We are often asked for simple explanation about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). What is it and how does it work? Put simply, Google scans your website every now and again and uses what it finds to work out what your website is all about. Google also uses what it finds to decide how relevant you would be to a particular question put to it by somebody doing a Google Search.
For example, Google works out that plumbing.com.au would be the right answer to the question “plumber in Malvern” because on the Home Page of the website it says “We service the suburb of Malvern and surrounding suburbs…..”.
But the website also mentions that “Plumbing.com.au only services commercial premises”. So Google decides that plumbing.com.au would be the wrong answer to the question “residential plumber in Malvern”.
So the keywords Google has focused on have been “Malvern” and “plumbing” while “services commercial premises” is a negative keyword in some contexts but positive in others. If you search Google for a plumber to fix the toilet in your house – Google will not suggest plumbing.com.au. On the other hand, if you search for a plumber in Malvern who specialises in commercial properties – bingo! There you are on page one.
Would you like to go into more depth and learn more about SEO (but not get buried in technical jargon)? There is no better starting place than moz.com which is the most helpful, authoritative and useful website for people wanting to leverage the power of SEO for their business.
To get started, read The Beginners Guide to SEO on the moz.com website.