What is SEO?
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is simply formulating a website to be better searchable on the web. Search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) have bots that continuously crawl sites, reading and sorting the information on webpages. The more accurate information these bots collect, the more accessible and relevant the website will be in search results.
The bots gather information, so when someone types something into their search bar, the most relevant results appear. This means that if your webpage is easily readable by the search engine’s bots, then it is more likely to be ranked higher in the search results. The search result rankings are pulled from all of the content the bots can read on a website. If someone searches for ‘local sewage tank inspection’ and your plumbing website is up to date and readable by the search engine’s bots, it will know that you have an entire page dedicated to information about the inspections you do in the local region. The search engine will then offer the inspection page at the top of the rankings.
Important Note: Unlike Google or Facebook ads, SEO is tied to organic, or non-paid rankings. That means accurate information and quality content from the site are what drive your website’s SEO.
Knowing what bots are looking for and what search engines consider important can help you develop a SEO plan to drive traffic to your website. Below are 5 key things that effect the rankings search engines offer to searchers. Keep in mind SEO can be very technical, and often relies on a high understanding of analytics, coding, and metadata, but today, we want to give you a few accessible ways anyone can improve their website’s search rankings without hiring a SEO specialist.
Simple ways to improve your SEO
Consistent Readable Content
Is your current content easily accessible to crawling bots, or is it hidden behind multiple redirects and log in pages? Spend some time optimizing your current content to ensure it is easily findable by search engines. Second, ensure your content is relevant to what your clients would be looking for. Third, consistently update your website. In the eyes of the search engines, a site’s relevancy and ranking is closely tied to how regularly it is updated with fresh new content.
Keywords
Keywords are vital to SEO. The keywords on your website should be suitable to both your business and your potential clients. One of the best questions to ask as you audit and optimize your content is how are people most likely to search for our products/services? The answer to that question is the best place to start when incorporating key words.
Secondly, be aware of what’s trending and tailor your content. Google Trends is a great resource to help follow and explore what subjects are currently trending. Once you know what’s trending, and still relevant to your industry and customer base, utilize trending key words on your website through a blog post, promotional offer, or quick tip.
Links
Do all your website’s links work? Broken links or frequent redirects frustrate and confuse roaming bots, often leading to lower search rankings. You can browse your own website and check your links, or use a service like https://www.deadlinkchecker.com/.
Mobile Friendly
Today, the majority of people search from their mobile devices, this means most search engines reward mobile friendly sites with better rankings. To ensure your website is mobile friendly check its responsiveness. Most web-hosting platforms have plugs in or third party supports that provide the needed software for your website.
Google Business Account
If your business has a physical storefront and relies primarily on a local customer base, a Google Business Account is an indispensable tool that helps SEO bots index and locate your business. If you don’t already have an account, set one up today for free, and if your business already has an account, make sure all information and map points are correct.
SEO can seem overwhelming, and knowing the coding and metadata for your website is useful, but you don’t have to be a technical expert to optimize your website to be SEO friendly. Start with just one of these suggestions and make your website easier for your potential customers to find.
