What Is SEO?
As an entrepreneur, putting your business out there and reaching out to potential clients can be a lot of work. It takes time, effort, money and really, it can be quite a journey. Taking into consideration the technology and the trends today, it may be a bit intimidating; especially for those entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
Few years back, marketing and promotion were mostly done offline or in person, (like giving out flyers, cold-calling) but now you also have to do it through the internet which is really a big deal. According to a survey done by analytics firm comScore and UPS, shoppers now make 51% of their purchases online, compared to 48% in 2015 and 47% in 2014.
There are a lot of ways you can market your business online and SEO just happen to be one of them. It’s also kinda inevitable to know about Search Engine Optimization.
Defining SEO
So, what is SEO and why should you really care about it? SEO – Search Engine Optimization is the process of optimizing your website for them (your site) to reach a high ranking position in Google or another search engine.
Why would you want to be in a high position on search results?
Well, what are the chances you’ll browse through the third or fourth page of the search result on Google? Most of the time we pick what’s on the first or second page, right? So, SEO is basically a way to ensure that your website can be easily found in search engines. And, being visible is a plus to any business. Why?
According to DMN3 “Search is at the heart of today’s buying behavior. It is used in the beginning to help consumers learn more about what they want or need. It helps them narrow down solutions and settle on ways to evaluate different products or services. Search is also used later in the buying process to compare and find the best deals.”
How Can I Optimize My Website?
If you really fully optimize your website, it takes a lot of work, effort and research. But, don’t worry here are some basic and easy tips to optimize your website:
- Research – what are you trying to rank for? Research about keywords, your competitors and how you can improve your website as a whole.
- Content – make sure to publish content regularly. You also have to remember that these contents should be relevant and give people additional information. Publishing regular quality content increase the credibility of your site, people will also come back if your website provides information that are useful or entertaining to them.
- Page Titles/Tags (Metadata) – your post should have a unique title or something that would pique the interest of your visitors. Quick tip, 4-8 words are the best for title. Also, set your description (meta description) as it would be the one viewed by people on search listings.
- User Experience – how does your site look? Is it easy to navigate? Are you using the right font/colors? Are the buttons/links working? Make it a breeze for people to navigate through your website. A good user experience will encourage visitors to return.
What Can I Get Out Of SEO?
Now that we know what SEO is and what it does, we’re going to move on with the top benefits of SEO.
- Increased Traffic – if your website is well optimized, then you have a bigger chance that it’ll rank high on Google’s search engine. So, you’ll definitely get a lot of clicks and impressions.
- Brand Awareness – since you rank high on the search result, more people will be exposed to your website. This also creates retention since your website will always be on the top page.
- Higher Credibility – Google is a reputable company so it’s natural for people to trust those website on the first listing. Your website or your brand becomes a principal, you’ll become the one to beat. Also, have you noticed that people tend to be more skeptical after the third or fourth pages?
- Sales Conversion – if people see you as a “credible” company, this will eventually turn into sales. What’s even better is, customers will look for you and you’ll just have to nurture these leads.
What are you waiting for? Make sure your website is SEO friendly. Do you have any tips to share? Leave a comment.
