25 Questions & Answers for Beginners

In this SEO FAQ, we’ve answered 25 of the most commonly asked questions about SEO.

Along the way, you’ll find examples, resources, and tools to support your learning.

Basic SEO FAQs

1. What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of processes used to improve a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Particularly on Google.

By improving and establishing rankings for relevant search queries (keywords), you can get more unpaid traffic from search engines (organic traffic).

For example, the ranking below drove approximately 111,600 visits to the Home Depot website in June 2023. According to Semrush’s Organic Research tool.

Here are some SEO techniques you can use to earn high rankings:

• Keyword research: Perform keyword research to find what users search for
• Content marketing: Create content that satisfies searchers’ needs
• Technical SEO: Make your site accessible to search engine crawlers
• Link building: Earn links from relevant, high-quality sites

You’ll learn more about these topics in this FAQ for SEO beginners.

2. Does My Business Need SEO?

Most businesses need SEO to thrive. Because many purchasing journeys involve search.

Take a niche product like “premature baby clothes.” Semrush data shows that this term alone gets around 1,300 monthly searches in the U.S.

Without SEO, it’s likely that your competitors will outrank you for relevant keywords. And you miss out on valuable exposure and traffic.

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) offers...