Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a method for improving visibility in search engines. The acronym SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”. The aim of SEO is to position your own relevant content prominently in the search results. While SEO can be applied to all search engines, the focus is primarily on Google optimization due to its dominance in German-speaking countries. Other search engines, such as Bing or Yahoo, play a relatively subordinate role in this context. We will therefore focus on Google in the following.
Why SEO?
Being actively involved in SEO means investing a lot of time in research, market analysis and optimization and keeping up to date with the latest trends and Google updates. The numerous updates that Google implements every year present a major challenge, but the investment of time offers many opportunities and possibilities.
For most companies, search engines are the most important channel for attracting users to their websites. Visitors usually have an intention that ranges from a simple search for information to the purchase of a product.
SEO therefore plays a crucial role in attracting new customers, as search engines make a website more accessible to users via generic search terms.
Continuous search engine optimization can ensure the long-term success of a website without the need for paid advertising. Effective SEO can have a positive impact for many years to come as it gains authority in its field, increases brand awareness and progressively gains recognition from Google and users as a reliable source of information.
SEO vs. SEA
SEA stands for “Search Engine Advertising”, i.e. advertising in search engines. The main difference with SEO is that SEA requires payment for an optimal ranking in Google search results, while SEO is based on the quality of the website to achieve good rankings. Search engine marketing or SEM generally refers to the combination of SEO and SEA.
Important SEO key figures
The success of an SEO strategy can be measured using various key figures, depending on the company’s objectives. The following table shows the improvement of the most important key figures after the implementation of SEO:
| Metric | Before SEO | After SEO | Improvement |
| Click-Through-Rate (CTR) | 2 % | 5 % | +3% |
| Bounce rate | 60 % | 45 % | -15% |
| Average session duration | 1 minute | 3 minutes | +2 min |
| Number of backlinks | 50 | 150 | +100 |
How does SEO work?
SEO focuses exclusively on organic search results and excludes paid ads. This is about improving a website to attract both users and search engines for better rankings. SEO is divided into on-page and off-page SEO.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO involves technical, content-related and structural adjustments to a website.
- Keywords: Before creating content, it’s important to understand potential search queries and user intent, which have a significant impact on ranking potential.
- SEO meta tags: Add title tags, meta descriptions and headings (H1). These elements help to structure the website and inform both Google and users about the page content.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO prepares a website from a technical point of view so that it corresponds to Google’s algorithms.
- Page speed: Slow loading websites can have a negative impact on the user experience. Optimizing loading times is crucial for a user-friendly design.
- Crawlability: Ensures that search engines can easily search and index the content of the website.
- Smartphone compatibility: As the use of mobile search is increasing, it is important that websites are optimized for smartphones.
Off-page SEO
The core of off-page SEO are backlinks. These are links from websites to other websites in order to achieve a greater reach. High-quality backlinks from reputable domains are more advantageous than links from low-quality websites.
SEO results
It may take some time for SEO results to show. As a rule, they are displayed on established websites within three to six months. SEO requires continuous improvement to maintain relevance.
Summary
SEO is a comprehensive and complex aspect of online marketing with considerable potential for profitability. The principles listed above provide an insight into the strategies that SEO uses to optimize websites. The essence of SEO is simple: the quality of a website is of paramount importance.
