What is SEO?

We all know it matters but some wonder what SEO even stands for. Mystery solved! Read on.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization or the optimizing of site content to satisfy the demands of search engine ranking criteria. SEO is a combination of technical and non-technical aspects of a site. Examples of technical SEO would be the sites use of code language, the back end code details and the download speed of the site onto a mobile device.  An example of a non-technical or content item is the quality of the content and the frequency at which it is updated or kept fresh. Search engines want fresh, dynamic content that is naturally relevant to you consumer.

Search Engines like Google and Yahoo! will serve your pages up to consumers looking for you on their search engines when your content is relevant (full of keywords that your consumers search on) and when the content is kept fresh – the solution for most sites is a blog that is posted to weekly or even more frequently.

What is Site Success?
Successful sites have a clear brand look and feel and attract a high volume of visitors from the locations and populations you are targeting. The visitors return frequently and devour the types of content being offered. The contact us forms are filled out and sales are closed as a result of the site – often right now the site. Successful sites have low bounce rates (people stay for a while) and high page session averages. (They look at lots of pages) The content is brand, product and sales oriented. Article length is long (at least 700 words) and is relevant to your audience – their challenges and needs.

Why is SEO a challenge?
SEO is tricky in that it requires a constant feed of relevant, timely content – your content can go stale quickly. Also, the search engines change their appetites from time to time. For example, Google recently has been measuring not just the keyword density of your articles but their true relevance to your audience and they even have ways to measure how deeply you cover your topic. A team of writers, interns, product managers, PR representatives can all contribute to your content library. Be careful not to duplicate content as that is a no go for search engines. If your company owns multiple domains the content must all be unique and frequently refreshed.

Where do you start?
Getting started is the tough part. Start by discovering what your readers want to hear about, by studying your clicks and site statistics. Create a blog on your site and start posting articles that your site visitors are interested in. If you need some fresh ideas on the types of keywords that will work for your site, and your content, WordTracker is helpful and offers a free trial. You can also survey your email recipients to see what they are interested in learning about, what their key challenges are.

Assign content development to specific team members, and develop a content schedule in tandem with your sales and marketing goals and promotions.  If you start to generate content on a regular basis, your search engine ranking and site interaction will grow. It takes time but it’s worth it to gain true traffic that supports your sales and marketing goals.

Good luck and stay at it! With SEO, slow and steady wins the race!

Contact Us to discuss your next marketing project!