SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is one of the most vital keys to online marketing success in today’s market. However, many people still don’t know exactly what SEO is. While the ins and outs of SEO can get somewhat complicated, the overall concept is quite simple:
When you type anything into a search engine, such as Google, Bing and Ecosia, you are without knowing it utilizing SEO. The first results that show up from your search are those that have achieved successful SEO. For example, if you’re looking for a company who does SEO in Greenville, SC, when you type in “SEO company in Greenville, SC,” those who use SEO will be the first results to appear. The main goal is to give your company higher visibility through organic (or non-paid) advertising. This means the first several results, which tell you they’re advertisements, are not SEO because they are paid for. (Typically for this type of exposure, the company will pay for each time someone clicks on the add. This is a different type of marketing which we’ll discuss in a later post).
As so many people now use the internet as their main method of discovering solutions for the everyday needs, having your website presented as one of the first results to their inquiry means increased traffic. Many people who otherwise would never have been exposed to your company will find themselves on your website.
Now that you understand what SEO is, it’s time to dive into how it works:
First, you have to find the keywords that are most fitting and frequented for your specific product or service. It’s through these keywords that search engines are able to cut through the millions of websites available in order to find yours, making keywords the most important item in SEO. Once you’ve decided on keywords, optimizing your website becomes the next step. This means going internally to change the code of your website in order to make it most easily readable for search engines. Again, a lot of this has to do with utilizing the appropriate keywords. Keywords may change and so it’s important to stay up to date with what’s working as opposed to what is wasting time? This is generally done through trial and error. And lastly, you must go externally. Using the same keywords, you want to build links outside of your website in order to market it. This too is an ongoing process that should be handled diligently if you want to remain ahead of competitors.
Now, all of this may sound like a lot to someone who is unfamiliar with SEO or with writing code as a whole. And truth be told, that’s because it is fairly complicated to those who are untrained. Finding a good company of trained professionals in SEO is likely your best bet. Utilizing their expertise will ensure that the job is done right, giving you new leads and heightened exposure, while saving you a great deal of time.