SEO Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Tags: webdev, tutorial, seo, beginners
Published: 2023-08-18 16:45:53

## SEO Guide
In the digital landscape of the modern world, getting noticed is essential. Whether you are a developer showcasing your latest app or a content creator sharing your insightful articles, having a solid understanding of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can make all the difference in driving organic traffic to your content. This article will delve into the fundamentals of SEO, its significance for both developers and content creators, popular solutions to enhance content visibility and conclude with key takeaways.

## Understanding SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is optimizing digital content, such as websites, articles, videos, and apps, to improve their visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. When a user types a query into a search engine, the goal of SEO is to ensure that your content ranks as high as possible in the search results. The higher your content types, the more likely it is to be seen by users, leading to increased traffic and potential engagement.

## Solutions to Increase Content Visibility

 1. **Keyword Research**: Understanding what keywords your target audience is searching for is crucial. Tools like **Google Keyword Planner**, **SEMrush**, and **Ahrefs** can help you identify relevant keywords and phrases to incorporate into your content.

 2. **On-Page Optimization**: This involves optimizing your content for search engines directly on the page. Use relevant keywords in the title, headings, meta descriptions, and throughout the content. However, avoid keyword stuffing, as search engines now prioritize quality and relevance over excessive keyword usage.

 3. **Quality Content**: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content is vital. Search engines reward content that provides value to users. Shareable content also increases the likelihood of getting backlinks, which contributes to higher rankings.

 4. **Backlink Building**: Acquiring backlinks from reputable websites is a significant factor in SEO. When authoritative sites link to your content, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable. Outreach, guest posting, and creating link-worthy content are common strategies.

 5. **Mobile-Friendly Design**: With the majority of users accessing content through mobile devices, having a responsive and mobile-friendly website is crucial for SEO. Google also considers mobile-friendliness when ranking content.

 6. **Page Load Speed**: Slow-loading websites can lead to higher bounce rates and lower rankings. Optimize images, use browser caching, and choose a reliable hosting provider to improve page load speed.

 7. **Technical SEO**: Ensure proper website structure and XML sitemaps. These technical aspects help search engines understand and index your content effectively.

### No Index, No Follow and **Disallow**

* **Noindex**: When a page is marked as “noindex,” it tells search engines not to include that particular page in their index. This means the page will not appear in search engine results, effectively keeping it hidden from users' search queries.

![No index example](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*E8Dszt7P0PKttfuabUQCfw.png)

* **Nofollow**: The “nofollow” attribute is often applied to hyperlinks. When a link has the “nofollow” attribute, it tells search engines not to follow the destination of that link and not to pass any authority or ranking value from the source page to the linked page.

![No follow example](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*B683VXJvx-NyFHcyw5ILXg.png)

“Nofollow” and “noindex” can be used in one meta tag:

![Nofollow and noindex](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2116/1*4bxrTOtqw4ISYp-PkI6UZQ.png)





* **Disallow**: tells search engines not to crawl your page(s). **This does not guarantee that the page will not be indexed**. Used in the **robots.txt** file:

![Robots txt file example for WordPress websites](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*F5Zxlg4QjIONddnntdn8rg.png)

## Rel Nofollow & Rel Qualifiers

### Rel Nofollow:

“rel nofollow” is an attribute applied to hyperlinks within web content. When a hyperlink includes this attribute, it instructs search engines not to pass any authority or ranking value from the linking page to the linked page. In essence, it signals to search engines that the link should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation.

Originally introduced as a means to combat spammy link-building practices, the “rel nofollow” attribute was designed to prevent the undue influence of paid or untrusted links on search engine rankings. This attribute is commonly used in scenarios such as:

 1. **User-Generated Content:** When your website hosts comments, forum posts, or other content generated by users, using “rel nofollow” on outbound links can deter spammers from exploiting your platform for link-building purposes.

 2. **Paid Links:** If you are engaging in sponsored content or advertisements that include links, applying “rel nofollow” ensures that search engines recognize the commercial nature of these links.

 3. **Untrusted Links:** When linking to external sources that you do not fully endorse or trust, using “rel nofollow” can help prevent your content from inadvertently passing authority to potentially low-quality or harmful websites.

![Rel no follow](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*26TpFSL-paA1yva4o9T-2Q.png)



### Rel Qualifiers:

“rel qualifiers” are HTML attributes that provide additional context to the relationship between the linking and linked pages. They offer more nuanced information about the nature of the link beyond a simple “follow” or “nofollow” designation. Common rel qualifiers include:

* **Sponsored:** This qualifier indicates that the link is part of a paid arrangement, such as an advertisement or sponsored content. It helps search engines differentiate between organic and paid links.

* **Ugc** (User-Generated Content): When a link is added by users in forums, comments, or other interactive sections of a website, the “ugc” qualifier can be used. It helps search engines identify links that originate from user-generated content.

* **Nofollow**: While not a rel qualifier in itself, “nofollow” can also be seen as a qualifier within the broader context of “rel.” Combining “nofollow” with other qualifiers, such as “sponsored” or “ugc,” provides a more comprehensive description of the link's attributes.

Link with [examples](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/qualify-outbound-links)

### Canonical Links

Canonical links are HTML elements that specify the preferred version of a web page when multiple versions with similar content exist. They help search engines understand which page should be prioritized for indexing and prevent duplicate content issues that can negatively impact SEO.

*Remember — even if you specify a canonical URL, [Google may choose a different page as canonical](https://support.google.com/webmasters/thread/120192533/google-search-not-selecting-the-canonical-url-of-my-blog?hl=en), for various reasons. A canonical tag is a hint, not a directive.*

![Canonical link in the head tag](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*GGxbGxdWVN-yhLT0lh0J0g.png)

## Additional Tips and Resources

* One page can only have one h1 tag.

* Use HTML5 tags: **header**, **main**, **section**, **footer **…

![HTML5 semantic example](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*HIt5FBpltrCT5p23Y_lRcA.png)

* Add alt attribute into an image tag.

![Alt attribute](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*VqjiPKLM1AFkxdjKBPJb5g.png)

* **The title** tag is used to set up those clickable headlines that you see in Google search results. Google will only display the first 50–60 characters of your title, and cut the rest. **Write good copy **— Create descriptive titles that highlight the value of your content. **Add your brand name **— If you have a recognizable brand that is likely to increase your click-through, then feel free to add it to the title as well.

* Meta **description tag** is used to set up descriptions within search result snippets. Same as with the title, Google will keep the first 150–160 characters of your meta description, and cut the rest.

![Title and description](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*_xgJJ2N3b2yEoyePxHulpQ.png)

![Title and description in the head tag](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/4096/1*TqWfRi-eeKym6ojmzFpPkw.png)

* **Meta Keywords** are a specific type of meta tag that appear in the HTML code of a Web page and help tell search engines what the topic of the page is. Meta keywords are distinguished from regular keywords because they appear “behind the scenes”. [Free tool](https://www.wordstream.com/keywords) to find the right keywords. Nowadays meta keywords are [rarely used](https://ahrefs.com/blog/meta-keywords/#:~:text=Meta%20keywords%20are%20meta%20tags,are%20not%20visible%20to%20visitors.). For this reason, this is optional.

![Keywords in the meta tag](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2388/1*t_G8m8LNZQRQqEph2ULBHA.png)

* [Open Graph and how to use it](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/what-is-open-graph-and-how-can-i-use-it-for-my-website/#:~:text=Open%20Graph%20is%20an%20internet,the%20duration%20of%20a%20video.)

## Redirects and Status Code

* **404**: The URL is not working, and there is no stated reason why. This is common with broken links.

* **301**: Permanent redirect. This response code tells your browser to go somewhere else automatically. Also, it is helpful, when updating an old page with new links. Redirecting an old link to a new one will show the browser updated content and forget the old one.

* **410**: A 410 response code indicates that **content is gone on purpose**. This is better than a 404 because it is purposeful. While a 404 could be a mistake, a 410 says “This is gone, and we did it for a reason.”

* **500**: Server error. The content is not available because of a technical issue (Server side problems).

## Conclusion

In the ever-expanding digital ecosystem, SEO stands as a pivotal tool for developers and content creators alike. Its ability to drive organic traffic, enhance visibility, and amplify engagement cannot be understated. By implementing effective SEO strategies, developers can attract users and investors to their digital creations, while content creators can reach a wider audience and establish their brand authority. Through keyword research, on-page optimization, backlink building, and other techniques, the path to improved content visibility becomes clearer. Embracing SEO not only improves search engine rankings but also fosters a strong online presence in an increasingly competitive digital world.

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