You may hear the term “SEO” thrown around in online circles and, to be honest, you’re not quite sure what it means. It sounds confusing, technical, and like it requires a lot of work.
SEO stands for search engine optimisation and refers to increasing your search engine ranking online. When you rank higher in search engine results, your customers have a better chance at discovering you or your business.
Over the years, I.T. has changed significantly and quickly. What used to work, doesn’t work now. The rules and algorithms are ever-changing, but that does not mean it’s impossible to create SEO-friendly content.
Today, search engine optimisation is a necessary skill set for improving your company’s online presence. You may be wondering what – more specifically – SEO is, how it’s impacting your business, and the benefits of doing it well.
What Search Engine and User-Friendly Means
SEO is twofold: it’s all about making your site easy for search engines to pick up and easy for people to use. What this means is that you should remove all errors from your site, ensure all page content is readable, and make certain every page has a purpose (not just to manipulate your search engine ranking with the use of keywords).
SEO is Never-Ending
When it comes to SEO, it is a marathon, not a sprint. There are no quick fixes and no easy ways to improve your ranking. Sadly, if your agency isn’t listed in the top Google search results, it’s nearly invisible to clients—chances are they won’t find you when doing a search.
You’ll have to improve your SEO regularly and constantly. Stay up-to-speed on the latest changes and best practices, and implement those best practices in your on-page content and blog.
Keywords and Tags
Your content should be written using keywords—words and phrases individuals use to search for sites similar to yours. For example, you might use keywords in your content, such as “homes for sale in [fill in your neighbourhood]”, “luxury homes for sale,” or “waterfront properties.” It’s important to avoid over-using keywords as search engines will pick this up as a manipulative tactic.
Relevant and informative tags are necessary to give search engines an understanding of what your page is about and what it contains.
Site Authority
Google records information about a site, including the number of page views per visit, the time visitors have spent on the site, and bounce rates as an indication of its authority and relevance. Search engines are getting increasingly better at determining which sites have authority, which is why it’s important to build a quality site with impactful user content. The more time people spend on your site, the better.
Google+
When it comes to site rankings on Google, Google+ should not be viewed as another social networking site. It’s more like Google v2.0. Google has difficulty understanding signals from platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but it has full access to content on Google+, including how people interact with brands and individuals.
With all that said, here are 7 steps you can take to boost your agency’s ranking today.
7 Steps to Boost Your Agency’s Online Ranking Today
- End Your Ties With Your Old SEO Company
If you’re still using an old SEO company, but aren’t seeing the results you need—ditch them. Things have changed a lot over the years and it’s time you make some changes, too. - Hire a Company to Audit Your Site
Find a company that will do a full audit of what’s working on your current site and what could be improved. Get the specifics, find out where you stand, and you’ll be in a better position to move forward. - Create Content that’s Easy to Share
Make sure the content you create is worth sharing—that it benefits your audience. Embed social sharing buttons on your site, so it’s easy for readers to share your articles across platforms. - Use Keywords
Search engines look favourably on keywords in titles. Use keywords in your content, but keep them relevant to your target market and don’t overuse them. Do your research; find out what keywords your target market is using to search for company’s similar to yours. - Build Site Authority
Create unique and quality content that is useful to your clients and that other sites link to. Just like you love frequenting your favorite coffee shop or restaurant, make your site a place your readers want to spend time. - Add and Update Content Regularly
Stay-up-to date on SEO best practices and the type of content your audience consumes. If you have beneficial, easy-to-read, easy-to-share content, your clients will love you—and so will search engines. - Utilise Google+
Everything you post on Google+ is searchable, as opposed to other social media platforms. Start using Google+ today and build your SEO clout.