Why Does Search Engine Positioning Matter?

Does it cross your mind why some websites appear at the top of Google and others don’t? Remember I said the process behind the scenes? Well, it’s Search Engine Positioning that decides where your website shows up in those search results. Think of it as a busy street with lots of stores. You want your store to be right up front so people can easily find it. Similarly, you want your website to appear at the top of search results so people can easily find it.

Search engine positioning is simply the process of improving your website’s ranking in search results. It’s like giving your website a prime location on the main street. The higher your website ranks, the more likely people are to find it.

How Search Engines Find And Rank Websites

Search engines are like super-smart robots that crawl (thoroughly check) around the internet, visiting websites and collecting information about them. They store this information in a giant database called an index. When you type a search query into a search engine, it looks through its index to find the most relevant websites to show you. 

But the thing is, search engines use complex algorithms to decide which websites to show first. Yes, they pick and choose the most relevant and the most helpful website to fulfill the searcher’s demand (query). These algorithms are not as simple as they sound because they take into account many different factors, such as the relevance and quality of the website’s content.   

Where You See the Results – The Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs)

The list of websites that a search engine shows you after you enter a search query is called a SERP, which stands for Search Engine Results Page. SERPs can include different types of results, such as organic results and paid results. 

Organic results are websites that the search engine has selected based on its algorithm. These results are not paid for. On the other hand, paid results are advertisements that appear at the top or bottom of the SERP. These results are paid for by businesses who want to promote their websites. 

It is important to note that search engine positioning focuses on organic results. For example, I searched for “Arabic SEO Guide”, and Google showed the most relevant content in SERP. 

What’s Your Website’s Place?

To better understand this, you need to know about these two main search results types: organic and paid. Firstly, the paid results are advertisements that appear at the top or bottom of the SERP. These results are paid for by businesses who want to promote their websites. 

Secondly, organic results are websites that the search engine has selected based on its algorithm. A major part of SERP consists of organic results, and search engine positioning focuses on organic results.   

What Helps Your Position? (Basic Factors)

Let’s talk about the basic factors that search engines use to determine where to rank your website. Here is your little glossary of some of the most important factors:   

• Relevance

Search engines want to show results that are relevant to the user’s search query. This means that your website’s content should be about the same topic as the user’s search query.   

• Good Content

Search engines also favor websites that have high-quality content. This means that your content should be well-written, informative, and engaging.

• Trustworthy Websites

Search engines also consider how trustworthy a website is. This means that your website should have a good reputation and be linked to other reputable websites.   

• Easy To Use Website

Search engines also want to show websites that are easy to use. This means that your website should load quickly and be easy to navigate.

Keywords – The Words People Use

Let’s say you’re looking for the best pizza in town. What do you type into Google? “Best pizza near me”? “Pizza delivery”? Those are keywords! They’re the words and phrases people use when they search for something online.

Keywords are like labels for your website’s content. They help search engines understand what your site is all about. So, if someone searches for those keywords, your website has a better chance of showing up.

Making Sure Your Keywords Match Your Content

Let’s say you have a website about gardening. You might use keywords like “planting flowers,” “growing vegetables,” or “garden tools.” But it’s super important that those keywords actually match what’s on your website. If you use those keywords but your website is actually about baking cakes, that’s going to confuse the search engines! 

You wouldn’t put a “pizza” sign outside a burger joint, right? So, always make sure your keywords accurately reflect what your website offers. This way, the right people will find you when they’re searching for information.

Search Engine Positioning Vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Now, you might be wondering, “What’s the difference between search engine positioning and SEO?” They sound pretty similar, right? Well, they are related, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Think of it like this: search engine positioning is the destination, and SEO is the road you take to get there.

Search engine positioning is all about where your website appears in search results. It’s the end result you’re aiming for. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving your website’s position. It’s all the things you do to make your website more attractive to search engines so they’ll rank it higher.   

So, SEO involves things like creating great content, using relevant keywords, building links to your website, and making sure your website is easy to use. All of these things contribute to your website’s overall search engine positioning.

In simpler terms, SEO is the work you put in, and search engine positioning is the reward you get for that work!

What Are We Trying To Do? (Search Engine Positioning Strategy)

Okay, so we know what search engine positioning is and how it’s different from SEO. But what are we actually trying to do with all this? That’s where your positioning strategy comes in. It’s like having a roadmap for your website’s success in search results.

For example, let’s say you sell handmade soaps. Your positioning strategy might be to rank high for searches like “natural handmade soap” or “best organic soap.”  You want your website to be the one that pops up when people search for those things.

Having a strategy gives you a clear goal to work towards. It helps you focus your SEO efforts and make sure you’re doing the right things to improve your website’s position. Without a strategy, you’re just driving around aimlessly, hoping to stumble upon your destination!

Get Better Results – How To Improve Your Search Engine Positioning

So, how do you actually improve your search engine positioning and get those awesome results? Well, it’s all about making your website the best it can be! This means creating amazing content that people love to read, using the right keywords in the right places, and making sure your website is easy to use and looks great. 

You need strong foundations (good website structure), quality materials (awesome content), and a beautiful design (user-friendly interface).  SEO helps you with all of that!  It involves things like:

• Creating amazing content – Think of helpful blog posts, engaging videos, or detailed product descriptions.
• Using the right keywords – Make sure those keywords match what people are actually searching for.
• Make your website user-friendly – It should be easy to navigate, load quickly, and look great on any device.

Why Bother? The Benefits Of Good Positioning

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, this sounds like a lot of work. Is it really worth it?”  Absolutely! Getting your website to rank higher can bring some serious benefits:

• More visitors – Higher rankings mean more people will see and click on your website in search results.
• Increased brand visibility – The more people see your website, the more they’ll become familiar with your brand.
• More customers or a bigger audience – More visitors mean more potential customers for your business or a larger audience for your blog or creative work.

So, putting in the effort to improve your search engine positioning can really pay off! It’s like having a prime location on the busiest street in town. Everyone will see your “shop” and want to come inside.

How To Measure Search Engine Positioning?

So, you’ve been working hard on your SEO, but how do you know if it’s actually working? How do you track your search engine positioning? Well, luckily, there are tools for that!

These tools allow you to see where your website ranks for certain keywords. You can see if you’ve moved up or down in the search results. It’s like checking your website’s popularity score!  Some popular tools include Google Search Console (which is free!) and paid tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.   

Seeing your website climb those rankings can be super exciting! It’s a sign that your SEO efforts are paying off. But remember, search engine positioning is an ongoing process. It’s like tending a garden – you need to keep working at it to see those beautiful results bloom.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Search engine positioning in a nutshell. Now that you understand the basics, you’re ready to start thinking about your own website’s visibility. Remember, getting found online is key to attracting visitors, growing your audience, and achieving your goals.

Want to learn more about how to improve your search engine positioning? Stay tuned for our next article, where we’ll dive deeper into the world of SEO and share actionable tips to boost your website’s ranking. In the meantime, start thinking about those keywords and get ready to climb those search result rankings!