SEO in digital marketing refers to optimizing the website to rank higher in search engine results such as Google to gain more traffic and customers. The core is to improve content comprehensibility rather than deceiving algorithms. The importance of SEO is reflected in three aspects: long-term value, increased trust and cost-effectiveness. Its operating mechanism includes three steps: crawling, indexing and sorting. The main optimization methods are: 1. Use appropriate keywords and naturally integrate content; 2. Provide valuable content to meet user intentions; 3. Improve website speed and mobile experience; 4. Obtain external links to trusted websites. Due to the continuous changes in the network environment, SEO is a long-term task that requires regular maintenance.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, in digital marketing referers to the practice of improving your website so it ranks higher in search engine results like Google. The goal is simple: show up where people are looking. When your site appears near the top for relevant searches, you get more visibility and — ideally — more visitors who turn into customers.

It's not about tricking search engines; it's about making your content easier for both users and search engines to understand.

Why SEO Matters for Your Website

Search engines are still one of the biggest sources of traffic for most websites. If someone searches for something related to your business and you're not showing up, chances are they'll go to your competitor instead.

Here's what makes SEO important:

• Long-term value : Unlike paid ads that stop working when you pause the budget, good SEO keeps delivering results over time.
• Trust factor : People tend to trust sites that rank high organically more than those in ads.
• Cost-effective reach : Once set up properly, SEO can bring consistent traffic without ongoing ad spend.

How SEO Actually Works

Search engines use bots (also called crawlers) to scan and index web pages. Then, when someone types a query, the search engine uses complex algorithms to decide which pages are most relevant and useful.

Here's what happens behind the scenes:

• Crawling : Bots visit and read your web pages.
• Indexing : Pages are stored in a giant database.
• Ranking : When someone searches, the engine pulls from the index and sorts pages based on relevance and quality.

So, SEO helps your site be understood and ranked well during these steps.

What You Can Do to Improve SEO

You don't need to be a tech expert to start optimizing. Here are some basic but effective things to focus on:

1. Use the right keywords

Find out what phrases people type when looking for what you offer. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or free ones like Ubersuggest can help. Place them naturally in page titles, headings, and content.

2. Make your content helpful and clear

Google rewards pages that answer questions well. Don't just stuff keywords — provide real value. Think about user intent: Are they looking to buy, learn, or compare?

3. Keep your site fast and easy to use

If your site loads slowly or doesn't work well on phones, people leave — and Google notices. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check performance.

4. Build links from other trustworthy sites

Getting another reputable website to link to yours tells Google your site is worth paying attention to. This part takes time, but guest posting or creating shared content can help.

SEO Is Ongoing, Not One-Time

The internet changes constantly — new competitors pop up, search trends shift, and Google updates its algorithm regularly. That means SEO isn't something you do once and forget. It's more like maintaining a garden: regular care gets the best results.

You don't have to do everything perfectly right away. Start with the basics, keep improving, and stay updated with what matters most.

Basically that's it.

The above is the detailed content of What is seo in digital marketing. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!