Wondered why some content pieces gain more traction than others? Why does a stupid BuzzFeed article on how to reduce screen time gets more screen time than an article about the state of the world economy?
Search engine optimization is the answer, the whole internet is accessed through search engines such as Google, etc. These search engines function through algorithms. Hence, as the cell is the basic unit of a life form, the algorithms form the basic unit for the working of the internet. Hence search engine optimization pertains to using some techniques to word or arrange the content in such a way that it gains the traction of the masses.
There are many techniques used in Search engine optimization, some of which have been explained below.
Anchor Text
It is a hyperlink that is usually provided to establish some context to some piece of content. An example of it has been given in the second line of the second paragraph of this blog itself.
Here it serves the purpose of an example to a Search engine and even as to how a search engine practically appear, when one clicks on the link.
Outbound link
These links perform the function of inserting hyperlinks to foreign websites in your blog for the sake of creating a more contextual reading experience for the readers. These may also be used intentionally to make a reader go to a certain website which may yield benefits for the blogger.
An example of it is as follows:
A writer who writes for multiple websites can end each of his content pieces as follows;
Thanks for reading,
My other work Times of India
Inbound links
These links broadly perform the same function as an outbound link, just that the link takes a reader to a part of the same website or essentially the same website itself.
An example of it is :
A writer writing for Times of India writes in an article published on the Times of India website as follows:
Thanks for reading,
My other works the Times of India
Backlinks
These links are the links of a website being mentioned on other websites, just like at the end of the last paragraph is a backlink for the times of India. It is a relative term, and if optimized, can play a huge role in ascending traction on a website.
For example:
A digital marketing agency deploys its writers to post blogs on various popular blogging sites and give a backlink to the websites of its clients.
Quality backlinks in decent quantity can bring up a website in search engine algorithms, resulting in increased traction to the website.
Conclusion
If utilised optimally the aforementioned techniques can play a pivotal role in generating greater clout for your blogs or websites in general.
Hence the search for greater online traction goes through Search engine optimisation, the path for which goes through the deploying several techniques including the ones mentioned above.