3.5 billion.
That’s how many internet searches happen on Google every single day. Clearly, people are turning to the internet in their droves for info, ideas, and answers.
As a business owner, then, you can imagine how appearing in relevant searches could work wonders in terms of generating brand awareness, leads, and sales!
Enter search engine optimization (SEO).
A powerful marketing strategy for businesses of any size, it can get you to the top of search engine results pages and deliver huge amounts of organic traffic to your website in the process.
Want to discover some SEO basics and find out 3 things nobody else tells you about it at the same time? Keep reading!
In the olden days of SEO, all it took to rank in the coveted top spot of Google was stuffing your website and blog posts with lots of keywords you were trying to rank for.
It’s no longer so simple!
Nowadays, everything from your website to the content you create must be relevant. For example, your travel blog has a higher chance of ranking for destination guides than it does for DIY advice (compared to a DIY-devoted website).
The need to be relevant also makes it vital to update your content regularly. Having lots of blog posts is great. But they’ll start sliding down the rankings if you don’t regularly remove outdated info (and replace it with what’s up to date), improve the articles, and so on.
Relevance is all well and good. But the real magic happens when search engines recognize you as an authority in your field.
Remember, they want to show their users the best results possible!
Imagine a doctor making a video outlining a medical problem. The fact they’re an actual doctor makes them a more reliable source of information than any random Joe. The result?
Google prioritizes their YouTube video in search.
One of the best ways to demonstrate your authority online is having lots of links pointing from other reputable websites to your own. Each link is essentially a vote of confidence, which makes you more likely to outrank your competition.
As we just noted, search engines like Google want nothing more than to please their users. That’s why another key to SEO success comes down to the user experience (UX). Basically, you have to build a website that’s a joy to spend time on!
Its pages should load quickly (aim for under 3 seconds if possible), navigation should be intuitive, and the general design should be sleek and aesthetically pleasing. Combine that with high-quality content that solves their problems and you’re onto a winner.
Relevance, authority, and the user experience form what’s essentially a trifecta of SEO glory! Of course, a lot more goes into creating a solid search engine optimization strategy. Focus on these three things, though, and you should be well on your way to ranking online and enjoying the ensuing rewards!
Would you like further help wrapping your head around SEO and incorporating it into your wider digital marketing efforts? Well, we’d love to help.
Click here to get the ball rolling.
Stay ahead in digital marketing!