If you’re wondering how to get more eyeballs on your site, you’ve probably come across the term SEO.
In 2018, Google made up almost 74% of all desktop search traffic, so it’s not surprising business owners want answers to the question, how does SEO work?
In short, SEO is just an abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization. This may sound complicated but trust us, it’s really not.
So, what does SEO do, and how can it help your business? Let’s find out…
Put simply, SEO is a process online marketers use to communicate to search engines (like Google) that their web pages are worth displaying.
Google uses an algorithm to score every website on the internet. This enables search engines to deduce which web pages should rank where. Google wants to show users their most relevant search results, which is effectively what SEO serves to do.
You’ll be pleased to hear; there are tons of things you can do to fulfill Google’s SEO checklist. The more you do, the better it is for your website. You need to prove to search engines you’re the best site for their users, which is where you can use SEO to your advantage.
More than anything Google prioritizes websites that give users an excellent experience. This means giving visitors something of value to interest them.
This is where top-notch content comes into its own. By this we mean, writing compelling and unique copy, using interesting imagery, perhaps running a blog, maybe embedding a couple of handy videos, etc. – you get the idea!
Not only is good content amazing for SEO, but it also works wonders for generating interest in your products and services. Over time this should result in an increase in followers and a boost in sales- what’s not to love about that?
Google loves new content. How often are you publishing new stuff on your site? If the answer’s; ‘hardly ever’- this needs to change.
This doesn’t necessarily mean publishing screeds of long-form content (although that does have its advantages). You can also go back to pieces you’ve previously published and spruce them up.
Yes, this takes time and energy, but trust us, it’s worth it. Perhaps set yourself a target of publishing one blog post a week? Once you get into a routine, you’ll find your content creation easier to manage.
As you start crafting content, consider the use of your keywords and phrases carefully. For those of you who don’t know what a keyword is, it’s a phrase you want to rank for on Google’s search.
You need to do a little research to find out what your target demographic are typing into Google, and then you can optimize your content accordingly.
When done correctly, you massively increase the likelihood of appearing higher in Google’s search results.
Top Tip: Don’t be afraid of using slightly longer keywords, more often than not they’re easier to rank for. Aim for phrases containing four words or more.
On a similar note, Google loves websites that are trustworthy. So, a brand’s who are continually receiving bad reviews are likely to rank high in Google’s search results.
This isn’t surprising; it’s only natural Google wants to present the best people to do business with!
Last but not least, there are other things you can do to improve your SEO score:
Ideally, you should craft a title tag with 70 characters or less and include both your keyword and your brand name.
Your meta description is an excellent opportunity for communicating what your web page is about. It shows on search engines, so write something that encourages readers to click through onto your site.
Unsurprisingly, you also need to include your keyword here too!
Subheadings are fantastic for so many reasons. Not only do they make your content scannable- which is something online readers love, but search engines also pay particular attention to the words making up your subheadings.
So, when you use the following tags; H1, H2, and H3 try to include your keyword at least once.
Inserting links to other content on your site works wonders for helping Google learn more about the nature of your website, and hence aids your SEO efforts.
One of the easiest ways to communicate to Google your websites trustworthy is by guest blogging on other reputable sites. When your content is published on other high caliber sites, you usually get a link back to your website. This says to Google you’re associated with other decent companies.
Another great source of backlinking is registering your website with important business directory websites. You can claim free profiles on most of these platforms. A great example of this is Yelp, if you haven’t already, claim your free listing.
Now we’ve answered the question; how does SEO work? You’re probably feeling motivated to head to your web pages and get optimizing- or at least, we hope you do!
If you need any help with SEO optimizing your content, please feel free to reach out to us. One of our team of professionals will be more than happy to steer you in the right direction. We look forward to helping you boost your online presence. Speak soon!
