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13.01 – Understanding the Basics of SEO

Without a strong search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy and ongoing updates, that great website you just built may be your best-kept secret. The key to succeeding is to make SEO an ongoing task that you monitor and manage frequently, at least weekly.

 

An SEO strategy involves much more than tagging your website with keywords and using those keywords multiple times in your website copy. It requires careful planning and regular updates to your web’s backend tags, keyword lists for your search ads, website content, and more. By staying on top of these elements, you can manage your SEO yourself instead of engaging an expensive search agency to do it for you.

 

Google is the leading search engine globally, with over 91 percent of the market. Bing, a distant second, has just over 3 percent. As a result, this section focuses mainly on how to set your site up to be at the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).

Figuring Out How Google Searches the Internet

The first step to succeeding in SEO is understanding how internet searches work. Here’s a basic overview:

 

When someone searches for “best marketing books for small business” on Google, it looks for websites tagged with the entire phrase or keywords such as “marketing,” “books,” and “small business.”

 

Google also considers sites associated with brands that have paid for Google Ads under those keywords. It looks for web links to content related to the keywords that provide a vote of confidence and sites and pages tagged with all or some of the search terms.

 

Your job is to ensure that when someone searches for terms related to your business, your site shows up by aligning with the above process. Given the 2 billion websites on the internet, this can seem overwhelming. However, by building links through organic marketing activities, tagging your website and pages, and monitoring search queries, keywords, clicks, and impressions on your Google Analytics dashboard, you can affordably rank above your competitors on the top page of related SERPs.

 

The following sections explain how to get high rankings on SERPs through organic and paid efforts and manage your keywords and website tags. We’ll also cover how to get valuable links to credible third-party websites and share other important SEO insights.

Growing Organic and Paid SEO

There are two main approaches to SEO: organic and paid.

Organic SEO

Organic SEO refers to no-cost tactics that push your rankings higher on SERPs. Examples include blogging with keyword-rich content, media mentions that link your website to high-traffic media sites, and tagging your site and individual pages with keywords and long-tail keywords (phrases consisting of three or more keywords).

Paid SEO

Paid SEO involves campaigns with Google Ads and retargeting platforms that serve your listings or ads to searchers looking for sites related to your keywords. Your rankings are influenced by the ads you create with your keywords and by the money you spend to compete for the top SEO results.

 

To maximise your hits within each category, employ specific tactics and actions as part of your regular marketing routines and website maintenance. The most critical elements of SEO to monitor and maintain regularly are keywords, links, and tags.

Curating Keywords

Keywords are words and phrases that describe your product, brand, and value proposition. Align your keywords with both your organic and paid SEO programs, as well as the search query terms your customers use when looking for options in your industry.

 

For paid SEO, list all possible terms that describe what you offer and align with what people are looking for in your category on your Google Ads platform. For example, if you’re selling a marketing book for small business owners, associate your website and SEO ads with as many keywords as possible that align with the search query terms used by your target audience. Consider using phrases that include topics of most interest to them, such as SEO, digital advertising, social media, and blogging.

 

You can set your keywords on Google Ads as an exact match, a broad match, or a phrase match. These settings impact your Google optimisation score and impressions, so it’s important to note the difference:

Exact Match

Your search ads will appear in searches that contain the words or phrases you’ve set as your keywords, as well as words with the same meaning. For example, “grass cutting” and “lawn mowing” are considered exact matches. Know the specific terms consumers use to search for your product or service.

Broad Match

This setting loosely matches your listing and ads with search queries related to your keywords. For example, if you’re a lawn mowing service, your Google ads may show up in searches for aeration and mulching. Google recommends using the broad match setting for more impressions, but it can also result in many unrelated impressions.

Phrase Match

Your ads and listing may show up in searches that include the meaning of your keywords. For example, if your long-tail keyword is “lawn mowing service,” your ad may show up in searches for “landscaping services.”

Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you track your website’s performance and monitor your Google search results. These tools show search query terms that relate to your category and the impressions for your ads and keywords. Include relevant search terms in your keyword listings and throughout your content to ensure your website aligns with current search trends among your target audience.

Making Links

The more links between your website and other websites related to your industry and keywords, the higher your SEO ranking will be. Quality links are earned through credible content and authority in your field.

 

Here are some ways to earn links:

  • Write and post press releases: Send out press releases about your personnel, business, partnerships, new products, and events. When a media site publishes your story with a link to your page, you gain web traffic from a credible site.
  • Share content with partners: Ask business partners and satisfied customers to include some of your content on their site in exchange for you doing the same. Posting case studies and papers that link back to a credible brand can boost your SEO.
  • Cross-link your content: Link your blog to pages on your site. For example, if you write a blog about product specifications, link it to your product specifications page. Search engines pick up internal and external links, boosting your chances of ranking high on SERPs.
  • Create shareable content: Content with original research findings, big ideas, or decision support that you share on social media often gets shared by journalists and bloggers who reference your site. These mentions earn quality links for your content.
  • Ask your community to share links: Ask your partners and suppliers if you can link to each other’s websites. This is a win-win, as more links improve both parties’ SEO.

Monitor the links to and from your site using tools like Moz and SpyFu. Google Analytics also shares referral sites to help you see all the ways people get to your page.

Playing Tag

Tagging involves inputting keywords into the backend of your website. Tags should reflect the entire site and the content of specific pages.

 

When setting up your website, use concise and compelling language for your tags. These are the words that will show up on search pages with your URL. Google looks for tags when finding websites to rank for search queries, so tagging is crucial to your SEO.

 

Craft a title tag (the title of the SEO link for your website that appears on a search page) that relates specifically to the search queries you want to fill. For example, if your business is a nail salon in Utah, include key terms in your site’s title tags that align with how people search, such as “best manicures in Ogden, Utah.”

 

Create a meta tag for your site: a brief, one-sentence statement about your value proposition. The meta tag appears below your title tag on SEO links and typically sums up your brand value in around 60 words.

 

Tag each web page and blog with keywords that will result in SEO rankings. Website builders provide tagging fields for your website and each page.

 

Website tagging needs continual refreshing to sync with current search terms for your industry. Update your tags as necessary, keeping the wording fresh and compelling to get clicks for the impressions you earn.

Landing Pages and Blogs

Websites have many entry points besides the home page. Creating secondary entry points, known as landing pages, is a common tactic to get people to your site at the highest point of relevance for them. Landing pages also enable you to track the effectiveness of various campaigns. Google Analytics identifies the entry page for your visitors, making it easy to monitor your landing pages.

Creating Secondary Landing Pages

Landing pages are designed for specific content, promotions, or other information. They include the same navigation menu and buttons as your other pages and need to continue the same look and feel as the rest of your site. They can be accessed by navigating through your website or by links you create and use in promotional materials.

 

Some reasons to create a landing page include:

If you have a complex business and product offering, create landing pages for each category. Big companies with complex offerings, like Oracle, create specific landing pages for each product.

 

Regardless of the type of landing page you create, track visitor traffic and conversion rates for each page. Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who fulfil your call to action or some other desired goal, like signing up for your email list, accepting your special offer, or making a purchase. Optimise conversion rates for all calls to action throughout your website.

Blogging for SEO

A blog is like an editorial column that gives you a voice in your industry or social circles. In business, a blog can help you secure a position of authority and instil a sense of trust. Blogs serve many purposes: building your voice and credibility, attracting partners and customers, and increasing your SEO.

 

Successful blogs are hubs for written articles, visual storytelling, or photo essays. Blogs with images and videos tend to perform better.

 

Creating a YouTube channel for your vlogs can increase views and help monetise your vlog. Link your YouTube channel to your website to drive traffic.

 

To make blogs successful, write simple, relevant, and actionable articles, and tag each blog post to help drive your SEO. Post frequently enough to stay top of mind as a leading resource for your business category and maintain top SEO rankings.

 

According to research reported by HubSpot, businesses that use blogs as part of their web strategy receive 67 percent more leads than those that don’t.