The search engine optimization (SEO) process is probably best defined as simply understanding the main elements of planning for a website. Some of those main elements include technology choices that you will use for your website. Market segmentation through understanding the user’s needs or demands. Content, branding, competition, relevance, and much more. There are many more elements that are involved in the planning process of SEO, but essentially there are 3 phases in the process of SEO. 3 phases that help others to understand the process, organize it, and prevent those looking to be SEO experts not get lost in the forest for the trees, or however the saying goes.
The first Phase (Phase 1), is Research. You should do very little, take very little action for SEO without going through this phase thoroughly. Research includes many elements, some of which we have talked about in class are: website analysis, keyword research, link research, preliminary content plan, measurement of current competitors, and more. Research helps refine and direct your focus to be more narrow, leading to the beginning of the second phase (phase 2), Focus. Elements of focus we talked about are: Onsite issue refinement, keyword selection, lists of prospective links, development of initial content, and measuring competitor content too. After going through those first two phases you begin phase 3: Implementation. Some of the elements that follow under implementation are: taking action, implementing onsite changes, keyword refinement, contact sites for links and content, refining and adding content, adding more content, and measuring analytic results. There is more involved in the diligent process of SEO refinement and development, but these three phases really help to gain a broad understanding of the process of SEO.
One Response
This was interesting because the 3 phases of SEO (research, focus and implementation), look almost exactly like the start of a new business. Entrepreneurs need to research their area and current market to gauge interest, they then need to focus their time, energy, and resources into creating and marketing the product, and then they need to implement all of their work by actually creating the business and helping it run.