Strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has garnered a mixed reputation over the years due to the mistaken belief that it involves unethical and/or deceptive practices. However, this is not the case. In actuality, SEO is neither devious nor mysterious.
Good SEO focuses on ensuring that a website’s content and metadata are optimized for both users and search engines. It is all about strategy and commitment to quality, and the reward is increased organic traffic, increased site visitors (audience), and notable Return on Investment (ROI).
It’s important to understand how search engines work in order for an SEO campaign to yield results. The goal of a search engine development company, such as Google, is to provide the most relevant content to its users, and they are able to accomplish this goal in a number of different ways.
Quality
Most search engines have developed systems to identify (and eliminate) low quality content, so the core of an SEO campaign needs to include unique, relevant content of high quality. Metadata and good housekeeping (things like making sure you have an SSL certificate, a reliable web host, etc.) are still important, but as search engines become more sophisticated, they are placing more importance on the content your visitors see when they come to your site. Quality is the most important consideration for SEO.
Quantity
One widely-believed myth is that quantity of content is superior to quality. While this belief stems from a smidgen of truth (having a lot of content can be beneficial to your website) it is certainly not what drives modern-day SEO. If the related content and metadata is of poor quality, you might as well not have any content at all.
Housekeeping
When it comes to SEO “housekeeping,” there are a few key things you will want to remember in order to improve your overall site standing. Make sure you’re using a fast, secure website host and that your website has an SSL certificate (this is an added layer of encryption – a.k.a. safety – to your site that holds a lot of weight in the eyes of the user and Google crawl bots). Finally, registering for tools like Google My Business is a great way to get your company’s name out there while having a significant impact on SEO.
Why Search Engine Optimization?
These days, consumers are much savvier, using the internet to find and compare a wide array of products and services. These consumers depend on search engines to help sort the millions of results they receive to their queries. Most search traffic goes to the top three positions on the first results page. What does this mean for the majority of companies? It means that if your website does not appear on the first results page of Google, you might as well be invisible as far as SEO is concerned.
Achieving a high search engine rank is often more effective than any other form of internet marketing. Users know that search engines try to eliminate low quality content, so they trust organic search results more than paid advertising. Before users even click on your site, they judge your position in the search results as a reflection of your credibility.
This is why it’s so important that your site reflects your quality of work. Every page of your website should be optimized – this can be as simple as updating your metadata or as complex as a comprehensive website rebuild. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to SEO, but there are time-tested best practices.
Thoughtful SEO will bring more traffic to your site, which equates to more exposure for your company and opportunities for gaining new customers and building lasting relationships.
