Chances are that within the last few days you have searched for something on the internet using a search engine like Google or Yahoo. Whether is was for a product, a service or just looking up some information because you had a question, there is a whole branch of digital marketing geared towards getting a business owners website to pop up at the top of the list when someone enters a search request. Apart from the “Ad” listed results that show up at the top of search results, these businesses pay for their ads to be in that place, the rest of the search results are ordered by relevance and this is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play.
What is SEO?
SEO is the process of attracting traffic to a website by using optimization tools to increase the “organic” or free search results on search engines. This is a crucial part of a businesses digital presence because the higher a result is listed (ranked by the search engine) and the frequency in which it appears to the searcher, the more traffic it will receive that can lead to potential customers. Search engines operate using algorithms that are designed to “search” the web for relevant and related words and information based upon what is typed into the search queue. There are two basic areas: on-page and off page optimization.
Here are a few things to focus on for great On-page Optimization:
- High-quality content
- Great Images
- Website HTML structuring
- Link acquisition campaigns
The search engine algorithms scour the Internet looking for quality and relevant content, which doesn’t include useless fluff on web pages filled with keywords hoping to trigger high rankings from the search engines. The search engines are way too smart for that so there is a premium on high quality and interesting content. An SEO service company will also address the structure of your website HTML in order to eliminate code clutter so that your content is easily accessible to the search engines and that loading times are reduced so there isn’t time wasted by either the search engine or the consumer.
What to focus on for Off-page Optimization:
- Link building
- Engaging blog content – a great way to naturally obtain links
- Research your competitors – what can you learn from their tactics
- Active social media profiles
- Positive online reviews
Finally, building upon quality content on your web page, part of the off-page optimization includes link building, which is perhaps the most controversial aspect of SEO. Getting relevant and respected websites to link to your page is a huge step in increasing your search rankings but this only happens when you have quality, interesting, and educational information on your website.
Getting the most traffic to your website is the name of the game when it comes to landing potential customers. Search engines can be a tricky beast to handle when it comes to optimizing your website to increase your search rankings. While it takes time to build and optimize a quality website, there are no shortcuts when it comes to gaining lasting search engine status. Contact an SEO service company to discuss what exactly they can do for your business, and now you know what SEO is and just how it can help increase traffic to your website.
