SEO
Definition
Search Engine Optimisation – the practice of improving your website so it appears higher in Google search results for relevant searches.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It's everything you do to help your website rank higher in search results when people search for what you offer.
Why Does SEO Matter?
When someone searches "plumber in Exeter" or "wedding photographer Devon", Google decides which websites to show first. SEO is how you influence that decision.
The higher you rank, the more clicks you get. The first result on Google gets about 30% of all clicks – position 10 gets less than 3%.
The Two Types of SEO
On-Page SEO
What you control on your own website:
- Page titles and descriptions
- Content quality and relevance
- Site speed and mobile-friendliness
- Internal linking structure
Off-Page SEO
Factors outside your website:
- Backlinks from other sites
- Brand mentions
- Social signals
- Local citations (for local businesses)
SEO is a Long Game
Unlike paid advertising, SEO takes time. Most websites need 3-6 months of consistent work before seeing significant results. But once you rank, you get free traffic without paying per click.