How to Slay Search Engines and Improve Your Websites’ SEO

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Long ago, in a land far, far away, people had to read physical books instead of just heading to Google or asking Siri for the answer (We still think this is just a fairytale, but some of our older employees swear it’s true). In fact, Google has become synonymous with anything we might need. How many cups in a quart? Google it. Where’s the closest grocery store? Google it. Search Engines have become ingrained in our everyday lives, and being a high-ranking result is no longer a luxury, but a necessity, for a successful business.

Having an online presence is an essential part of running a business in today’s world and making sure your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) is up to snuff is one of the most important technical things you can do to ensure relevance. But what is SEO, and how can you make sure your site is fully utilizing it?

Understanding SEO

SEO is a process that helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) when someone searches for keywords or phrases relevant to your business. Essentially, it's about making your website more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, so that they'll display your site as a top result when someone is looking for more information on the products or services you offer.

Imagine your website as a library, and each book in that library represents a different page or piece of content on your site. SEO is like organizing and labeling those books in a way that the librarian (search engine) can easily find and recommend them to visitors (searchers). The better your organization and labeling, the more likely your books (web pages) will be recommended to readers (search engine users).

Key Elements of SEO

Building your site’s SEO starts with website best practices. These are the things that search engines look for when prioritizing the results they present.

1. Keywords: Keywords are the words or phrases people type into search engines when seeking answers. Picking the right keywords and weaving them into your website's content is a critical step toward achieving SEO success. You can utilize websites like Moz Keyword Explorer or Semrush to conduct research into which keywords you should be utilizing in your content.

2. Content: Quality content is the fuel that powers search engines’ ability to satisfy users’ search inquires. Crafting content that’s not only relevant but also engaging and valuable is paramount.

3. On-Page Optimization: Think of on-page optimization as the fine-tuning of your website’s individual pages. This involves making each page as appealing as possible to search engines. From well-crafted titles and meta descriptions to organized headings and clean URL structures, every detail contributes to your page’s search engine ranking. 

4. Off-Page Optimization: Off-page SEO takes your website’s reputation beyond its own borders. It’s about building authority and credibility through external connections. Backlinks, those bridges between websites, play a central role. Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sources within your industry demonstrates to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Social signals, like shares and mentions on social media, also contribute to your off-page optimization efforts. 

5. Technical SEO: Behind the scenes, technical SEO ensures that your website functions smoothly and efficiently. This includes load time, mobile device format adaption, and crawlability. Technical optimization creates a seamless user experience while simultaneously signaling to search engines that your site is well-maintained and user-friendly.

Embarking on your SEO journey might feel like traveling to a faraway land, but with a solid understanding of these key elements, you'll gradually unlock the potential of SEO to drive organic traffic, enhance your online presence and achieve your digital marketing goals.

AKC Marketing can assist you in improving your SEO efforts. Contact us today and learn what we can do to elevate your online presence.