RankWiki

SEO Basics

SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of improving a website and its content so search engines can understand it and rank it more effectively in unpaid search results.

This section covers the fundamentals of how search engines work: crawling, indexing, and ranking. It explains the core vocabulary you need to understand SEO, including SERP features, algorithm updates, and the difference between black-hat and white-hat techniques.

It does not cover advanced technical SEO, link building strategies, or content marketing tactics — those have their own sections. Newcomers should start with the entries that explain how Google finds and ranks pages, then move on to the ethical guidelines and common practices.

The section also includes newer topics like AI search, generative engine optimization, and how large language models affect search visibility, so it stays relevant as the field evolves.

Start here

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Other sections

Keyword Research Finding, judging and grouping the queries a page should answer. 128 entries On-Page & Content SEO What goes on the page: titles, headings, copy, media and internal links. 173 entries Technical SEO Crawling, indexing, speed, structured data and site architecture. 240 entries Links & Authority How links are earned, measured, valued and devalued. 76 entries SEO Tools & Analytics Neutral reference entries for the platforms, and how to measure results. 192 entries SEO in Practice SEO applied to a place, a storefront, a platform or a job. 268 entries

Written and maintained by Nora Lindholm. Last updated 27 July 2026.

Spotted an error? Email me — corrections are logged and credited on the entry. Outbound links are unpaid; most are nofollow.