The basics of SEO: what are the 3 pillars of SEO (technical, content, netlinking)?
When Google’s robots crawl your site, it takes into account 3 families of criteria that are important to remember.
Technical optimisation of the website (technical SEO)
Technical SEO ensures that your site is technically efficient and complies with search engine criteria. It forms the backbone of your site.
It is the first thing Google will see of your site. In order for Google to see your site, it needs to index it in its database. To check this, you can type the command “site:” in the Google search box followed by your domain name.
For example: “site:ridplace.com”. The results displayed will show the pages of your site that have been indexed in the search engine index. Google can therefore explore your site and analyse it, in particular:
- Optimising the site structure;
- Managing HTML tags (meta title and meta description);
- Optimising the header tags (Hn) that structure the content;
- URL management;
- The presence of an XML sitemap to facilitate indexing by search engines;
- The robots.txt file;
- Loading speed ;
- Mobile compatibility;
- Site security using the HTTPS protocol;
- Optimisation of images (size, quality and use of alt attributes to make them easier for search engines to decipher).
Quality and quantity of content
The content of a site is essential for ranking in the SERPs and for asserting your expertise in the eyes of Internet users. Quality, unique, well-structured and attractive content has every chance of being ranked higher than lambda content. This involves, among other things
- Researching relevant keywords for the sector of activity and target users;
- Creating quality content – informative, with high added value and capable of answering users’ questions;
- Literary optimisation of tags;
- Keyword density while maintaining the fluidity of the content;
- Internal links to establish a logical structure for search engines and users;
- Backlinks from other sites to reinforce the credibility of your content;
- Multimedia content (images, videos, infographics, etc.) to enhance the user experience and make the content more attractive;
- Regular updating of content (improvement and creation) to maintain the site’s relevance;
- The response provided to search intentions and questions asked by users on search engines.
Website popularity (netlinking)
Netlinking (or linkbuilding) consists of obtaining links to your site (backlinks) from other reliable sites, to reinforce the credibility of your site in the eyes of search engines.
A website’s popularity is measured by the number of links it receives from other websites. The more sites quote you or refer their visitors to your website, the more interest Google will show in you. This technique is based on a complete strategy, covering :
- The quality of the links, which is increased if they come from reputable and relevant sites;
- The search for partners in your field of activity or a related sector to obtain quality links;
- A balance between internal and external links, because internal links always reinforce the structure of your site and improve navigation;
- A diversity of sources, so as to remain as natural as possible in the eyes of the search engines;
- Informative, original, high-quality content, so that your site can in turn be a reliable source or link;
- A content strategy dedicated exclusively to linkbaiting (studies, infographics, in-depth analyses, reports, etc.) to encourage other sites to link to your site;
- Maintenance of broken links on your site to maintain a good user experience and preserve your site’s credibility with search engines;
- Monitoring performance using analysis tools to track the performance of backlinks obtained and adjust your strategy accordingly.
In short, SEO aims to maximise the visibility of an online website, attract qualified traffic and generate leads and revenue. A well thought-out strategy, taking into account technical aspects, content and netlinking, is essential if you are to achieve lasting results.
Come and see ridplace’s favourite sites on the theme of SEO. You can of course add your own and rate and comment on the bookmarks of other ridplace users.
