What is SEO?
If you’re here you’ve either
- Just heard about SEO and you want to see if it’s worth your time.
- You want to learn about SEO at a beginners level
- Or, you’re trying to learn what you can do yourself
Okay, so I’ll give you the official definition and then I’ll explain it in a way that actually makes sense. SEO is the acronym we techies use for search engine optimization. And, search engine optimization is the act of increasing quality organic traffic to your website. Organic traffic is traffic that you did not pay for. NO ads, NO pay per click (PPC), and NO marketing.
Here’s the more visual definition. Imagine you bought a really nice home and your friends are coming by to visit. They’re going to need a street to get there. But, if there are no streets leading to your house, they won’t be able to find your home. Search engine optimization builds these roads to your home or website. Think of SEO as a roadmap that Google uses to help your ideal customers find you.
How search engine optimization works.
The main goal of SEO is to get you on to the first page of Google, Bing, Yahoo or whatever search engine your target audience is using. Each search engine has their own set of rules. When you meet these rules, you get onto the first page. We call these rules fundamentals. And, many of them can be done while your site is being built.
Now, that makes it sound extremely simple. But, there are other factors outside of the rules that affect your ranking. Like, how many other websites you’re competing with for a spot and their SEO efforts. The good thing to know is that you’re not competing with all 1 billion-plus websites on the internet. You’re only competing with the ones in your field, and if you’re a local business, the ones in your field and in your area. So, that narrows it down A LOT.
There are a lot of rules and the search engines are not transparent about all of them. There’s a bit of secrecy and changes happen all the time. Here are a few that are tried and true.
- Quality sites linking to your site will build your credibility (and get you ranked)
- You must have quality meta tags. That’s titles, descriptions, alt text etc.
- Use keywords and phrases in your content and URL’s
- A quick loading website
- Site must be mobile friendly
- Consistent social media efforts
- Create an XML sitemap
- Correct information on directories
- Use header tags appropriately (i.e. only one H1 tag per page)
These are just a few of the big ones. But, there are many more. SEO is a continuous effort but most of these should be done when your website is being created. Trust us, it’ll save you a lot of time and money in the end.
Why do you need search engine optimization?
SEO gives you a spot on the field. It puts you in the game. When someone searches a phrase like “private pre-school programs”, you will pop up on Google’s list. Then, customers will find you. And, if you are a quality business or organization, they will support you. If you don’t have at least the fundamentals of SEO, then people who do not have your exact web address will have a pretty tough time finding your site and in turn your business. If you’re a small or local business then your SEO efforts are usually less competitive, so you can really benefit. Without it, you can get overshadowed by big chains who understand the value of SEO.
If you want to try your hand at a few basic fundamentals, this is our tip. If you have a WordPress website, download an SEO plugin. That way you can get a head start on your meta tags, sitemap, and a few other fundamentals. Convenient plugins are one of the big reasons we love WordPress. We use Yoast SEO. If you don’t use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress that allows you to easily control the code on your site then try out a few off site SEO strategies.
If you need some advice, reach out to us. This is what we love to do. In the meantime, iron sharpens iron. Tell us some of the strategies that have given the best results for your business. Tell us in the comments below.
