What is SEO? A Beginner's Guide
When I first launched my business, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It sounds silly, especially now, but there are so many things to learn when you have no one else to rely on. One of the ca-trillion things I learned was the importance of SEO. Well, first I had to learn WHAT it is but then I learned more about how it functions.
I have since learned that I am not the only one who was totally clueless about SEO. Considering that SEO practically makes decisions for us, (When was the last time you tried a new restaurant without googling it first? Yeah, I don't remember either.) it is a system everyone should understand - especially business owners. Hence, this blog post!
Before I start, a quick disclaimer: I do not consider myself an SEO expert. I wrote this article for those who know little to nothing about SEO and want a gentle introduction.
Alright, let's get to it!
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
What is a search engine?
The most common search engine is Google but there's also Bing, Pinterest and a variety of other platforms. I am the most familiar with Google so this will be the search engine I refer to for the rest of this post.
What is the purpose of SEO?
SEO determines which websites are listed out first, second, third, etc. when a person searches for a specific topic. There are certain steps to be taken that can help a person's site to be as SEO friendly as possible.
Why does it mean for my site to be "SEO friendly"?
SEO friendly means that your site has a better chance of being on the first page of Google when a person searches for your topic. For example, if you own a dance studio in San Diego and have an SEO friendly site, you will be one of the first sites to pop up if someone living in or near San Diego were to type in "ballet classes" or "contemporary dance near me".
Why is SEO important?
When a person uses Google, rarely ever do they click to the second page of results. You can forget about the 3rd or 4th or 100th page... Being SEO friendly significantly increases the amount of traffic to your site.
So how do I make my site SEO friendly?
This is where it gets a bit tricky. Google has never been very clear on how they rank sites so part of it is a guessing game. However, there are clear steps that can be taken to improve (but not guarantee) your site's chances of ranking high on Google. Let's take a look at the 3 most common ways that can influence your SEO:
1. Update your site often.
When a site is updated often (2-4 times a month minimum), Google considers them to be more "trustworthy" which increases the SEO.
So what are some ways to update your site? The most common way is to consistently post a blog. Not only does it mean your site is being updated regularly but it also gives you a lot of opportunities to utilize keywords which leads me to number 2...
2. Use important keywords.
A keyword is a word or phrase that a person would use to find your type of service or product. Keywords can get a bit tricky simply because the more common the keyword is, the more competition you will have with people in your own industry. If you want to learn more about keywords and how competition affects them for your own industry, the Google Keyword Planner is an amazing resource!
Keywords should be strategically placed throughout your site in various places:
Copywriting
Blogs
Blog post titles
Website description boxes
Photo descriptions of the images you upload to your site
TIP: Keep in mind that your site is meant for humans first and search engines second. Don't ever sacrifice your site for humans so it is better for Google. Writing a blog filled with a bunch of keywords but no value may help bring people to your site but it will definitely not keep them there.
3. Be sure the link to your site can be found on other sites.
Have you ever wondered why guest blogging seems to be so hot right now? (Guest blogging is when a blogger writes a post for different website than their own.) The main reason, aside from advertising, is that their website link now shows up on another website. The more a website's URL shows up on other websites, they are more likely to be SEO friendly.
TIP: There are shady ways to get your URL on other sites, like spamming the comment section on random websites with your URL. Don't do it! It's sleazy and makes you look untrustworthy. Remember: humans first, Google second.
A final note about SEO: Google Adwords.
Google Adwords is a paid service that can also improve your SEO ranking. While I will not be going into detail about this here, I do want to mention one thing: People who are new to Google Adwords can spend way too much money on ads and, if they do not understand how they work, can go their entire online existence without their ad ever showing up on Google searches (yikes). No matter how much money you pay, you are never guaranteed a spot at the top. Things like competition, location, keywords and the amount of money you pay all work together to influence how often your website will show up on Google.
Real Life Example - Meet Olivia!
Since I know SEO can be very confusing, I created a bakery owner named Olivia to help illustrate the basics of SEO better.
Olivia lives in a small town in Iowa and owns a local bakery. She needs people living in her area to find her on Google so she set up her website to be as SEO friendly possible.
She updates her blog weekly about her newest cakes and cookies.
She implements popular keywords into her site that pertain to her.
(For example: "best pastries in Iowa", "fresh bread", "wedding cakes", etc.)
She writes a regular, online article for the local newspaper so her URL consistently shows up on another website.
She sets up Google Adwords using important keywords, limits her ad to Iowa only and spends $250 a month.
After a few months, Olivia starts to see her website popping up more and more on Google. Woohoo, her hard work paid off! Now, let's add a piece to this: competition.
A new coffee and pastry shop opens in her town and starts their own Google Ad campaign. However, they decide to put $500 a month towards ads which is double what Olivia has been paying. Since they have outbid Olivia, they might start showing up higher on Google because of it. However, if paying for ads is the ONLY thing they're doing to improve their SEO, Olivia might still rank above them (not to mention, she started before them which can also be a factor).
SEO is a very complex system. Google keeps it secretive on purpose and are constantly changing their algorithm so we will probably never understand it entirely. With that said, I will leave you with one final tip: SEO takes time to grow. It cannot be built overnight. When changing SEO tactics, it is important to wait a minimum of 3-6 months to really know if it is working or not.
Well, there is your crash course in the basics of SEO! If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask. I would be more than happy to answer them!
With love,
- Heather
Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.
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