What Is SEO - Search Engine Optimization
SEO = Better Rankings
Within the world of marketing, you may have heard the term SEO (Search Engine Optimization). But what exactly does that mean? Simply put, SEO is the process of making your website easier to find on search engines. Good SEO helps improve your website's "ranking" on Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines. When your website is easier to find on a search engine, more people will go to your website. Not sure how much that's worth?
Well, according to a Backlinko study that analyzed 5 million search results, Google rankings makes a big difference. Did you know that the #1 listed organic (non-paid) search result on Google is 10x more likely to get a click than the result listed in the #10 position? As well, the #1 ranked result on Google has an average click through rate (CTR) of 31.7%!
If your website ranks on the first page of Google, that's great. And the higher up on the page - well, that's even better. Good SEO helps you get better rankings.
What Is SEO - An Infographic
SEO Activities To Help Your Website Rankings
Improving your website's SEO is often the main goal for marketers. However, it's also important to remember that SEO is not just one thing. It's actually a variety of activities that all work together to help your website rank well on search engines.
Search engines like Google care about giving their users the best experience. They want to ensure that the top results for each search provide the user with the best websites. So, if for example, you search for "used cars in Kitchener," Google wants to make sure that the very first result you get is a reliable company that offers used cars in Kitchener!
Here are some SEO strategies that help websites rank better on search engines.
Content Creation
Creating new, consistent, high-quality content for your website is an important part of SEO. For example, if you own a bakery, you may want to post once or twice a week on your website about certain types of pastries, unique recipes, or information for customers who are looking for a bakery within your service area.
Keyword Research
What are people typing into Google or other search engines to find products or services similar to yours? Keyword research will help you find relevant search topics that potential customers in your area are likely to type in.
After you complete keyword research, you can create content on your website that includes those keywords. For example, if you found that "birthday cakes in Kitchener" was a popular keyword, you might create a page on your bakery's website that was called "Birthday Cakes in Kitchener."
Linking
To see how relevant your website is, search engines such as Google also take a look at internal and external linking. Linking is pretty much what it sounds like! It simply means online links that exist to your website. For example, if an online newspaper wrote about the bakery and included a link to the bakery's website home page, that is a link! Quality links let search engines know that your website is relevant, since other people seem to think so!
Better Website Load Times
Website load times are probably more important than you think! Did you know that an on annual basis, a single 1-second load time delay can lead to $2.5 million missed revenue if your company averages $100,000 a day? If your load time takes up to 6 seconds, it can increase the bounce rate (the chance that someone will click 'back' out of your website) by 106 percent! Good SEO will do things like optimize images and perform site load tests to make sure your website is not affected by poor load times!
Ensures Website is Mobile-Friendly
In 2019, more and more people are using their smartphones to access websites. Since 2017, around 50% of all online traffic comes from mobile devices! Good SEO techniques include ensuring your website is mobile-friendly. This can include testing how your website performs on mobile devices, and even creating alternative webpage versions that are specifically designed for mobile visitors.
Want To Learn More About SEO?
Did you know that 70-80% of people ignore paid search results, choosing to click on organic results instead? That's just one of the reasons why great SEO is so important for your website. Whether you are a small business just starting out, or a larger business that has a few years under your belt, improving your website's SEO can make a huge difference.
At Profitworks, we have over 15 years of marketing experience, serving small businesses across the Kitchener-Waterloo area, Southern Ontario, and North America. We can help you improve your website's SEO and so much more. Interested in becoming the leader in your market?
