SEO: An Intro to Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
You have probably seen that word before, but what does it mean?
In simple terms, SEO (search engine optimization) is a method to make your site more visible to search engines and the people that use them. A proper optimization strategy can be the difference between appearing on the first page of Google search results or the 20th.
You can’t grow your business if no one can find you, so let’s find out what it is about search engine optimization that will make your site stand out.
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization is a mosaic. On its own, each piece looks like a colourful bit of ceramic but not much more than that. When combined with a thousand other pieces, it creates a picture. With this in mind, SEO includes every bit of content on (and even off) your website.
Crawlers will go over your site scanning for relevant content, judging everything from blog posts, on-page copy, URLs, backlinks, meta descriptions and more. The goal of a crawler is to provide search engine users with best results to their inquiries. If your site lacks informative content or isn’t structured properly, it will be passed over and they will move onto one of your competitors.
A high SEO ranking will increase your organic traffic and help to grow your business. Seems pretty straight forward, right? It is easy to understand the baseline of how SEO works and why it is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy but putting it into practice is a complex process that can take years to perfect.
What Are the Different Types of SEO?
In order to properly understand the optimization process, you need to know the four pillars that make up SEO:
On-page SEO
Off-page SEO
Local SEO
Technical SEO
Don't be scared! We are going to break these down into bite-sized pieces.
On-Page SEO consists of everything that you see on the page and in a business listing. This includes:
Using relevant keywords.
H1 and H2 structure
Ensuring Links & Buttons Work
Alt Descriptions
Meta Descriptions
Your URL structure.
Off-Page SEO is what goes on behind the scenes. That will include:
Google reviews.
Backlinking
Internal linking
Level of Engagement
Your Local SEO includes relevant information in your area. There isn’t much point in getting an International audience if you aren’t able to work with them. Including area-specific keywords and including business addresses will help to create more relevant leads and help to show up in search engine results that include keywords like, “near me”.
Business address, and business phone number are on your website. (On every page is even better, so consider putting it in the footer).
Monitor your business page!
Make sure you are monitoring pages that advertise your business. If there is a problem and a customer lets you know, you want to be able to respond and fix it right away.
Technical SEO is one of the harder ones if you are not very tech-savvy. If you aren't, I recommend asking someone for help, as Technical SEO is just as important as the others.
Technical SEO includes:
Your web page speed. The speed of your site can be affected by the size/quality of your images, large Javascript files and more.
Optimization for mobile use. Most internet searches are performed on smart phones, so it is important to make sure you site works on all devices.
Fix site errors quickly and properly.
Avoid duplicate content. You want to avoid creating loops on your site. When monitoring your page, Google can detect that and send red flags to the crawlers.
A proper SEO plan can help you increase your website's ranking on search engine results pages, generate more leads, and raise brand awareness.
If you have a brand or a business, you NEED to consider a thorough optimization plan that includes a site crawl and on-going content addition to keep up with algorithm demands.