Content creators spend hours doing what they do best… creating content. And all they ask is that people view it. One method of getting more eyes on that content is search engine optimization (SEO), the process of maximizing website visitors by increasing the site’s ranking in search engine results. The thing about SEO is that it’s always evolving, a lot like the internet and digital world in general. So, it’s critical to always keep up-to-date on its latest trends and best practices.
SEO is neither easy nor cheap. It often requires so much work that companies need a designated team member or full team to handle it. This list of tips is designed to give you a few simple things you can do to start or improve your SEO journey.
1) Understand the process:
First things first. Do some research to learn the basics or update yourself on the latest SEO algorithms. SEO is complex and techniques that worked last year may be irrelevant today.
2) Content
The goal is for readers to find your content worthwhile, so much so that they not only come back to you again for information, but share it with others. Make sure to be producing engaging, valuable content full of quality information, multimedia, and calls to action.
3) Keywords and Key Phrases
One way to make sure your audience is finding you is by knowing what keywords or key phrases they’re searching for information. Take some time to play around with a search engine and find frequently used words, even typing in various words and phrases to see how the engine autofills. Once you are familiar with the words and phrases your audience uses, start using them on your website, in blog posts and articles, and in your social media posts. #Keywords
4) Build Associations
This means linking. Link to other content on your website to keep readers on your site longer. You also want to link to other sites and have them link back to you. If others are linking back to you or sharing your content on social media, it shows credibility. Having an expansive reach and presence on the internet pushes your website up on search engine rankings.
5) Utilize Google
Since Google is synonymous with search engine it makes sense to focus most of your SEO efforts on them. They make that with free tools for you to see how SEO-friendly your webpage is such as Analytics, Webmaster Tools, Mobile-Friendly Test, PageSpeed Insights and My Business. Also, create a Google+ profile for your business and start posting on it regularly. Google+ activity is part of their SEO algorithm.
6) Mobility
SEO experts are calling 2015 the year of mobile. Make sure your site is mobile friendly, because more people than ever will be accessing your content on-the-go. In April, Google announced that mobile-friendliness is now a ranking signal.
Keep in mind that SEO is a journey. Your site will never be “optimized” but keep “optimizing” anyways. Persistence, patience and dedication are keys to this technique. What’s your businesses outlook on SEO? Let us know by commenting below.