In the last few years, the term SEO has flooded the online marketing world, yet many business owners are not exactly sure what it is and how it can help their business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing traffic by boosting your website’s search engine ranking.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is the most cost effective method for gaining new traffic since it doesn’t require a substantial budget. It is also essential for any online business that wants to increase its market share. Earning a higher ranking will result in more online traffic and hopefully greater sales.
It is estimated that 70% of consumers start their purchasing process online using a search engine. The majority of these people will only click on the first few links and almost no one will visit links that are found beyond the third page of the results.
Solid SEO Strategy
SEO involves a specific marketing plan geared at enticing search engines and building online authority. There are countless great SEO techniques on the internet, but unfortunately there are also some you should avoid. Google’s web crawlers are looking for sites that try to scam the system and taking shortcuts will usually be penalized.
Links & Backlinks
Web crawlers look for essentially a spider web effect created by links and backlinks. If other reputable sites have made reference to your website or your articles and then link their content back to your site, it will give your site more creditability. You can also use links to reference other people’s content or your own content.
Search engine crawlers will reward natural link building. It is always better to have a few real links to a couple well-establish websites than it is to have hundreds of links that were created using a link building scam.
Lead Nurturing Content
Informative and keyword-rich content is viewed favorably by web crawlers and online visitors. You can increase your chances of converting new visitors by posting well-written content that actually answers their questions and concerns.
Although you will need to place the right keywords in the right places, it is the article itself that really matters. It has to be relevant to your website’s main purpose and provide some real value to the reader. Google will penalize sites that post illegible content or keyword-stuffed articles. Google has a reputation for being the leader in search engines, and their users expect relevant and helpful results. That is why so many of the old SEO tricks are no longer getting the results they once did.
Local SEO Strategy
Part of having the right keywords involves using your physical location to promote your website. Take, for example, a lawyer in Lansing, Michigan. Her web content and articles should reference Lansing and Michigan whenever it makes sense. When a potential client searches for “Lawyers in Lansing, Michigan” her site will directly match up with their search, which will push it to the top of the rankings.
SEO is a necessity in today’s global marketplace. It is the most efficient way to increase online exposure and attract new leads. Today’s savvy consumers also feel more comfortable trusting higher ranking websites. If your business does not already have an SEO strategy in place, you will have a lot of ground to make up. Fortunately, using the right strategy can take you from last place to first in a matter of a few months.
