Back to the Roots: SEO Basics
Oh SEO. The ever-changing proverbial thorn in our side that is important for survival, yet seemingly impossible to keep up with. Search Engine Optimization can be overwhelming, but I am determined to break it down so it feels like second nature to you and your content strategy.
With a new social platform every year and ever-changing google algorithm rules, it would appear that business owners are being run by technology and losing the authority to run their business with authentic intentions (myself included). Of course, we hope our audience will like all of our content; however, more thought seems to go into if the algorithm will like it that day. We are overwhelmed by the thought of being subjugated to the algorithms, but I’m here to tell you that we do not have to be.
And while I do believe that SEO is important, I’m a bigger believer in creating content your audience wants and that the SEO rankings will come naturally.
SO if you are looking for the scientific way to beat the google algorithms, this article isn’t for you! But if you’re looking to authentically align your site with your mission and the needs of your audience, and then focus on SEO, keep on reading.
There are many different branches to SEO, but this guide will focus on website structure, page structure, content, and authority.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is SEO?
How seo helps your business
Unlike paid social advertising, influencer marketing, or out-of-home marketing, SEO can be free*. SEO drives organic traffic to your website; and unlike paid ads or brand awareness campaigns, this traffic is of higher quality. Organic traffic is further along the consumer journey because they searched for you. They’re already a step further in the buying cycle than if your ad interrupted their browsing experience.
If you have a physical storefront or products, SEO can also make sure you show up in the google product listings.
If done right, SEO can
Increases organic traffic and drive higher-quality traffic
Increases organic revenue
Increase bookings
Increase brand credibility
Create a better user experience
*Free, yes, but time is money and you’ve already paid to be on the internet. I get it!
What goes into SEO Rankings?
Google has over 200 ranking factors…200! Many are incontrollable and others speculation and this is why I tell my clients to not put SEO first. Put your clients and their needs first!
What is a keyword and how do i use them?
A keyword is a word or phrase mentioned or located on your site that tells google what your page is about. When a user searches that keyword, google will know to show your page in the search results if we’ve optimized our page for that keyword.
So what does this have to do with web design?
As we covered, Google’s ranking factors have the user experience in mind. Your website experience will determine if you make it to page 1. Google will measure each user’s behavior - specifically how much time they spend on their site and how many pages they viewed.
If users spend little time on the site and view only one page, it tells google that they keyword isn’t as relevant as Google originally thought. This will lead google to lower your ranking.