The term SEO is an acronym for Search Engine Optimization, a vital strategy for results page ranking and a robust online presence. With an SEO strategy, a business can improve their website traffic, rank higher on a search engine results page (SERP), and increase the quality of their user experience. This is an ongoing process, constantly building the fluidity and relevancy of a website for the ease of searchers in the pertinent market.
There are many ways to implement SEO but for now, we’ll be covering the basics in fair detail below. The importance of this strategy for a business will be delved into as well.
Why is SEO Important for My Business?
SEO can make or break a business when it comes down to it, especially if that business is already struggling. In other words, with SEO, either directly or indirectly, you increase or improve a multitude of aspects within your business such as:
- Organic/unpaid and targeted traffic
- Customers and/or potential customers
- Brand visibility
- Ranking (SERP ranking)
- Conversion rates
- REVENUE!
Implementing SEO provides a true competitive advantage and potential financial benefits to your company. As mentioned previously, SEO practices hone your website to match a searcher’s needs or want’s most accurately through various tactics such as keyword usage. Search engine algorithms exist to then pull up those results that best match a user’s intent.
In other words, search engines comb your pages to understand what your content is about to organize or rank your website by relevancy among hundreds of others within the market. Therefore, the more optimized your website is the more likely it is to obtain a higher ranking and reap the consequential benefits.
SEO Basics
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the basis of SEO involving the use of what’s called primary keywords. These are the phrases people search when looking for a particular good or service. Implementing them provides content clues for crawling search engines. Consequently, the more effectively you use keywords on your website the more relevant your website will appear and the higher it will rank.
However, there is a right way to do this. For instance, it’s important to avoid common missteps like “keyword stuffing”. This is when an author implements as many keywords as possible even if it interrupts the flow of content. Search engines are programmed to watch for this and may remove your content as punishment. Consequently, you want to implement keywords and/or related keywords appropriately throughout your content while keeping keyword density at a natural cadence.
Title Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
Title tags are the title and subtitles of your content, especially but not limited to, pieces such as blog posts. To receive the benefits of SEO it’s vital that your primary keyword and, if possible, its variants are included within your title tags throughout. When it comes to length, it’s best to keep your title tags between 50-55 characters.
Mechanics And Benefits of title tags
Not only should your titles be relatively simple and outright, but they need to be unique and enticing in their own way. This means addressing the how, why, what, and where of your content with an original but organic spin. Doing so provides key hints that make it easier for search engine algorithms to understand how your content is organized and register important information. This is crucial for SERP (search engine results page) ranking.
In addition, organization is not solely beneficial for digital algorithms but for people as well. Visually, titles and subtitles, help break up content so it’s not simply a wall of text. You’re less likely to keep the user around if they can’t skim your content to decide its relevancy. In other words, poor user experience can result in poor ranking. This is especially true for search engines such as Google that prioritize this aspect of a website and its content.
Internal/Inbound Linking for SEO
Internal or inbound linking is an SEO tactic that basically inter-connects all your content. It’s the linking between or from well-performing content pages on your site that helps search engines to better understand its structure. In other words, how various pages of content relate or the depth at which your website covers specific topics. This is great for helping to boost your site’s authority and thereby it’s ranking.
Having internal or inbound links within your content also benefits the user experience. Creating such digital architecture makes it easier for your audience to navigate between pages effectively enhancing site engagement. This then decreases bounce rate or how quickly searchers are leaving your website and increases positive brand associations.
Backlinks/External (Outbound) Links for SEO
While it’s good and admirable to be confident of your work on its own merit, having other sources to verify or substantiate it is also beneficial. That is the essence of backlinks, providing links from other relevant websites “back” to yours. This instills confidence and support from your audience in the authenticity of your content thereby increasing your site authority. In other words, when you have credible sources backing your work it establishes trust and a greater chance of an optimal SERP ranking.
Conclusion
As I’m sure you can tell, the ways of SEO are many. The key takeaway is that SEO pertains to not only the phrases you place within your content but how it’s structured. However, when done properly, implementing proper SEO techniques can earn your website a fantastic SERP ranking. With a better ranking comes a whole host of potential benefits such as increased organic traffic, conversion rates, and more.
Take the next step with your content in the cutthroat digital world by choosing SEO techniques today. Though it can be done by oneself it is a multilayered project best handled by a professional. Content Creations By Ariana Borges is here to provide you with that expertise. So don’t let your content sit online unnoticed and contact me for an appointment for full-service details!
