Search Engine Optimization
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it basically means using certain tools and techniques to get your website, and your business, to rank highly on search engines like Google.
Have you ever typed into a search bar something like these?
- best fried chicken near me
- local plumbers with reviews
- outdoor brunch restaurants around Monterey
- foundation repair contractors
You're essentially asking a search engine to look for some local businesses for you and pick which ones are the best. If you have a small business, you want your business to show up at the top of that search if someone is looking for a business like yours. Ranking high on a search result page helps you reach more customers, and boost your credibility too. The way we get that to happen is called SEO--search engine optimization.
Step 1: Find the Keywords
The first essential information you'll need is what keywords are people searching for related to your business. How can you come by this precious knowledge? Not to worry! There are tools. Google Ads has a tool called Keyword Planner that will help you identify keywords related to your business, and Semrush can tell you about how your competitors are ranking.
Step 2: Make Your Website Search-Friendly
Once you know the keywords your audience is looking for, you can be sure to use them naturally on your site, including in tag lines and copy, headers, titles, and text throughout. You'll also want to include helpful meta tags in the code of your website, including the title and description of your business. What are meta tags? Just bits of code that the search engines will see and be able to use to help identify what your website, and your business, is all about. This is a great way to bring more visitors to your site!
Step 3: Build an SEO Network
Once your website is optimized, you will want to get other reputable websites to link to you, and there's a few common ways to do this. One way is to get your site listed in registries related to your business. You can also engage on social media, and write blogs for guest websites, which will provide links back to your own site. That boosts your rankings on the search engines.
Step 4: Some Technical Tips
Some other ways to make sure your website is optimized for search is to make sure it loads quickly, and works well on mobile devices. You can also be sure your site has an SSL certificate and make sure you have a useful sitemap that helps the search engines understand your site better.
Step 5: After Optimizing, Analyze
After going through these steps, you can keep an eye on the analytics to make sure that traffic to your site is increasing, and visitors are turning into customers. That will let you know how well it's working, and where you can improve.
Get Started!
When it comes to SEO, you can do it yourself. But if you want the best bang for your buck, using an agency can be a game-changer. Here's why: expertise and time. An agency brings specialized knowledge and experience, keeps up with industry trends for you, and frees you to focus on your business while they take care of the code.
If you want a one-stop full-service digital marketing agency
to manage your SEO, reach out to me at
