Explaining SEO Like I'm Five

Howdy Family,

It’s been just over a year since starting a new career path in Digital Marketing. The branch of Digital Marketing that caught my interest was SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

I have to say it is the one part of digital marketing that is the hardest to explain. Businesses know they need it but have no idea what it is.

Took me a year to finally come up with a proper high-level explanation of SEO.

The one-liner:

I help make your website attractive to Google.

Here is the best example I have come up with to explain SEO.

You want to think of Google as a librarian and your website being a book to help feed a searcher’s intent.

If Bob (searcher) walks into the Library and asks the librarian (Google) for information about ‘What do Dolphins eat?’ The librarian (Google) is going to scan (crawl) its database to find the right book (website) for Bob.

Now Bob can do one of two things that will let the librarian know what to do next time someone is looking for a similar topic.

Option 1: If Bob is satisfied with his book he will keep the book and go on about his day.

Option 2: If Bob isn’t happy with the book he will bring it back to the librarian asking for another book.

Why are the two options above important?

This (plus many other factors) is how Google knows what site should be at the top of rankings.

In option one, Google now knows that the website given to Bob gave the best answer to his request.

In option two, Google learns that the website given to Bob didn’t help him. Because of this Google will be reluctant to present this website to the next person making the same or similar request.

To carry on with the book analogy. Just like in a book store the more popular books are in front of the store.