How does SEO work?

SEO is not an exact science. The best practices for SEO evolve frequently because it’s based on ever-changing algorithms set up by the search engines to give people the best results. So, for example, if Google decided it favored websites with purple backgrounds over those with any other color, SEO best practices would have to change to match that parameter.

Google’s preferences are less random than favoring the color purple, of course, but you get the drift. An accepted practice in SEO a few years ago may not work now, and that leads to the perception that SEO does not work: if you are using outdated guidelines or practices, your site simply won’t rank well.

SEO only works when you use the current best practices. When you do this, Google and other search engines will increase your website’s ranking, leading to an increase in traffic and, in turn, conversions.

But when you do SEO incorrectly, it does not work. And that can also lead to the perception that SEO is ineffective.