In digital marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in helping business websites to rank higher within search engines. In this age of major digital marketing competition, you cannot afford to exclude the basics of SEO, whether you own a new business or if you are already thriving as a successful entrepreneur.
While you may not be the SEO-guru in your company, you can benefit from implementing these easy SEO basics. Keep reading if you want to have a better idea of how it all comes together to promote your website content and your company.
What Exactly is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization is the method or technique used to improve your contents’ search rankings on all search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. In order to improve SEO, certain strategies and methods are carried out.
How Do You Achieve a Higher Ranking?
Create quality content
If you are creating regular content for your website, you’re already halfway to getting ranked on search engines. Now you need to up your game because search engines like Google have impressive algorithms that dictate where your content ranks when something is searched for on their platform. Great content combined with pivotal keywords stands a greater chance of ranking higher than content of a low quality with poor readability.
Authority content counts
If you’re not sure what this means, in a nutshell, authority content is content that is strong and real. It is helpful and creates more views because it’s “in demand” and people want to share it with others. If you write about things people want to read and content that is relevant or trending for that matter, then the content is regarded as authority prone and stands a better chance of being ranked higher in search engines.
Link building
Links are also a great way to help your website rank better and are all part of SEO strategy. Linking to websites and other content can help you get more views and shares if the content is of good quality and helpful.
How Does SEO Work?
SEO doesn’t have to sound like rocket science to figure out the basics, however, there are some factors that need closer attention than others, and to achieve clarity we need to rely on analytics.
As a business using SEO in digital marketing calls for a closer look at things which go deeper than the use of keywords in the content.
- Organic searches – by monitoring your organic searches, you’ll get a better idea of how many people are actually discovering your website via a search online without having to directly type the URL into the search bar. However, there are also searches that find your website through paid advertisements.
- Minimizing slow load page times – loading times can make or break a visit to your website and thus important to improve this problem as soon as possible.
- Focus on actionable metrics – don’t forget to pay close attention to aspects that add value to your SEO endeavours and your aim to improve in this marketing area.
How Can SEO Help My Business?
SEO is important to any business because it can greatly improve sales and visits to your site. In a scenario that you had an online store and sold products, you’d need your business to do well in organic searches without visitors having to type the URL in. In this instance, you’ll have to rely on the fact that your SEO ranking status and ability to improve sales and business.
SEO ranking should be a priority to promote your business.
Achieve these important factors:
• Improve your search engine rankings
• Drive traffic that matters to your website (actionable metrics over vanity metrics)
• Engage your potential customers and visitors to your website
• Reduce slow loading pages and bounce rates
Ultimately, when you correctly apply and improve SEO for your business, it will be an investment well worth your while. It can increase your sales, bring in new customers and grow your business.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
The cost for quality and an investment that you can depend on to drive your business to higher heights is actually priceless. However, the cost is always a sensitive topic and sometimes when working on a smaller budget, you may not be able to afford all the expert skills and tools needed to make it work for your business.
Don’t dismay, even practicing the basics of search engine optimisation is going to help you improve your rankings on search engines.
Like all digital marketing exercises, the cost of SEO will vary. If you’re choosing to improve your personal skill set and attend a course to better your business and save on the cost of hiring experts, then you’re going to benefit in the long-run and save.
Companies vary in price for their expertise and with that being said, you’ll also find that going international and hiring international expertise you could result in you having to spend quite a lot compared to local, South African digital marketing agencies.
Expensive does not always mean good quality, or a solution that is guaranteed to work, sometimes this is a ruse to hook buyers into investing into so-called top quality.
The truth is there are plenty of affordable companies and individuals that offer excellent SEO business services without you having to pay an arm and a leg.
How to Select an SEO Specialist
All the talk about price may leave some readers baffled, but here are some great tips to help you choose an SEO specialist to assist you.
To Google or not to Google?
Doing a typical Google search to find the best SEO Company in your area will leave you with plenty of options but that’s not to say all these companies are the one for you.
SEO companies can optimize their own websites to rank in order to be found, but good SEO companies may not spend all the time on their own SEO and are often are referred for their excellence by existing satisfied clients.
The sales pitch to a secret method
Having a way with words in a sales pitch is a great way to lure in consumers, but that does not mean these are the best companies to perform your SEO for you. SEO isn’t about that “secret ingredient” that cannot be revealed, in fact, the best strategies and methods are already quite well known. Keep in mind that the company you are interested are not transparent about how they work, then it’s very questionable as to them being able to help you or not.
Focus on statistics that matter
A good digital marketing company won’t be too bothered about vanity metrics and or how many views, likes and follows are going on. Instead, they will be driven to know which leads are turning into sales as well as higher customer retention rates.
Questions to ask:
• Ask the company how they go about communication and the reporting process
• What are your requirements and commitments as the entrepreneur working from the inside?
• How do they influence the search rank in Google?
• What methods do they use that will help your company rank better?
• How do they solve problems when the strategy isn’t working?
The Takeaway
Investing in good SEO practice is definitely not going to come for free, but as with all good things, there is a price. Quality SEO not only takes investing in time and effort but also in strategy that will guarantee to work and improve page rankings and the chances of your business and services being discovered no matter how it’s searched for.
Great SEO means great results for the company.
Transparency is key when considering your SEO Company. You want them to have an open-book approach so that you can trust them and rely on their techniques. Since everyone wasn’t made for digital marketing, it’s safe to say that hiring a good digital marketing firm that has the expertise, skills and experience you need for success is of great importance.
