What is SEO?

What is search engine optimization (SEO)? This wildly important acronym describes the way search engines read your site to determine what rank, or place, your website will show on the search engine results page (SERP). With almost 93% of traffic coming from search engines [1], high SEO rankings are becoming more important than ever. However, search engine algorithms are ever-changing, forcing you and your company to be at the forefront of SEO strategies to ensure you don’t get lost in the midst of the millions of other sites on the web. At first it may seem overwhelming, keeping up with search engines that change algorithms 500 to 600 times a year [2]. But don’t fret! There are 4 things you can do to ensure that no matter what changes come your way, you’re prepared to come out on top.

1. Links, Links and More Links

How many people are linking to your website? How many times are you linking to your own website? Internal links and external links are something relatively easy to add that can make a big impact.

Internal links, or links that go to another page within your site, are an easy opportunity to boost SEO on the backend. One of the best ways to do this is to have a blog. If you have a blog already, perfect! See what opportunities you can find in your existing pages or blog posts to link, and start linking wherever possible. If you don’t have a blog for your business, consider starting one. Hubspot studied 2,300 clients and found that “businesses that blog witness their monthly leads rise by 126% more than those who don’t.” [3] So it is definitely worth the hassle to go for the blog.

External links, or backlinks, are a bit harder to come by. This happens when another site links to you, giving you what some people refer to as a “vote of confidence” [4]. To gain external links, the key is to create content that is worthy of people linking to. We’ll talk more about creating good content below, but the idea is that you have a product or resource that other people find useful. You can also link to another website’s content, and create a relationship with them [5]. Just as it’s important to network in real life, networking through websites is a thing too!

2. Content Rules

Search engines are looking for quality, and another way to show quality is through your content. Content comes in many different forms, like infographics, videos, long-form content marketing, photos and much more. By varying these content forms, you’ll be able to show a wider range of content ability, giving your site more depth and better SEO.

Ask yourself: what can I say that other people haven’t? When you’ve got an idea, you’re ready for content marketing.

Content marketing is just writing articles that answer the questions your target demographic might be asking. The goal is to become a thought leader, someone who has credibility and trust in their area of expertise; this is the figure that people look to for advice and information when they have a question. Although this doesn’t normally lead to an immediate sale, the idea is that when someone is finally ready to take the leap, you are the first business they think of – not to mention that through the process of writing content, you’re boosting your own SEO.

Pairing an infographic or detailed photo with your content would be perfect for visual concepts or concepts that can be made into a list or how-to guide. Be sure to include relating copy, even on pages where the same information is supplied on the infographic. It might feel a tad redundant, but you want to make sure that your article is thorough and not just a page with a picture on it (even if that picture is a detailed infographic).

Also, try to include numbers or lists wherever possible. These are great for SEO and are super reader-friendly. Not only do they add organization to your content, but they are also much easier to turn into infographics (hint hint).

Once you’ve found a unique topic, make sure it’s full of budding wisdom. The rule of thumb for a quality article is to make it 1,500 to 2,000 words [6]. Yikes, right? The reason for this is that search engines want to make sure that what you have to say actually has merit and value. Basically, what you’re writing is something people can use and benefit from.

But don’t feel like you have to go and spend the next three days writing a 2,000-word article. There are cases where the top-ranked organic result is an article with 1,200 words, or even 500 words! How can that be? The important thing is quality: articles that cover all the bases of the topic in question; articles that have links, both internal and external; and, arguably the most important, articles that use keywords frequently and in different ways [7]. If you want to check how your keywords are doing, you can use this word counting tool. It not only shows how many words you’ve used, but also the amount of times you’ve used certain keywords.

If you’re having trouble filling all the space, think of your keywords and other possible things that could relate to your topic. Is there anything else that someone reading this article would want to know? Any other small avenues or keywords you could expand upon?

Remember, the idea is that your content causes people to stay on your site. The longer people stay on your site, the higher quality it must be. Sounds easy, right?

3. Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are something that you might not readily think about when you’re looking at your site and for good reason. Depending on your website builder, you might have to look in hidden places to even find them. Don’t forget about them!

The meta description is the little snippet and headline that pop up when someone does a search in the search engine. While it’s not mandatory for SEO to have one, it’s vitally important for a good click-through rate (CTR). This is the thing that people will read to decide whether or not your site is worthy of visiting. Make sure you’re not selling yourself short!

When writing the description, you’re looking to create a simple explanation of what your page is about. Try not to sound too cheesy salesman-y. Use between 50-160 characters, as this is where Google tends to cut off your description and give you an ellipsis (…) instead of showing the rest of your beautifully crafted description.

Once you’ve done that, you’re good! You’ll want to do this on every page and article on your website to ensure that no matter how someone searches, they’ll always find a great description of your website.

4. Keywords are Key

When planning your content, focus on a few keywords that represent the main idea of your article. These should be things that people are searching for in the search query. There are two types of keywords that can be used: head keywords and long-tail keywords.

Head keywords are the keywords that are super vague and many people write about, for example “buy a car.” With a search like that, you are up against huge sites like Carmax, Cars.com and Carvana. And while in an ideal world you would rank up against these big dogs, a new company starting out doesn’t have the infrastructure nor the content and recognition to do so.

That’s where long-tail keywords come in. These keywords focus on the why behind the search [8]. With more specific terms and phrases, these keywords allow you to focus on your specific niche, giving you a better chance to rank on the front page of SERPs. So figure out what your customers are searching for and make it a keyword. Instead of “buy a car,” you could say “best used cars for teenage drivers under 10k” – something a little more specific that will define your audience more and give you a chance to rank higher.

While long-tail keywords are recommended for newer businesses, it is still important to include the head keywords as well. The more content you get, the more chance you have of your head keywords being the ones that pop up first, so be sure to include both. Be sure to check Google’s keyword creator to find the search volume of your keywords and choose the best keywords possible.

Conclusion:

Once you feel comfortable with the basics of SEO, make a plan. While there are many things that need to be done, you can break it all down into the above four steps. First, focus on linking existing pages to other pages on your website. Check all of your pages to make sure your meta descriptions give keywords from your page and perfectly describe what the reader can find. Then, focus on new content ideas and keywords that can separate you from the other businesses in your sector. Decide what you can do differently and create something unique. Once you’ve created quality content, be sure to reach out to clients, friends and colleagues to see if they’ll share your content.

SEO isn’t something that’s mastered in a day. It takes constant effort and research to ensure that your website is current and cutting edge. While we’re not really sure what the next SEO algorithm change might be, we can be sure that no matter what, the quality of your site and your posts are key.

So take the first step and make a plan. Take it one meta description, article or keyword at a time. Make a site that your customers trust and look to. Be a thought leader. Create the business that you want, today. What are you waiting for?

[1] 5 Basic SEO principles to increase your website traffic, Multichannel Merchant

[2] The 5 SEO Basics You Need to Master, Neil Patel

[3] Blogging Businesses Experience 126% Higher Lead Growth Than Non-Blogging Businesses, Hubspot

[4] Backlinks, Moz

[5] How to Promote a Website Through Link Building in 10 Easy Ways, Entrepreneur 

[6] Yes, Content Length Matters For SEO, tribute media

[7] Is Longer Really Better? How Focused and Comprehensive Content Ranks Better, Neil Patel

[8] What are long-tail keywords?, Yoast SEO

[9] 7 Brilliant Examples of Brands Driving Long-Tail Organic Traffic, Neil Patel

Authored by

Amber Rosamond