Define 'search engine optimization' (SEO).

Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamentally concerned with enhancing a website's visibility in search engine results. This process involves various techniques and strategies aimed at increasing both the quality and quantity of organic (unpaid) traffic to a website through search engines like Google. By optimizing various elements of a website—such as content, keywords, meta tags, and backlinks—SEO helps ensure that a site ranks higher in search results, making it easier for potential visitors to find it.

Effective SEO practices involve understanding how search engines work, what users are searching for, and how to align a website's content and structure with those needs. This can include improving website loading speeds, making the site mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords that align with what people are likely to search for.

In contrast, creating content without a strategic plan does not address the need for optimization and is unlikely to have a significant impact on visibility. Increasing traffic through paid advertisements focuses on a different approach and does not involve the organic methods associated with SEO. Analyzing competitor websites can be part of an SEO strategy but does not define SEO itself, as it primarily revolves around optimizing and enhancing one’s own website.