As consumers increasingly search for products and services online, making sure your business is appearing on the front page of the search results has never been more important. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a practice every website should implement no matter the size.
When done correctly, SEO can have a dramatic effect on a business’ bottom line.
But, What is SEO?
In short, SEO is the term for an online process used by a website to increase their visibility and ranking on search engines. Search engines, like Google, use complicated algorithms to determine which websites to display when a user searches for something specific (e.g. “why do dogs eat grass”). By using best SEO strategies, a business can increase their visibility in search by way of producing high quality content, implementing well-researched keywords into their content, optimizing their meta descriptions and much, much, more.
We’ve put together a quick guide below that covers the fundamentals of what good SEO looks like and how you can utilize SEO to improve your website’s performance in Charlotte, NC.
A Website that is SEO Friendly
First impressions are important! If Google is unable to crawl and index your website properly, how can it then recommend you to consumers who are looking for your products and services? The first step in setting up your business SEO plan is to build a professional website that looks great, is mobile friendly, loads quickly, and provides an engaging user experience.
Conduct an SEO Audit
An SEO Audit comprehensively examines a website’s performance, page titles, meta descriptions, internal links, URL structure, and content. After an audit has concluded, you’ll have a list of recommendations to immediately implement to improve your website’s digital presence.
Thorough Research of Your Competitors
Often overlooked when implementing SEO is the value of competitor research. Take the time to analyze who is ranking ahead of you and examine what they’re doing differently to earn their rankings. Use what you learn from your competitors to narrow the gap and ultimately overtake them in the search results.
Keyword Research
Before you can own your search space, you have to know what keywords you want to start ranking for. Keywords remain a crucial factor in SEO and when implemented with best SEO practices, they can dramatically increase traffic to your website. Keep in mind that there are always keywords that you might not be aware of that could lead to a huge increase in rankings if you capitalize on them!
- Consider Local Keyword Research – set up Google Business Profile to start capitalizing on local search. Consider adding localized keywords to your content that further capitalize on your location.
- Use Google Search Console and Analytics – see how users are finding your website. Put these in a list and use these to target your audience
- Organize your keywords logically – For example, you can create separate pages for separate services which will allow you to optimize each individual page far more efficiently.
Content is (Still) King
Is your content engaging? Entertaining? Helpful? Every piece of content on your website, from product pages to blog posts to your about page should give your website’s visitors a reason to click and ultimately convert. Use the insights gained from competitor and keyword research to create topical and high quality content.
Be Patient!
SEO is a long-term strategy that results in long-term ROI. Like anything in life worth pursuing well, results don’t happen overnight. Google typically takes anywhere between four weeks to three months before recognizing any new SEO implementations done to a website. By using the best SEO practices, you will slowly start to see a boost in organic traffic and rankings.
In the end…
Implementing SEO on your business’ website is an absolute must. You can choose to do it yourself, or you can hire a trusted SEO expert without spending a fortune. When done correctly, SEO is the best investment your business will ever make.