EO is a powerful method of marketing that helps both business owners and users. Although, it takes a good understanding of how SEO works in order to see the true value. There are so many misconceptions about how SEO marketing is “supposed” to work. However, with the right knowledge it is evident how effective SEO can be. In this article we will go through all of your SEO questions and concerns. For example, common misconceptions, what SEO is, and much, much more! Keep scrolling to learn more about the power of SEO for your website.
Dude, What’s SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is primarily used to generate traffic to a website. For the most part, SEO has to do with your positioning in a person’s search results. The higher that you rank on a search engine’s results page, the better. This is because your website will be getting more visibility. To put it very simply:
Higher position in search engine = more visibility = more traffic to your website = more leads = happy wallet 🙂
This is achieved by optimizing content using keywords and understanding what your target client is likely to search for. SEO is about more than just search engines, algorithms, and other computer jargon. In fact, SEO has a lot to do with people and how they interact with internet. In order to be successful with SEO you need to know how people are searching for your services online. This means what words their using, what content they are looking to find, and what answers they need. By answering these questions you will increase your chances of connecting with potential customers.
SEO involves knowing your target audience and presenting the information in a way that appeals to search engines. And this is the recipe for SEO success…sort of.
You Can’t Have SEO Without the Search Engine.
Search engines are kind of like your mom; they have the answers to all of your questions—including the ones you didn’t ask. In other words, a search engine is simply a piece of software that returns answers to people’s searches. For instance, Google is a widely used search engine that people can use to search for any information they desire. However, Google is not the only search engine available for people to use. There are so many different search engines out there that are able to return thousands of results in a matter of seconds.
Search engines work by going through all of the content available on the Internet and organizing it based on what content will best match your search. This process is called ranking. Before the content can be ranked it must be crawled and then indexed.
Organic Searches, White Hat, and Black Hat SEO.
No, organic doesn’t just refer to the more expensive produce in your local supermarket. It also applies to SEO. When working with SEO, you will often hear the term “organic search results”. This means that the results were earned through good SEO – not paid for through ads.
Other common terms that surface when talking about SEO include white hat and black hat SEO. “White Hat SEO” abides by the guidelines of search engines and the central focus is to provide more help to people. This method is considered to be ethical and above board.
On the flip side, “Black Hat SEO” violates search engine rules. This method generally involves spamming or trying to fool search engines. By using black hat techniques you can put your website at serious risk of being removed from search results and/or being penalized. In turn, this can cause immense damage to your business.
Common Misconceptions of SEO.
Like anything, SEO comes with a laundry list of misconceptions. These expectations often impede people’s ability to see the true power of SEO. In fact, many people will resort to the conclusion that it simply does not work. However, we know that this is not the case.
“SEO provides instant results”
The number one misconception of SEO is that you will start seeing results immediately. Instant gratification is certainly a common theme within society, however some things just take time. Patience and persistence is the key to success with SEO. It is undoubtedly a long-term strategy that can be incredibly effective given the right amount of time. For example, it can take up to six months for you to see your keywords rank in a higher position. By stopping your efforts with SEO too early, you waste all of the time and effort you put into it in the first place. If you’re looking for quick results, SEO is not for you.
“You can stop doing SEO once you are ranking well”
So, you’ve made it to the first page of Google and you’re in the number one spot. You can finally stop doing SEO now, right? Wrong. SEO is not a one time thing. It requires a constant effort, especially if you’re in the top position. SEO is an ongoing battle that you will always need to fight. Consistency is the only route to success with SEO marketing.
“Anyone is able to do SEO”
You wouldn’t walk into an operating room and perform open heart surgery if you weren’t a heart surgeon, because you don’t have the education or the knowledge. In reality, if you were to do that, you’d probably kill the person on the table. The same thing applies to SEO and your website. If you don’t have the knowledge or only possess a limited amount of information about SEO, why try and “fix” it yourself? The answer to that question, is that you shouldn’t. Because, just like we can’t perform heart surgery without killing the patient, you can’t do SEO without killing your website.
So, it is important that before you go and mess with the SEO of your website that you understand what it is that you are doing. If you have plenty of knowledge about SEO, then by all means take the horse by the reins. Otherwise, there’s no shame in asking for help when you need it.
Okay, but I still don’t know what the power of SEO is?
There are several different routes that a business owner can take to drive traffic to their website. Paid adverts and social media are two of the most common ways that people try to gain traction on their site. However, the reality is that most online traffic is propelled by search engines. This is why it comes as no surprise that SEO is one of the most effective ways to draw traffic to your website.
Going to back to the topic of organic searches, most users are more likely to click on an organic search rather than a paid ad. Most web surfers find that organic results are more reliable and trustworthy than results with the word “ad” next to it. Because SEO generates organic traffic, this usually means that you will receive more clicks than if you were to use paid advertising.
Not only this, but good SEO helps improve user experience (UX). User experience has to do with the ease in which your customers can interact with your site. Good SEO can help them to find the services that they are looking for without difficulty. This is beneficial to your business because as you gain more traffic from positive experiences on your website, your ranking on the Search Engines Results Page (SERP) will go up.
SEO in Conclusion.
Evidently, SEO is a powerful tool that can help you achieve long-term success in generating traffic to your website. If you are interested in getting started with SEO, contact us today for more information. SEO is a tried and true way to gain visibility and get more leads. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have about our SEO services!
