Search engine optimization
Nearly all internet users use search engines to research information, websites, offers, or companies. For years, Google has been ahead in international comparison with Yahoo! and Bing, although this is not the case in every country. In search engine optimization, websites are designed, prepared, and adapted according to certain guidelines, specifications, and individual assessments of the SEO industry, so that they appear in the top positions of the search results lists (SERPs) for a specific keyword or a combination of various search terms.
Who decides on policies and guidelines?
In search engine optimization, these play a crucial role, specifically the algorithm used by Google and others to calculate the value of websites in order to rank them. Two things are essential in this context for search engine optimization: On the one hand, the search engine algorithm is the company's most valuable asset and is therefore not publicly accessible. On the other hand, the algorithms are continuously adjusted – to improve search results and simultaneously avoid manipulation attempts. But how does one find out which requirements are crucial for search engine optimization? Search engines like Google publish guidelines to help webmasters to position their own websites well. However, these are merely recommendations that do not always have to correspond 100 percent to reality. After all, they do not want to disclose all the secrets that lead to the first place in the SERPs. For this reason, SEOs repeatedly conduct tests and examinations to set up and check their own guidelines. Good search engine optimization results from a mixture of "official" guidelines and individual tests. Additionally, there is always the personal experience of the SEO, who has made their own considerations regarding optimization over the years.
The basic measures of optimization for search engines are always the same and apply (in the broadest sense) to the international search market. The extent of the individual methods and optimization steps always depends on the country, the website, the competition, as well as the webmaster or SEO. The area of off-page optimization alone is a highly complex topic where numerous details play a role. A good backlink profile is determined not only by the number of links but also by their quality, the age of the referring website, the position of the reference within the page, and many other factors. It is not only important to follow the search engines' rules but also to constantly find new, legal ways to leave the competition behind.