We call natural referencing all the practices and techniques allowing you to position yourself properly in search engine results. Said like that it may seem nebulous to most of you. We will therefore dissect this definition together.

Natural referencing is generally abbreviated by the acronym SEO (Search Engine Optimization) meaning “Optimization for search engines”. We sometimes hear the term free SEO, used when we compare SEO to its paid counterpart, SEA. But everything in its time, let's not skip ahead and focus on natural SEO.

We mentioned a little above that natural referencing allows you to position yourself in the results of search engines such as Google and others (Bing, Yahoo, Qwant, Duck Duck Go, etc.). Thus, the term positioning designates the place that a result will occupy on the page of a search engine.

So, if you don't mind, we'll apply an example to this definition of positioning:

Let’s enter the keyword “apple” into the Google search bar.

Now, let's dissect what the first page of Google offers us. At first glance, we can see that there are approximately 156,000,000 results found for this search. Behind each result, there is a link that takes us to a website. Just below we can see that it is possible to display a more precise result. Indeed being located in France, Pomme can be a search for the fruit, but also for the Pop singer.

This observation therefore leads us to look at the first research result. It’s the singer’s Pomme website that appears first when you search for “pomme” on Google. This may seem surprising, but it is the result of natural referencing work carried out by the artist and his communications team. Several factors allowed the singer to rise to the top of Google results. We will see a little later, the different SEO techniques which enabled this great feat.

Then, in second place we find the Apple Wikipedia page, this time we talk about the fruit. Here again if we find the famous collaborative encyclopedia it is not trivial. Furthermore, this result is followed by a drop-down menu titled “Other questions”. It lists the recurring questions that Internet users ask with the keyword “Apple” as a common subject.

This is not visible in our screenshot, but we would like to remind you that the list of 156,000,000 results found continues and that for each of them there is a link leading to a website. We do not mention the number of pages generated by this search, because for some users there are no more pages.

Indeed, Google has been working for several months on a version of its search engine where the pages no longer exist and give way to endless scrolling like TikTok or Instagram. Some users already have access to this feature, it remains to be seen whether Google will make this infinite scrolling become the norm for all users.

In summary, the positioning of a website refers to the ranking of said site on the results page of the search engine used, in our case Google. For positioning to be effective, it is essential to do natural referencing work (SEO).

Natural SEO is a long climb to the top of Google search results.

Before going into the details of how SEO works and understanding Google's SEO algorithm. We are going to approach a page of history, that of SEO. So be patient, we will soon learn how to stroke the robots that manage the positioning of your website in search engine results.

In the 90s, before the advent of the giant Google, other search engines emerged (Archie, Wanderer, Lycos, Yahoo! …).

From now on, Google is the king of search engines, collecting 90% of internet searches alone.

The famous term SEO was born during the beautiful year of 1997. It was Danny Sullivan who for several decades tried to popularize what natural referencing was. This ex-journalist will describe for the first time in history what SEO is.

On September 4, 1998, two Stanford University students, Serguei and Larry, created what is today one of the largest web empires, Google Inc.

For several years now, 50% of Google searches have been done on smartphones.

Danny Sullivan, the man who invented the term SEO, is organizing a conference on the subject “Search Engine Strategies 99”. This event marks the advent of the SEO profession. In France at the same time, a certain Olivier Andrieu popularized this term in several works. At the same time, we know this author because he launched the Abondance site, specializing in SEO news.

It is in particular thanks to Danny Sullivan that we can promote your website on Google.

Updates keep coming at Google to improve the efficiency of their search engine. At the end of 2003, it was Maj Florida who came to redistribute the cards. Upon its release, many companies fell in the rankings. Florida was born from Google's desire to penalize websites that place the same keyword hundreds of times on a web page. In 2004, to complete the desire to diversify the keywords present on websites, Google released the Brandy update.

Google Caffeine is an overhaul of Google's search engine architecture. This update doubled the speed of search results. Better search results could be obtained with better relevance. This update was mainly implemented to speed up the analysis process of Google robots.

Panda and Penguin are two updates to Google's search engine. We do not recommend playing with the ursid endemic to China. Indeed, the Panda update was born from a policy of penalizing sites seeking to manipulate and improperly take advantage of the Google algorithm. The American search engine penalizes websites offering poor quality content. Panda has been updated over 20 times to adjust the accuracy of this slick bear.

The following year, it was Penguin who came out of his egg. This update rewards quality websites. Those showing ingenuity and presenting informative content are ranked higher. The objective is clear, Google must offer authentic search results.

Some updates are permanently integrated into the Google algorithm in order to improve their performance. 2016 therefore marks the birth of Super Panda and Bat Penguin, two super algorithms. At the same time, Google will penalize certain practices such as Panda and Penguin pop-ups.

We tame Panda and Penguin with the best SEO techniques, the goal is for you to be at the top of Google results.

Chocolate chip cookies that record our data in order to infer our behavior are no longer popular. Indeed, for several years now, the confidentiality of user data has become a concern for technology giants. The CNIL and the GDPR have something to do with it and have helped to strengthen our rights on the internet. As a result, third-party cookies that record our data are destined to disappear little by little. A change that will further shape the way we create a website.

“Have a cookie. Eat it, I promise it will be much better. And you will smile again. » - Matrix 1999

These key dates show us that Google takes into consideration the content on the internet. The years pass and the algorithms become more precise. It is therefore more important than ever to have unique and relevant content to be highlighted on different search engines. This is why natural referencing (SEO) must be taken seriously if you want to be visible on the internet.

Now, we will detail how natural referencing (SEO) works so that you can determine the elements to bring to your website so that it is positioned at the top of the search results.

We have mentioned Google robots several times. They analyze websites in order to classify them by relevance. One of the criteria that must be taken into account if you want to be in the good graces of these robots is the technical optimization of your site. This will facilitate the work of understanding and analysis carried out by the robot.

It is necessary to carry out a technical audit in order to list the elements blocking good SEO. Several elements must be taken into account, here is a non-exhaustive list:

Google has repeatedly stated that content is among its top ranking factors in its search results. These statements make sense given the history and key dates of SEO and Google presented just above.

For your content to be of quality, it is essential to implement an SEO strategy. You need to study search results related to your domain and use the data collected via tools such as Google Analytics in order to obtain relevant and appropriate keywords for your situation.

Furthermore, you must study the semantics of your future content. What meaning do you want to give to your page? Will it be value added? What topic will you focus on and what are the limitations of your topic? Who are you speaking to?

In terms of the length of your content, Google does not recommend filling, however we have noted that content of around 1000 words would tend to be better ranked in search engines than shorter content. Use a lexical field adapted to your target and synonyms so as not to constantly repeat the same keywords.

Be simple and clear, readers who click on your link are expecting relevant concrete content that can be entertaining or educational. Either way, write content aimed at a target audience. Look at the competition and ask yourself what makes their content better than others.

This SEO technique consists of obtaining links pointing to your site. We call these “backlinks” or in French hypertext links. These links must come from an external site and redirect to your site. The short-term objective is therefore to obtain as many relevant hyperlinks as possible pointing to your website. In the long term, netlinking improves your natural referencing and therefore your visibility on the internet.

Several options are available to you to obtain backlinks, you can contact blogs specialized in your field of activity, it is also possible to pay for professional directories. Finally, publications on social networks also play the role of backlink and benefit the SEO of your website.

We warn you against bad backlinks. Indeed, the Google algorithm ensures that you are relayed by sites with a certain credibility. Don't try to cheat the search engine, others have done it before you and lost their fingers.

Just like Spiderman, you can weave an SEO web between the different pages of your website.

SEO gives you visibility on the internet. If you are a professional, know that most searches to find a product or service are done via the internet. Implementing an editorial strategy for your content allows you to address a specific audience. Readers who feel concerned will be more likely to contact you.

Natural referencing fits perfectly into a company’s marketing strategy. Good SEO is a significant help in developing your business.

Optimizing your SEO also means improving the user experience. Your site must be fluid, which will leave a good impression on visitors and give you a good image. Well-worked natural referencing will continue to have an effect in the long term. You will be able to get visitors thanks to a well-written article that is several years old.

In summary, all the advantages linked to natural referencing increase your conversion rate and are beneficial to your brand image. To conclude, we are aware that having good natural referencing is long-term work that is based on a multitude of elements.

This is why we advise you to call on a communications agency to study your situation and share expertise in the field of SEO via an SEO audit. Stand out from the crowd by offering a unique experience to your customers.