If you’re a business owner at the beginning of your digital marketing journey, you’re probably also starting out with your SEO strategy. Figuring it out on your own may be overwhelming, but don’t worry—you’re in the right place. We’ve outlined the basics to help you easily understand the foundations of SEO.

Keep reading to get started on your SEO journey!

What is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization”. In simple terms, it refers to the process of making your business rank as high as possible on search engines so that when customers search for the products or services you provide, you’ll show up. Whatever it is you do at your business, SEO is about making sure people hear what you have to say.

Why Do You Need SEO?

About 3.5 billion people Google something every single day, and the first page results account for roughly 70% of those clicks. Optimizing your content so it shows up on the first page of search engine results is the best way to get quantity and quality traffic driven to your website.

How Does SEO Actually Work?

To understand Search Engine Optimization, let’s go back to search engines. Search engines use algorithms that work in real-time to bring users the “best” result. Google, in particular, focuses on

● Relevancy
It uses crawlers to find pages that closely relate to the searched keyword.

● Authority
Google determines accurate and trustworthy content based on the number of other websites that link to one specific page.

● Usability
This factor is based on your website optimization, including page speed and device optimization. The easier your website is for consumers to use, the higher your chances are of ranking well.

● Usefulness
Quality content is a crucial element of Google’s ranking factors. The average customer prefers a well-organized, easy-to-understand page over one filled with jargon and technical terms.

How to Implement SEO in Your Online Presence

Now that you know what SEO is, here are some quick tips you can use to increase your search engine optimization:

● Keywords are critical, but so is content.
Once Google crawlers find relevant keywords, they’ll search for secondary keywords and context for an overall view of the page. Don’t just stuff key phrases or words into every sentence, though—make sure it’s organic and readable.

● Use clear, keyword-rich titles, metadata, and quality links.
These factors help boost your search result ranking. Optimizing metadata and prioritizing high-quality link building can play a substantial role in your SEO. Consider linking to other areas of your website to help keep visitors looking at your site for longer!

● Always consider your people first, and optimization second.
Using the right keywords and optimizing your content for SEO is great, but it won’t singlehandedly boost your rankings. If you don’t create your content to help the people reading it, Google algorithms won’t pick it up as relevant or trustworthy. In short, intent matters.

SEO is ever-evolving, and there’s no fixed path to online success. If you’re not sure how to get started with your SEO strategy, don’t worry! Stat Lead Marketing can help you implement a tailored strategy to help get your business off the ground and towards success. Contact us to get started!