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Demystifying Search Engine Optimization
The Sprocket Report
We still get requests for “some SEO” as if you could order it by the pound. Getting a handle on the concepts will help your website and keep it safe from unscrupulous “experts.”
Search Engine Optimization can be very complex – and it’s also pretty obvious. No wonder folks are confused! Simply speaking, SEO means making it as easy as possible for your website to be found when people search online for someone like you. The complexity comes in knowing what to do to make that happen, which techniques will hurt rather than help and how to best the competition who are pursuing the same strategies.
The whole point is to connect with people who really want your product or service. So the most basic and important SEO advice we can give you is the same life advice you were taught as a child: Be authentic, trustworthy and consistent.
Sure, there are plenty of tactics and techniques you can employ – experts say there are around 200 “ranking factors” that Google uses in their search algorithm – but all of them are built on that foundation.
So what can you do to improve your SEO? Some of the ranking factors may be out of your control. For instance, whether your domain contains the perfect keyword or has a long history is probably not in your power to change. But you could improve other ranking factors.
Using appropriate search terms in your website content is extremely important. In the old days, search engines figured that if you used a term a bunch of times, you must be an expert on it. Obviously that’s a measurement that could be manipulated, so now they look more closely at how you use a term to determine if you really are an expert.
Since you actually are the expert in your field, this should be an easy task, but you’d be surprised how many business websites use terms that are common in their industry, but which are not commonly used by customers. Make sure you use the same words your customer is using when they are searching for you and then provide additional informational content to showcase your expertise.
Google (and other) search engines are in the business to provide the best results for a search. Bait-and-Switch results hurt Google’s reputation, so they will certainly punish websites who use that technique. Being authentic about your product or service helps searchers find the right answer to their query, which in turn helps you get in front of the right prospective customer. They’re happy. You’re happy. Google’s happy.
So this first SEO tips is to steer clear of false advertising and misleading marketing in favor or authenticity. Next time, we’ll talk about how you can prove your trustworthiness for better Search Engine Optimization. If you want to get started now with updating your website, just give us a call and we'll be happy to help.
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Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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