27 Aug The Basics of Search Engine Optimization
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a multi-dimensional, strategic approach to getting your company’s website or service found on the internet. There are details within each aspect of SEO that can be constantly tweaked for your website to rank in search results, but the basics boil down to content and website optimization.
If your company exists, then there’s someone behind a core idea that believes in the product or service you provide. Increasing online visibility through SEO starts with this core idea, followed by having a place to promote it – typically your own website. This guide to the basics of SEO covers how to use your website to organically promote your business and rank in search engine results.
Content is king
Content explains the core idea behind your business, and convinces people that whatever you have to offer is worth their money or time. People also look for different types of content depending on your industry and your product or service. Business-to-business services, for example, can benefit most from having written content in the form of a blog, whereas direct-to-consumer products like clothing are more impactful with visual imagery like photos and videos.
No matter your industry or business model, keywords are an integral piece of your content strategy. Keywords are the overlap between what people naturally search for and a description of your business. There are online tools, like MOZ Keyword Explorer and Google Keyword Planner that can give you suggestions.
Another element of content is the language you use to communicate your core idea. Whether it’s written or visual, your language or writing style should reflect who you’re trying to reach, or your target audience.
User experience drives digital performance
Website optimization is made up of your website’s structure and its user experience. Similar to your business’ physical structure, your website’s structure is integral to your customers’ experience with your brand. Due to most users’ comfort level in the digital space, they expect a website layout that easily directs them to the information that brought them to the site. When visitors to your site find confusing structural elements, they can lose trust in the product or service you offer. The easiest advice for enhancing your SEO ranking through structure is to keep it simple, organized, and to have your main pages easily accessible.
User experience takes into account how users interact with your website. If they originally come to your site through your homepage, where do they go next? With major search engines like Google taking user experience into account, you want to make sure that your website is optimized for visitors to easily access information and navigate through the pages of your website to eventually commit to a product or service.
Although SEO is all-encompassing when it comes to your business’ website, it boils down to content and website optimization that enhances how your customers interact with your brand.
Have more questions about SEO?
Read our blog on what to expect from an SEO audit, or check out Google’s guide to SEO.