SEO For Beginners: How SEO Done Right Gets You More Sales
SEO speak is everywhere. Even beginners who have no knowledge of it understand that it’s important. But what does SEO stand for? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, it’s basically a tool used by many online businesses to rank higher on google search. My goal is to help you understand why. It’s not uncommon for new business owners to learn about SEO from a dozen different sources, which can take you down the rabbit hole towards even more confusion. While working with a local SEO agency can help you decipher SEO speak and get you the results you need, it’s still important for you to have an in-depth idea (or even just the basics of SEO) of what’s happening on behalf of your business.
Higher Placement In Search Engine Results Pages
The biggest pro to search engine optimization is getting higher placement in SERPs. The higher your business appears in search results, the more likely you are to get traffic and convert those visitors. Of course, appearing as the first link in results is the ultimate goal: 18% of Google users will click the first link. But appearing in the top three (or at least top 10) is something to be accomplished. Ten percent of searchers click the second link and 7% for the third link. The likelihood of a click naturally decreases the further down in the results your business is. Getting to the top of Google search engines for that matter is necessary.
One of the most helpful ways to improve one’s search engine optimization is through blog posts. Planning carefully the content of your blog with the list of keywords (using keyword research tools) will effectively improve your website’s SEO. On top of that, people will more likely stay on your site when your blog posts contain internal links that lead to different content that is also on your internal site. Improving your search engine rankings does not depend solely on writing blog posts for your own site. It requires you to guest post or blog to establish backlinks to which Google also refers for search engine algorithms. Your content must resonate with what your target audiences need to know. Insert links that are helpful and keywords that rank high on Google. Lastly, most people or visitors of various websites have little to no time to read, so make sure the topics, content, and structure of your articles are well organized.
Mobile SEO Matters
Appealing to mobile users with mobile SEO should be a part of your overall marketing and SEO strategy. The majority of searches are completed on Google, which means it should be given a considerable amount of priority. This means factoring in responsive design and ensuring your site elements and navigation are mobile-friendly. Test your mobile speed and user-friendliness with this Google speed tool. And always test your site on mobile to understand what’s happening from a user perspective and what can be improved.
Stay In The Safe Zone With Google Penalties
As an SEO newcomer, it’s important to understand that there are rules you’re required to follow. Let’s say you’ve read about how backlinks can help increase your SEO and is very important to Google. And then you see another site that promotes selling backlinks. If you were well-versed, you’d know this was a red flag. You’ll need to have a thorough understanding of Google penalties to prevent disastrous consequences from the search giant including banning your site permanently.
Use PPC To Complement SEO
Pay-per-click is a great way to reach your target audience and build brand awareness. To get the best results, you should be using best SEO practices alongside PPC efforts. PPC ads are those that appear at the top and alongside search engine results. After conducting some keyword research, you’ll use your keywords to create ad campaigns based on what your target audience wants to see. You can also split test your ads to optimize results. For example, you might test the title to see which gets the highest conversion.
Social Media Plays An SEO Role, Too
Consumers are expecting more from brands when it comes to social media. While social media doesn’t have a direct impact on ranking signals, there are ways it influences it. For example, when you publish content on any platform, Google’s crawlers are able to decipher whether it’s helpful for their users. And the majority of businesses do incorporate social media into their SEO strategies. In fact, for some businesses, their social profiles are the first to appear on results. While searching for the New York Times, for example, the second and third sites following its website are Twitter and Facebook.
