What Is SEO?
and why do you need it...?
What is Search Engine Optimization
To answer this, I typically ask clients two quick questions before attempting yet another boring description of SEO....
- Q1) What is the best thing about advertising?
- Q2) What is the worst thing about advertising?
Why do you need SEO?
Many business owners have heard of Search Engine Optimzation (SEO), more and more are realising just how much of an impact it can have upon they're digital presence in the marketplace. In fact, without it, Google now penalises websites which aren't using best practise when it comes to major ranking factors such as page speed, content and backlinks.
SEO or search engine optimisation improves your website’s searchability and visibility on search engines. For 2021, in order of popularity, they are as follows;
- Google 94%
- Bing 3%
- Baidu <1%
- Yahoo <1%
- Yandex <1%
- Ask <1%
- DuckDuckGo <1%
- Naver <1%
Not all search engines are created equal of course, the major search engine which SEO mainly focuses on is Google, why? In Australia it is responsible for over 94% of all search traffic!
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
John Lennon
Businesses which are successful typically focus on updating software, IT security, unifying their branding and marketing efforts, team building and HR, a great mission statement etc. In this day and age of Covid awareness, Cryptocurrency explosion and working from home, there has been an absolute explosion in the digital marketing stratosphere.
Terms such as SEO, SEM, Digital Marketing, PPC, CPC, UX are all buzzing, and the webosphere is becoming a harder and harder place to get to page 1 for search terms which organically encompass what you do and/or sell.
Below is an excerpt from MOZ on a beginners guide to the major ranking factors of Google's current algorithm of website SEO best practice.
Phase 1 - Website Audit and Social Media Alignment.
Technical audit your site for any caustic links, fix anything that could penalize your website such as ‘page not found’, duplicate content, broken links, meta tag descriptions, correct use of headings, page speed, enhance your defence against intruders. Connect Google Webmaster Tools, to gain analytics and statistics on your current visitors.
Phase 2 - Keyword Research & Content
Using statistics provided by Google Analytics and additional tools, identify and embed keyword strategies to corner your market, including link building strategies, creating a niche keyword basket, on-page, and off-page SEO, internal siloing, properly nested keywords (anchor keywords for links).
Phase 3 - Create Backlinks, Improve Authority
Perform a competition watch dog exercise, gaining insights into any competitors’s links and word strategies to create more backlinks. Writing unique Meta Tag descriptions, internal linking updates to improve and outperform your competition, optimizing of headings, ensure your webpage is mobile-friendly, prepare marketing campaigns (SEM & Digital Marketing for CPC and PPC) through social media.
Q: “Where is the best place to hide a dead body?”
A: "The 2nd page of a Google Search"
Origin unknown - an SEO Dad joke I tell too often...
Standing Out in a Crowd
One of the biggest advantages of the internet, is that information is at your fingertips and can be sourced quickly. People have become accustomed to doing their own research using search engines, but there is so much competition and internet advertising on the web, that for your business to pop up on the first page of the search engine rankings, you need a highly effective SEO strategy.
The SEO strategy we outline here on this website (coming soon) will make your website much more visible and relevant. Whether for local traffic, interstate or international, done properly as outlined above you site will consistently place your on the first page of the search engine rankings for search terms relevant to your business or service.
Local SEO (such as Google My Business) puts you out in front of your competition by finding your niche business or service offering and optimizing it to a localised region so that potential customers can find you quickly and easily.
At Work 24/7
Search engine optimisation is always on. It works continuously in the background, converting potential clients’ keyword searches into business for you. A high quality and effective SEO strategy will keep your website ranking highly on search engines so that you can get on with the business of doing business.
Once done properly, you will see improvements in ranking and traffic over a period of 60 - 90 days. Proper SEO should be applied as a 'slow-burn' principle. In other words, a campaign should be a minimum of 3 months, however, 6 months is more realistic given the research, the time to apply and monitor said results.
Once implemented, such 'white-hat' SEO strategies will continue improving your website for literally years to come.
Let's do a free SEO and website audit, and chat about the results in a complimentary 30 minute Discovery session - just click on contact below