The “science” behind S.E.O. is actually quite straight-forward.
Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) is simply how you help search-engines understand what your web page is about.
If you have spent any time with a web designer or a digital marketing professional, you have heard the term S.E.O. tossed about like the most obvious of business terms. In actuality, business owners branching out into the digital marketing space can be completely confused by this oft-used acronym and all of the complexities and mysteries it conjures.
S.E.O. (i.e., Search Engine Optimization) is making your website easy for people to find—specifically the people you want to target. It’s no help if you are a plumber in Doylestown and someone from South Korea has found your website. Here are 4 simple strategies you should put into practice to make sure you are easy to find on the web by the people you want to find you.
- Keyword treasures. Whenever you look for something on the web, you type the topic into the search bar and your search engine magically points you in the right direction. Therefore, when a search engine, like Google, crawls your website, you want to make sure it will find the same words in your content that people are typing into the search bar. And since Google has evolved, the words need to be appropriately used in original website content. In other words, you just can’t type “auto repair” a thousand times on a web page and guarantee traffic to your site.
- Old fashioned leg work. So how do you identify these keywords? In addition to applying your own knowledge, take the extra step and ask your customers. You might be surprised what they typed in to find you. For example, if you sell doors with sidelites, you may want to include a broader explanation in your content that explains what sidelites are because many customers outside the industry might refer to them as side windows or framing glass panes. Don’t be afraid to incorporate language that may not be the industry standard. Help explain things to your customers using terms and descriptors they are comfortable with.
- Get blogging. A great way to expand your content and to keep things fresh is by including a blog. A blog, or web log, is a platform you can use to communicate to your customer base about your business, your services, and your place in the community. A blog is also your opportunity to reinforce the local nature of your business. Reference specific locations where you have done business such as “the floral arrangement for the wedding at the local catering hall in Quakertown,” “deck construction project in Richlandtown, PA,” or “servicing the Coopersburg community with your chiropractic treatments.” Mentioning the location or locations where you work in blog posts will help the search engines identify your service area and pass you along.
- Stack the deck. When you get the results for a search, there is a short descriptive paragraph that accompanies the listing. This snippet or deck is crucial to identifying you as a local business. Be sure to sprinkle this content with areas you serve so that the web surfer can find you quickly.
Understanding S.E.O is important to improving your site.
No matter if you have a beautifully rendered website, or a stunning gallery. Understanding the Search Engine Optimisation terminology isn’t that important, but understanding how to improve your SEO is.
Improving SEO is about improving your chances of being seen. Some of the steps in the process are intuitive, whereas others can be a bit more complicated. Consider partnering with an experienced web designer or media group to make sure your website is a strong SEO contender.
There is a strategy that helps to increase the effectiveness of SEO efforts.
Contact Fairview for a free consultation and we can help simplify the mystery.