Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Technical Definition

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to your website from search engines like Google or Bing. SEO involves optimizing your website's content, structure, and technical aspects to match the search intent and preferences of your target audience. SEO also involves building your website's authority and reputation by earning links, citations, and reviews from other relevant and trustworthy websites.

Why Does This Matter to You, the Retailer?

SEO is important for your retail business because it can help you attract more potential customers who are looking for your products or services online. SEO can also help you increase your brand awareness, credibility, and loyalty among your customers. SEO can also help you gain a competitive edge over your rivals who may not be investing in their online presence.

There are four main types of SEO that you should be aware of:

1. On-page SEO: This refers to optimizing the content and elements of each page on your website, such as titles, headings, keywords, images, videos, etc. On-page SEO helps search engines understand what your page is about and how relevant it is to the user's query.
2. Technical SEO: This refers to optimizing the backend and performance of your website, such as speed, security, mobile-friendliness, navigation, etc. Technical SEO helps search engines crawl and index your website efficiently and accurately.
3. Off-page SEO: This refers to optimizing the external factors that affect your website's ranking, such as links, social media, reviews, etc. Off-page SEO helps search engines evaluate your website's authority and trustworthiness based on the quality and quantity of signals from other websites.
4. Local SEO: This refers to optimizing your website for local searches, such as "best pizza near me" or "dentist in Toronto". Local SEO helps search engines display your website in the local pack, which is a section of the search results page that shows the map and the top three local businesses that match the user's query.

Example In a Sentence

"We hired an SEO agency to help us improve our website's ranking on Google and drive more organic traffic to our online store."