A Beginners Guide to SEO and Why Your Business Should Prioritize Using It
If you’ve worked in an online business in any capacity, you’ve probably heard the term SEO, which stands for search engine optimization. Many people know that creating content that utilizes good SEO can get more eyes on your work and search results that come up higher on Google, but what is it exactly and how does it work? Is it even worth the investment of time, money, and other resources? Continue reading to find out.
What is SEO?
According to the founder of Moz, a leading SEO tool, search engine optimization refers to “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of the traffic that you earn through the organic (not paid) results in search engines.”
These days, SEO and Google pretty much go hand in hand. The word “Google” started out as a noun (the search engine) and now it is almost exclusively used as a verb (think, “Google it”). There are other search engines out there such as Bing or Yahoo, but with over 91 percent of people utilizing Google as their main source of information, it’s no wonder that most SEO experts refer to boosting Google searches as their main priority.
Why is SEO important?
Hopefully you now have a bit more clarity about the topic of SEO. It is definitely not an easy task since the process of SEO is not an exact science, but it can be learned and utilized by the average business owner. You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of a person who is using a search engine to find out what they need so it is key to rank highest in the search results.
The algorithms of search engines are always changing but the overall goal of SEO remains the same- to increase awareness of your brand by driving more traffic to your website, blog, social media platforms, etc, and in turn, to increase sales. The better the SEO of your website, the higher it will rank on search results for any given keyword.
Establishing yourself as an authority in your niche is the best way to rank higher up in Google’s search results. Once you see that, most eyes will be on your content so you will have more of an audience to educate, interact with, and even onboard to your email marketing campaign (more on that later!).
How to Optimize Your Site’s Ranking
Now that you know a little more about the basics of SEO and why it is important, you may be feeling overwhelmed and wondering “how do I even begin?” Building up your site's authority and content takes time but here are a few suggestions on how to start.
1. Publish Relevant Content to Establish Yourself as an Authority in Your Niche
The phrase “stay in your lane” rings true when it comes to SEO. If you’re a couples therapist it wouldn’t make sense for you to give advice on marketing strategies or how to care for your houseplants. It would make sense to have a series of blog posts related to topics such as infidelity, communication in marriage, and strategies for managing your finances as a couple. Likewise, if you are a digital marketing expert, it would make sense for you to write content about SEO, email marketing, social media management, and content creation.
Ensure that everything you write about on your website is relevant to the services or products you offer and that you are truly posting to educate your audience, not just provide fluff. Remember to include keywords where it makes sense and in ways that are easy for search engines to pick up- such as in the URL of the page or in the headings and subheadings.
2. Make Your Content Timely
Unfortunately, it’s not enough for you to include a few blog posts when your page is first published. Search engines want the information they share to be timely and relevant so make sure to post regularly to keep content fresh and up to date. This is why so many website experts encourage business owners to have a blog component on your site. It’s worth it, even if you are only able to commit to posting one article a month.
3. Have a Link-Worthy Site
Having outside websites link your website or blog post is one of the best ways to rank higher in searches. Another important tip is to have links throughout your content. Instead of creating a link that says “click here,” try creating hyperlinks that truly identify the content of the link so that it is clear to Google. Having descriptive hyperlinks also improves accessibility for those who may have vision impairments or those using screen readers.
There is endless information about the importance of SEO and strategies to optimize search results for your content. This is just the beginning of your journey to ranking on Google!
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