SEO or Search Engine Optimization can seem like a black hole for folks who are not familiar with the technology and art behind website search results. Most folks have heard the term, but don’t really know what it means. In this post, we attempt to bring some foundational knowledge to SEO and what it means for your small business.
Inspired by a quick mini-lesson posted on Instagram, this post is intended to be an introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the basics of SEO. Please reach out if you have any questions!
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is how your website is found when searched through free spaces on Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines. The ‘how’ part is both science and art. The goal of SEO is to increase sales and leads, as well as improve your brand’s awareness to your audience.
Search engines crawl, or index all of the web pages on the internet. That index is used to return ‘answers’ when someone searches for something in a search engine. Each type of search engine uses an algorithm (a set of rules to follow) when deciding what results to show and in what order to show them. For example, I may be interested in ‘flower varieties’. The search engine uses an algorithm to decide which web pages to show me that best fit my request for ‘flower varieties’.
Optimization is important for individual web pages. Search engines like Google use complex rules to determine what information to display. There are 4 main ways we can have a website and its individual pages ready to be found. These all work together as a team – implementing one strategy by itself is like having a 1 legged table.
Technical SEO
Websites have files and bits of code on them that instruct search engines how they would like to be indexed or found. This also includes the foundational setup of the website.
Content and User Experience
Content is what is actually on a web page. Search engines are looking for quality, keywords, recency, and relevancy. Navigation, look and feel and usability are also important factors in user experience.
OnSite SEO
Onsite SEO is the structure and usage of headings, images, links, tags, and more on a specific page or post. These help search engines see your content as organized and helpful.
OffSite SEO
Search Engines want to share websites that are trusted and that have authority. They can tell this through links that point back to your website, social profiles, and local search profiles like Google Maps and Google Business Profiles.
Search Engine Optimization is important for small business owners to understand. All websites are evaluated by search engines, whether or not you decide to spend time and energy on SEO. Why not understand the basics so you know what questions to ask and how to ensure the hard work you’ve invested in your website pays off? We are excited to begin offering SEO services – please contact us if you are interested in learning more!
