Need to Know Basics of SEO
Everyone is buzzing about SEO these days. Top of mind is getting that website listed first on the search engines. Be it Google or Bing, ranking and position is a big deal especially in our crowded digital space. So, what exactly is SEO and how does it work?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of fine tuning your website so you can rank higher in the search engines and better drive organic traffic to your website or digital content. Unlike PPC, or Pay Per Click, which is a paid advertisement used to generate traffic, an SEO strategy encompasses a large digital footprint and involves many tactics.
While learning SEO fundamentals is nothing less than an intense, semester-long college course, here’s a few things you should know.
IT TAKES TIME
SEO takes time to implement and time to work. On average, you can expect 3-6 months after implementing tactics before you start seeing results. With Google changing its search algorithms sometimes 4x a day, you’ll need to continue your efforts to maintain or gain a better position.
BIGGER THAN YOU THINK
SEO encompasses your website’s design, your content, and all the external digital content that points to your website. Links on other credible websites pointing to your website and content are important because this helps establish your authority. Also, trends, social media channels, Google my Business, Google Search Console, Bing Places, Yelp, listings, backlinks, and a multitude of other avenues are also important as much as your own content, keywords, and tactics.
CONTENT AND CONTEXT MATTERS
Your site’s content must be logically grouped, use headlines, and follow a hierarchy. Content must be in the right context, which means don’t sell chainsaws under a headline for tacos. Also, your content needs to be correct and current. Authority matters when it comes to search engine rankings so be the expert that you are. Publishing useful articles or tutorials is a great way to attract attention.
DON’T CLICK HERE
Unless you live with the Flintstones, you know where to click on a website. Links labeled as click here are worthless to search engines. You are missing an opportunity for the spiders crawling the links on your site to correctly report your content. So, your link labels must describe what they link to, ie. buy tickets, add to cart, or watch the Flintstones.
YOU BETTER ZOOM ZOOM
When the engines analyze your site, they first look for mobile friendliness and speed. Because mobile users are the largest group using the web, Google is very judgy about your site design. Optimized images, responsiveness, speed, functionality, and usability are all major factors when it comes to your ranking.
YOU NEED A NERD
Beyond the surface, there are many technical factors to consider. Sitemaps, schemas, rich snippets, naming conventions, htaccess and robots files all need to be maintained. These items generally take some programming knowledge so hire a professional, not cousin Kenny, who can only connect a printer.
WEAR A WHITE HAT
White hat SEO uses ethical, approved means to increase your search position. Black hat SEO uses unethical practices such as cloaking, keyword stuffing, number forging, and link farming. Yeah, black hat can quickly increase your position. Get caught and the engines will black list you for good.
CHOOSE WISELY
If an SEO company approaches you with the promise that they can get you first page ranked in a week – RUN! They are probably using black hat tactics and it’s not their website on the line, huh? Also, some link listing management companies are not all on the up and up either - so read the fine print!
Now, get to work! While that’s only a quick SEO rundown it’s enough to give you general idea of the complexities involved. So be patient, be honest, and be smart!
Questions? We can help. Just shout@baxterchristenson.com.