SEO 101: For Beginners and Beyond

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SEO 101: For Beginners and Beyond

SEO 101: For Beginners and Beyond

Chances are, you’ve already heard of search engine optimization (SEO) and know it can be beneficial to your business. However, SEO involves more than just using plenty of keywords in your content. Here are some of the basics you should know before you implement an SEO strategy for your business:

1 | What Is SEO?

SEO is an acronym that stands for “search engine optimization”. Generally speaking, SEO is the process of improving your website’s visibility on search engine result pages. Search engines use complicated algorithms that examine various elements of a website to determine how it should rank in search results. On a basic level, search engines are looking for websites that:

  • Provide relevant, high-quality information. Search engines favor website content that is relevant to what the user is searching for. They consider a variety of factors, including what keywords are present on the page and how many trusted websites link back to yours. Organizing your website content based on a few key topics, and choosing keywords that relate to those topics, makes it easier to create a relevant and well-structured site that appeals to both users and search engines.
  • Are fast and mobile-friendly. User experience matters, and a website that is slow or difficult to navigate on a mobile device can be frustrating for users. A site that loads quickly and works well on mobile will be viewed more favorably by search engines.
  • Include content that captures (and holds) your audience's attention. How people do (or don’t) engage with your website content can also impact your SEO. If people are frequently leaving your site to check out other links on the search results page, it could indicate your content didn’t include the information they were hoping to find.

2 | What Are Search Engines And Search Engine Results Pages?

Search engines are systems that allow users to search for content online. After a user enters their search query into a search engine, a search engine results page will appear. The results included on this page will typically be ranked based on their relevance to the search query, and often include a combination of organic and paid results.

3 | Why Is SEO Important To Your Business?

71% of consumers use search engines to discover new products and services. By boosting your visibility in key search results, SEO helps you connect with more potential customers at exactly the right moment. Optimizing your website and content for SEO can make it easier for people to find your business, but it can also help you drive results. Improving the quality of your website content and creating a better user experience will increase the odds that your website visitors will take the next step toward becoming a customer.

4 | What Do You Need To Create An Effective SEO Strategy?

To truly reap the rewards of SEO, you need to develop a strategy. Your strategy will serve as a sort of roadmap that will help you decide the next steps to take:

  • Start by setting specific goals. Before you can map out your SEO strategy, you first need to decide what exactly you hope to accomplish. Are you hoping to boost online sales, build brand awareness, or simply increase traffic to your site? Once you know what your goals are, you can start developing a plan to achieve them.
  • Establish a few guidelines. With your goals established, it’s time to set some guidelines for your strategy. In general, your strategy should always focus on creating unique and relevant content. However, elements such as keyword targeting and blog content will vary based on what goals you set for your business.
  • Execute your strategy (and be willing to adjust). Once you know what you want to accomplish, and what steps you need to take, you can start implementing your strategy. You’ll want to monitor your website performance on a regular basis to measure your success and determine if you need to make any adjustments.

It can take a lot of time and effort to successfully implement and maintain your SEO strategy, but the results can be well worth the effort. If you’d like to learn more about how SEO can help you reach more customers online, contact our team for a free Digital Marketing Plan.