SEO can be Simpler than You Think it is

Over the years, Search engine optimization has been in a constant process of evolution and growth. The older tactics, which focused more on black-hat practices and keyword stuffing have become increasingly obsolete, allowing newer, more modern strategies to focus on user experience. Throughout the history of its existence, SEO has been recognized as an incredibly valuable and cost-effective strategy for business owners, regardless of their industry – yet many businesses owners remain too intimidated by the concept to follow through with it. SEO is a strategy that takes a great deal of time, and significant attention, but it does not have to be difficult. With the right commitment and mentality, any business owner can begin to build their SEO campaign and reap the various benefits.

The Basics to Learn

There are several aspects of SEO that are simple enough for any business to master. The process that Google uses to properly calculate and assess search rankings is incredibly complicated. However, we all know that websites have to fulfill two distinct requirements to gain high ranks for a certain query. First of all, your company, brand, and website need to be seen as an authority. Secondly, you need to be publishing content that people are looking for, in terms of value and usefulness. The sites that fulfill requirements such as these are going to get the best rankings. Fortunately, basic strategies can be implemented consistently over time to make sure that you’re always doing the right thing for your website. The more you implement these strategies, the more your presence and authority online will thrive.

1. Content

You’ve already heard the term “content is king”. This is a phrase that remains true and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Content can come in two main forms. The first is the body of copy that is used throughout your website to make sure that Google understands the distinct purpose of each page, as well as the industry niche your business is in. You also need to use on-site content to inform your readers of what your products do, give them basic information and put them at ease. The second form of content is your ongoing blogging strategy. This will involve writing at least one blog of more than 1000 words every week, gradually scaling up as your company gains traction. Use your blogging technique to write about the things your audience wants to know – answering potential questions in as much detail as possible. This will define you as the resource your searchers are looking for.

1. Inbound Links

Establishing yourself as an authority within your niche means having a strong presence online, which often involves having many high-quality inbound links directing traffic towards your site. Building links such as these can be easy – you could use inbound links from the body of an external guest blog for example. Just make sure that you diversify your strategy. Link to various different internal pages within your site and use many different sources. More importantly, make sure that the links you include are always relevant, adding value to the conversation in question.

1. Local and Social Integration

If you haven’t already established your social media presence, it’s far past time to get one started. Claim profiles for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and any other channels that are relevant to you. Post updates as often as possible, and you will find that your credibility as a business and brand will start to improve significantly. You should also claim your profiles on various review and directory sites such as Yelp, to ensure that the information given is correct so that you can rank higher on local search queries.