Mastering the Two Schools of Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is a critical part of any digital marketing initiative.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of making improvements to your website so that it ranks higher on search engines like Google or Bing.

The optimization process usually involves a huge array of elements, such as header structure, canonicalization, keyword strategy, and a dozen other things. Where do you start?

At Forma, we categorize search engine optimizations into two schools: Architectural and Contextual. Mastering each school is essential for successfully optimizing your website and climbing the ranks of search engine results pages (SERPs)

SEO is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Start a conversation with us today and learn how we can support your digital campaigns and more.

What is Architectural SEO?

We use the term Architectural SEO when we’re discussing the technical elements of a website. You can think of Architectural SEO as what lies beneath the hood of a car; critical machines that are necessary for the car to function but are otherwise hidden from view.

Architectural SEO is all about making sure you’re flipping the correct switches on your site. It’s less about front-facing content and more about optimizing the foundations that keep your website strong, fast, and healthy. These optimizations typically aren’t as “sexy” as the Contextualoptimizations, but they’re equally important. Ask yourself these questions when you’re  ready to begin  your Architectural changes:

• Do my most important pages have canonical tags?
• Am I writing unique meta descriptions for each page?
• Do my pages contain multiple H1 tags, or are they missing entirely?
• Are there any broken pages on my site? (4xx or 3xx errors)
• Am I using Noindex to hide certain pages from search engines?

These are just a few Architectural elements that should be considered when optimizing your website. Now, let’s take a look at the Contextual school of search engine optimization.

What is Contextual SEO?

Contextual SEO encompasses the front-facing content of your website. If Architectural SEO is what’s beneath the hood of a car, Contextual SEO is the paint color, types of seats, and dashboard features of the car.

Contextual SEO is primarily focused on the user experience of a website. How is your content organized? Are you using a keyword strategy that will resonate with your audience? How easy is your site to navigate?

These are all important questions to ask when making Contextual optimizations. Ask yourself the following questions when making Contextual optimizations to your site:

• Am I using the correct tone of voice to communicate with my audience?
• Am I utilizing keywords that are relevant to my users?
• Does my site load within 5 seconds?
• Do I make it easy for users to explore my website?
• Am I delivering the correct content to my audience?

By combining Architectural optimizations with Contextual optimizations, you’ll be that much closer to completing a full, comprehensive search engine optimization effort. Thanks for reading, and happy optimizing!