What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and is effectively a way of improving your site’s visibility within Google (or any search engine for that matter), increasing the number of visitors your site receives.
Sound simple? In fact, it is and has always been a very difficult process for businesses to achieve (not only on account of Google updating their algorithm between 500 – 600 times a year). Before we go any further, you’ll notice that I regularly refer to Google as opposed to other search engines out there, this is because more than 63% of searches are performed within Google, making it by far, the most dominant and popular search engine of today.
Clearly, organic search results are still an essential part of your website being visible to potential clients searching for the services you offer. You may have a visually stunning website, but this alone does not generate leads – the website needs to be found by users first. Around 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, highlighting the need to rank as high as possible.
Understanding the basics
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of SEO strategies, it’s essential to grasp the fundamentals. SEO revolves around optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. This involves enhancing various aspects of your site, including content, meta tags, site structure, and backlinks, to improve its visibility to search engine algorithms.
Why do you need it?
Good SEO is crucial for boosting visibility and attracting organic traffic to your website, ultimately leading to increased credibility, trust, and conversions. By optimizing your site for search engines and providing a better user experience, you can gain a competitive advantage, enhance cost-effectiveness, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry, driving long-term success in the digital landscape.
How to get a good SEO ranking
So, how do you go about improving your site’s visibility within Google? There are many factors that go into this, I’ve highlighted just some of the key areas below:
- Keyword optimisation – Identifying keywords potential clients would be typing into Google when looking for the services you offer. (For example, clients looking for our services may type in “web design Eastbourne”). Including these keywords, along with synonyms of the keywords, within your content, meta titles, descriptions and URL is a ranking factor.
- Website usability – Ensuring your website is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
- Mobile friendly – A large number of searches are completed on mobiles – so much so that Google is introducing a mobile-first index. So, your site must be optimised for mobile and tablet devices.
- Content – Great and unique content encourages links to your site and shows Google and other search engines your pages are interesting and authoritative.
- Page load speed – The faster your page loads the better – users will not wait, and Google knows this.
- Link building – Linking to, and getting others to link back to your site is essential. Links to your site from ‘authoritative’ sites is proven to enhance your rankings within Google.
- Technical factors and security – Many technical factors affect your site rankings. Ensure your website uses HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure), the secure version of HTTP (the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website you are connected to). Google will favour HTTPS websites.
The list goes on, making it clear the level of detail that can go into optimising your website. Ultimately, SEO is a way of promoting your business online, generating new leads, increasing revenue and providing exposure of your business and the services you offer. It is a detailed process but if done right the rewards are incredible.
Conclusion
Achieving good SEO ranking requires a multifaceted approach that encompasses various on-page, off-page, and technical elements. By understanding the fundamentals of SEO, conducting thorough keyword research, creating high-quality content, optimizing for mobile, addressing technical issues, and building quality backlinks, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility and attract valuable organic traffic. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and adaptation to stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.