What is SEO?
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. OK, great, we know what a search engine is, but what is optimization? Here’s an idea from the SEO Guru.
Optimization means the page content of your website is designed, written and programmed to tell the search engines what the page is about.
The search engine’s job is to deliver the best results for a search query.
But how do they determine which site is the best? They convert everything on your site to text and store it as a set of keyword phrases. Complex algorithms interpret your content to determine its relevance to the keywords. That’s where the science comes in. And it is growing in complexity as the Internet explodes.
SEO leads the Horse to Water
To improve your search results, you’ll need to do 3 key things:
- Increase your content with compelling, relevant content, using the right keywords and phrases
- Write strategic page titles and meta descriptions for every page of your website
- Increase your site’s inbound links from other sites
How to Get Started in SEO
Hire an SEO expert
If you really want to get the job done, call in an experienced SEO expert. They can evaluate your site, and suggest strategies to boost your rank. They keep up with the latest algorithm changes, know the tools, offer strategic advice and run your campaign. At Network9, we are SEO compliant designers. We know what works, and we build it in right from the start.
Our SEO clients have increased traffic by 100% or more, and increased leads by 30-40% resulting in millions of dollars in sales.
Invest in a detailed Keyword Analysis
Don’t guess. SEO experts gather every keyword phrase from your website and your competitor’s websites, then run that list through an analysis tool. You’ll get results for every variation of those keyword phrases, plus their relevance, traffic, and competition. This document is a great tool as well as a marketing document—you will know exactly what people are searching for and how competitive a word is. Free tools such as wordtracker are a good resource if you are a do-it-yourselfer.
Add key phrases to your content
Examine your pages and decide which key phrases are the most relevant to that page. Pepper the text with them, but don’t overdo it or make the copy awkward.
The new design and the SEO work have increased my business between 60 – 70%. Dr. Dean Mitchell, Mitchell Medical Group
Correctly title your pages and URLs
The text that is displayed at the very top of your page is your page title. Sometimes you see one set of phrases, sometimes two or three. An SEO expert can help you find and choose the most strategic page titles and URLs. If you have a WordPress site, you can enter them, or you will need a programmer to do it. Each page of your site should have a unique page title that refers to the content of the page.
Write strategic meta descriptions for each page
The text you see under the page title in a Google search is the meta description. Again, an SEO expert can write these, you can do it yourself in WordPress, or have your programmer do it. And yes, your keyword should be in there.
Acquire inbound links
Creating links into your site boosts your authority to Google because an inbound link tells them your website is valuable on the subject. This brings your page up in the ranks. It is especially good if the inbound links come from websites with a high page rank—4 and up. Use directories, Google Maps, and social sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to generate links. Social sites create inbound links when people share your content. SEO teams usually have a roster of related clients whose sites will link into yours, creating lots of inbound links immediately.
Start blogging
Adding pages of relevant, compelling content is one of the best ways to add SEO value to your website. Post regularly and Google will reward your website. Every blog post should also be optimized, just like any other web page. Not only is it good for SEO, it establishes you as a “thought leader”, creates readership, and even adds inbound links from people who like your articles—a big bonus. If you can’t do it yourself, hire a writer.
Track your results
Once you have all of the above in place, be sure to track your results with tools like Google Analytics. If you aren’t getting the results, tweak your website, then check again.
Be patient
Building organic rank takes months, but it’s worth the effort. It’s like buying a home vs. renting. You are building permanent equity for your business.
Making them Drink
Once the horses are lead to your site by your SEO, your website needs to help them drink. A great web designer/content marketer will focus on conversion. Blog posts, eBooks, white papers, guides are all ways to bring in new leads. An SEO compliant designer will also know how to use SEO techniques in the content. Make your website a great destination— well-designed, user-friendly, and informative. Remember, your site is your virtual salesperson, 24/7.
