What is SEO? Stop Hiding, Start Ranking!

Your website is a little island in the great ocean of the internet. But, what if it could be seen from near and far, attracting tourist traffic flocking to the destination? Here is SEO — Search Engine Optimization. So read on and stop hiding to rank.

SEO: The Basics

What is SEO?

Simple: SEO means Search Engine Optimization. It is the practice of modifying your website in order to improve its place in search engine results. The more your site features in these results, the more likely users are to visit.

Importance of SEO

Visibility:

Most of the normal users hardly scroll down the first page it reaches for. SEO helps you in hitting that hard-top area.

Organic traffic:

It is free from incessant costs; traffic generated through SEO is not paid advertising.

Credibility and Trust:

Your rankings will put your brand on the map even in the eyes of the users.

Basic Components Of SEO

1. Keyword Research

Finding the right keywords is extremely important. Those are the words that your potential visitors use when looking for relevant information. Google Keyword Planner is an example of a tool that can assist you when it comes to knowing how to choose keywords.

On-page SEO

This means optimizing the different pages on a specific website. The main elements are:

Title Tags:

Make your titles catchy along with your most important keywords in them.

Meta Descriptions:

Write some compelling descriptions to persuade the user to click.

Content Quality:

Quality Content is king! Have all your articles informative, engaging, and relevant.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to the things you do outside your own website to affect your rankings. For example:

Backlinks:

Linking other sites to your site indicates that you’re credible.

Social media Engagements:

Active social media profiles probably would drive traffic, and make them visible.

Technical SEO

This is where you optimize the inner workings of your website. Things that matter here include:

Site Speed:

Faster sites give a better experience to the end users.

Mobile Friendly:

As more people browse on mobile, a responsive design becomes essential.

Common SEO Mistakes People Make

Not Considering Mobile Optimization

In this day and age, it is imperative that every website must now have mobile optimization otherwise it will lower ranking and visibility in search engine results pages. Ensure that your website is speed-optimized for all devices.

Keyword Stuffing

Using keywords in SEO is very important; however, stuffing them can bring you a penalty from search engines. Keyword placement should look natural when reading within your text.

Failing to Analyze

Not keeping an eye on how your SEO works during this time is the biggest discovery you lose. Google Analytics is just one of many tools that can help provide insight into the effectiveness of your strategy.

Getting Started with SEO

Make a strategy

The first step you will take is defining your goals. Do you wish to drive more traffic, enhance your sales, or increase the visibility of your brand? The goals will drive your SEO considerations.

Stay in touch

SEO is a constantly evolving field, and you need to keep yourself updated about the current trends and algorithm changes by following some solid SEO blogs and forums.

Be Active

Don’t let fear cripple you! Start practicing what you read, and soon, you’ll see an impact on your site’s visibility.