What Is SEO? A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Found Online

What Does SEO Stand For? In today’s digital world, being visible on Google is one of the most crucial steps toward growing your business. One of the key ways Google determines how to rank your website is through SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simple terms, it’s the process of improving your website so that search engines like Google recognise it as relevant to the search terms people use. There are many ways to improve your SEO, including using the right keywords, securing high-quality backlinks, and creating helpful content. It’s often about understanding how to implement these elements effectively. Why Is SEO Important for Your Website? Maintaining a strong online presence is vital for any business. A higher position on Google’s search results can significantly increase your website traffic, engagement, and conversions. Think about your own browsing habits—how often do you go past the first page of Google results? Probably not often. Businesses on page two and beyond are much less likely to be seen and, therefore, are more likely to be overlooked in favour of competitors with better rankings. SEO is particularly important for e-commerce businesses. With so many companies selling similar products, having a higher ranking can make the difference between making a sale and losing out to a competitor. How Search Engines Work (In Plain English) So, how does Google know what your website is about? Google uses automated programs called bots or crawlers to scan the internet. These bots check your site for updated and new content—everything from webpages and blog posts to images, videos, and even PDFs. Once this content is scanned (or "crawled"), it gets indexed—meaning it’s stored in Google’s database. Then, when someone makes a relevant search, Google refers to this index to deliver the most relevant results. For example, if someone searches for marketing agency, a website that frequently uses this phrase and includes relevant content is far more likely to rank highly than, say, a gardening business. The 3 Main Pillars of SEO There are three main areas of SEO that you should focus on to improve your website’s performance: 1. On-Page SEO This covers everything that’s physically on your website, such as: Keywords Page titles Meta titles & descriptions Image alt text and captions By optimising these elements, you help Google understand what your site is about and show that your content is current and relevant. Tools like Yoast SEO can help guide you through the process. 2. Off-Page SEO Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to influence your rankings. This includes: Earning backlinks from reputable sites Building a strong social media presence Collaborating with online influencers or publishing guest posts These efforts help build your site’s authority, signalling to Google that others trust and value your content. 3. Technical SEO Technical SEO focuses on the backend of your website. Key areas include: Page speed: A slow-loading website can increase bounce rates. Mobile friendliness: With mobile browsing dominating web traffic, your site must perform well on smaller screens. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check. Secure browsing (HTTPS): Google prioritises websites with secure connections. If your technical setup is poor, even great content may not get the visibility it deserves. How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results? Unfortunately, SEO isn’t a quick fix—it takes time to build momentum. According to Semrush, it can take between 4 to 12 months to see measurable improvements, but this can vary depending on your site, niche, and competition. Factors such as the age of your domain, quality of your content, and how active your competitors are all play a role. For newer websites, Google’s John Mueller has stated it can take up to a year for Google to fully understand and rank your content. SEO Is a Long Game—But It Works In a world where digital visibility is everything, SEO remains one of the most powerful tools for business growth. It may require patience, ongoing effort, and a bit of learning, but the long-term benefits are well worth it. At Bubble SEO, we offer three core services to help you climb the rankings and stay ahead: Link building Content writing Guest posting Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your current strategy, we’re here to support your SEO journey.

What Does SEO Stand For?

In today’s digital world, being visible on Google is one of the most crucial steps toward growing your business. One of the key ways Google determines how to rank your website is through SEO.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simple terms, it’s the process of improving your website so that search engines like Google recognise it as relevant to the search terms people use.

There are many ways to improve your SEO, including using the right keywords, securing high-quality backlinks, and creating helpful content. It’s often about understanding how to implement these elements effectively.

Why Is SEO Important for Your Website?

Maintaining a strong online presence is vital for any business. A higher position on Google’s search results can significantly increase your website traffic, engagement, and conversions.

Think about your own browsing habits—how often do you go past the first page of Google results? Probably not often. Businesses on page two and beyond are much less likely to be seen and, therefore, are more likely to be overlooked in favour of competitors with better rankings.

SEO is particularly important for e-commerce businesses. With so many companies selling similar products, having a higher ranking can make the difference between making a sale and losing out to a competitor.

How Search Engines Work (In Plain English)

So, how does Google know what your website is about?

Google uses automated programs called bots or crawlers to scan the internet. These bots check your site for updated and new content—everything from webpages and blog posts to images, videos, and even PDFs.

Once this content is scanned (or “crawled”), it gets indexed—meaning it’s stored in Google’s database. Then, when someone makes a relevant search, Google refers to this index to deliver the most relevant results.

For example, if someone searches for marketing agency, a website that frequently uses this phrase and includes relevant content is far more likely to rank highly than, say, a gardening business.

The 3 Main Pillars of SEO

There are three main areas of SEO that you should focus on to improve your website’s performance:

1. On-Page SEO

This covers everything that’s physically on your website, such as:

Keywords
Page titles
Meta titles & descriptions
Image alt text and captions

By optimising these elements, you help Google understand what your site is about and show that your content is current and relevant. Tools like Yoast SEO can help guide you through the process.

2. Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to influence your rankings. This includes:

Earning backlinks from reputable sites
Building a strong social media presence
Collaborating with online influencers or publishing guest posts

These efforts help build your site’s authority, signalling to Google that others trust and value your content.

3. Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on the backend of your website. Key areas include:

Page speed: A slow-loading website can increase bounce rates.
Mobile friendliness: With mobile browsing dominating web traffic, your site must perform well on smaller screens. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check.
Secure browsing (HTTPS): Google prioritises websites with secure connections.

If your technical setup is poor, even great content may not get the visibility it deserves.

How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results?

Unfortunately, SEO isn’t a quick fix—it takes time to build momentum.

According to Semrush, it can take between 4 to 12 months to see measurable improvements, but this can vary depending on your site, niche, and competition.

Factors such as the age of your domain, quality of your content, and how active your competitors are all play a role. For newer websites, Google’s John Mueller has stated it can take up to a year for Google to fully understand and rank your content.

SEO Is a Long Game—But It Works

In a world where digital visibility is everything, SEO remains one of the most powerful tools for business growth. It may require patience, ongoing effort, and a bit of learning, but the long-term benefits are well worth it.

At Bubble SEO, we offer three core services to help you climb the rankings and stay ahead: