can find an outbound link under 'what is external link building?'.

It's no exaggeration to say that external link building is a divisive technique in most SEO departments. External link building aims to direct traffic to your website so that Google considers your website relevant and valuable. You can link through websites, blog posts, social media and other Google services such as Google My Business - you canread our guide to Google My Business here.

However, link building is about more than "just creating links". Before you know it, you may have spent a lot of time, effort and money on external link building to no avail. Like all other aspects of SEO, you need to get your analytics right before you start.

External link building can be divided into 2 categories - the free and the paid.

You have now found the landing page you want to link to and found a domain that is relevant to get links from. Now it's time to check the quality of the domain.

Take a look at the following:

1. DR (domain rating) - how high is it?
2. The content - does the website content match YOUR content?
3. Credibility - is the website trustworthy?

At Webamp we mainly use the Ahrefs tool when we need to get an insight into all corners of a website, as the tool collects virtually all kinds of data. A true dream tool for a SEO specialist.

For the sake of clarity, we have run a test on google.dk, as you can see in the image below. It's clear to see that Google (obviously) has an incredibly high DR, a lot of backlinks and referring domains as well as organic traffic.

If you want to avoid violating some of Google's many guidelines, we recommend that you properly understand what good and natural link building is. If you want to make sure it's done right, you can also use a marketing agency that are experts in marketing. In the worst case, a violation could lead to your domain being banned from Google's index.

At Webamp , our SEO team specialises in link building and we only use relevant and trustworthy sites that provide value!

Are you new to SEO, or just want to check if there are any tools you are not familiar with yet? Don't worry. Here you'll get an insight into the SEO tools that our SEO specialists use every day.

If you want good results, it's important to use the right tools. Just as there are people who prefer gin to vodka, there are also, of course, divided opinions about the different SEO tools.

Our specialists have years of experience in search engine optimisation, and this is your opportunity to get an insight into their tools.

Are you driven by data like our own SEO specialists? Then don't fool yourself by reading one of our previous posts that goes in depth on the aforementioned SEO tools and more.

Do you know the feeling of standing in a metre-long queue at your local supermarket, eagerly waiting to pay for your groceries? It's a bit like the feeling you get when visiting a slow-loading website. Few people have the time or patience to wait. By examining and optimising the load time of your website, you can be more successful on Google.

Did you know that Google rewards websites that have a fast loadtime? In 2021, Google rolled out an update to their algorithms that meant a good page and user experience became a major ranking factor in Google's eyes. Website usability on different devices, good page speed and secure landing pages were some of the main areas of focus.

There are a host of tools that can give you information about the speed of your website, as well as an overview of which areas need a little extra love.

Tools you can use:

1. Pagespeed Insights
2. Pingdom
3. Lighthouse.

Our specialists all have their go-to tools - try out a few and find your favourite!

Which marketing strategy is right for your business? This is one of the most common questions in digital marketing - and with so many options available, it's understandable to be unsure!

It's ALWAYS a good idea to invest in your online presence - we at SEO- and Google Ads- can certainly vouch for that.

The long-term investment that creates value
SEO is a long-term marketing strategy that is definitely worth the time if you know what you are doing. The optimisation process is time-consuming and it is necessary to master everything from copywriting and link building to the technical optimisation of the website.

There have been numerous studies showing that people are more likely to click on an organic search result rather than an ad. The organic search results are more associated with trustworthiness - do you even scroll past the paid ads?

The good investment if you are an expert
Advertising on Google is often referred to as a short marketing strategy compared to SEO. However, this is not the case if you put blood, sweat and tears into every ad that is prepared, just like our Google Ads specialists.

If you need a well-functioning Ads account and a Google Ads strategy that delivers a positive ROI, don't hesitate to contact a marketing agency.

You'll never go wrong investing in both SEO and Google Ads - but you'll need the time and budget. These are two of the biggest areas in digital marketing, and if you can harness the potential of both, you'll definitely be noticed.

SEO can benefit greatly from the large data base that can be found in Google Ads. As search engine optimisation is a solution that sometimes requires patience, this can provide a better and faster overview of which keywords are worth investing in.

In addition, if you use the same keyword combinations in your paid ads as you do in SEO, past experience shows that search engine optimisation gets a boost. Some would argue it's a better love story than Jack and Rose in Titanic.

Google Ads works in the same way as an auction house, but it's not just price that's a deciding factor at Google.

Google prioritises user-friendliness, the so-called quality result - and this is also true when it comes to paid ads. So you can't be sure of winning a page 1 ranking, even if you put in the biggest amount of money. This is where SEO plays a key role, working on page speed, landing pages, text formatting, title and meta descriptions, etc.

A US marketing agency has looked into the interaction between SEO and Google Ads, and the study showed that a better quality result (due to SEO) resulted in cheaper click-through rates and more traffic to both the organic and paid ads. Read more about the study here.

Have you been convinced that your business should be visible in both paid and organic search results? At Webamp we are ready to take your marketing strategy to new heights!

It's not impossible to succeed with SEO on your own - but it's a time-consuming process that requires you to keep your mouth shut. There are many different areas that you need to master - including copywriting, communication and the ability to troubleshoot and correct technical errors on a website.

There are many benefits to using a marketing agency if you want to grow and realise your business potential.

1. Most marketing agencies have the ability to handle ALL of your marketing activities.
2. You save the cost of a marketing person (which is typically much higher than the cost of using an agency).
3. You avoid the cost of training a new employee.
4. You can get specialised advice and help to identify business potential.
5. You don't need to spend money on all the SEO programmes.
6. You get a tailored, specialised and targeted SEO strategy.
7. You will be assigned a specialist with years of experience in SEO, who knows what works.
8. You can focus on your core competencies.
9. An agency specialising in SEO is always up to date with the many updates in Google's algorithms.

There are a multitude of marketing agencies offering the same services, so it's understandable that it can be difficult to decide which one to choose.

Choose an agency where...

• You have a good working relationship with the consultant.
• There is an understanding of your company's vision and mission.
• You have a good gut feeling from the start.
• It is not the price that is the main selling point.

If you would like help with SEO, or would like to know more about digital marketing in the form of SEO or one of our other services, then you are more than welcome to contact us for a no-obligation consultation. We also highly recommend reading Google's SEO starter guide.