What Is an SEO Evaluation?

A search engine optimization (SEO) evaluation is a process by which a person or company analyzes a particular website to see how well it comes up through search engine queries. The use of various SEO methods allows a webpage to be found more easily when someone enters relevant information into a search engine. There are a number of diverse algorithms and processes used by different search engines to determine what websites are most relevant when someone enters a query into them. Through an SEO evaluation, a company can try to better determine ways in which it can improve the visibility of its webpage online.

Over the years, search engine optimization or SEO has changed in a number of ways, though the basic idea behind it has remained the same. Certain methods can be used to better ensure that when someone looks for a subject in a search engine, that a site that is relevant to that query is located and arranged toward the “top” of the results. SEO evaluation is a process by which someone can analyze a website and look for ways in which its parameters can be improved. This can be performed by someone within a company, though there are also businesses that focus solely on providing SEO evaluation for customers.

While different methods can be used for SEO evaluation, the process often begins with someone making a relevant query in a search engine. For example, if someone wants to evaluate a website that is designed to provide shopping for t-shirts online, then the evaluation might begin with “t-shirts” being entered into a search engine. Once this search is done, then the specific site being analyzed is looked for on the results and the number in which it comes up is documented. If a relevant search during SEO evaluation comes up with poor results for a particular site, then changes are typically needed for that webpage.

Further SEO evaluation can include more specific analysis of ways in which a site can be improved. Once someone determines that a webpage is not coming up as a priority during an appropriate search, then the reasons for this result can be investigated. A particular website, for example, may need more relevant descriptors in its keyword code in hypertext markup language (HTML). Keywords entered as metadata in HTML can allow search engines to better recognize the subject of a website. The content of a site can also be altered following SEO evaluation, if the analysis determines that information contained on the webpage is not accurate and hindering the ability for search engines to find it properly.