Did you know that over 90% of all Google searches take place on mobile phones? This is because people are constantly checking their phones while driving, eating, or walking. This is also why you should develop a mobile friendly website as soon as possible because a huge chunk of your audience is going to be accessing it from a smartphone.
Now that you've established a mobile friendly website, it's time to work on optimizing it for search engines such as Google. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that helps to rank your site's content higher in Google so that it appears more frequently in search results.
What is SEO? SEO is the process of manipulating how a search engine such as Google sees your website. Essentially, SEO helps to make your website more "Google-friendly"; helping it to appear more frequently in Google search results for relevant keywords.
SEO is a form of marketing that can be used to target the right audience and drive traffic to your website. With SEO, you can use various techniques to optimize the appearance of your website when searched for by a customer using a search engine such as Google.
The Importance of Backlinks In SEO
Did you know that backlinks are absolutely vital in SEO? A backlink is a connection from one website to another. When a customer performs a search and discovers your website in the results, the backlinks allow SEO to pull in visitors from other websites that are linked to you, showing them valuable content related to their search.
For example, let's say that you are searching for a new laptop and happen to find the fabled Dell XPS 13 in your results. If you click on the link leading you to that specific product, you will be taken to the Dell website. However, if you click on the backlink that takes you to your own blog post about the XPS 13, you will be directed toward a page that discusses the attributes of the Dell product, but also reveals how you can use those attributes to your advantage when it comes to SEO.
On-Page SEO
Did you know that up to 60% of a website's traffic comes from the search engines? Naturally, you would want to leverage that search engine traffic by ranking as highly as possible in the search results for the keywords and phrases that your target audience uses.
On-page SEO refers to the techniques and tools used to optimize a website on the internet. On-page SEO focuses on optimizing the content and the structure of your site, including its HTML, headings, and footer. These are all aspects of a website that the search engines can manipulate to determine how your site will appear in the search results.
Some of the things you may want to consider when optimizing your on-page SEO include:
Content
The content on your site is one of the most important aspects of on-page SEO. The better your content, the higher you'll rank in the search results. If your site is really thin on content, it may struggle to appear in the search results at all. Ideally, you want to establish a content schedule and stick to it.
When establishing content, consider producing quality content that is both relevant and useful. Users are driven to your site from all over the world because they want to find helpful information, but you also need to ensure that your content is providing value.
Keywords
Did you know that the average person spends around 4 hours per day on their smartphones browsing the internet? That's a lot of time that they're spending on your website's content. You need to make sure that this content is easily discoverable and accessible to this audience.
For example, let's say that you have a blog post about the importance of SEO in marketing. You may want to consider including the keywords "SEO," "marketing," and "blogging" in the title and the content of your post. If someone is searching for content related to "marketing," but lands on your page by accident, you want to give them a reason to stay and read your content. The more you can do to make your content intuitive and easy to find, the better.
Headings & Subheads
Did you know that there's a specific formula that search engines use to determine a website's ranking? The search engines compare the popularity of different headings and subheads, along with the number of clicks those terms generate. In general, a longer headline with multiple subheads is going to beat out a shorter headline with a single subhead.
For instance, if you are writing an article about the best laptops for professionals, you may want to consider writing the following headlines:
- What are the best laptops for professionals?
- Pros and Cons of Different Laptops
- The Evolution of Laptops: From Clunky Luggables to Thin and Light Travel Models
- The Best Laptops for Photography, Video Editing & More
Each of the above headlines is a unique piece of content. However, they have one thing in common: they're all leading to the same article on your website!
Consider using subheads to introduce important points while your headlines do the talking. For example, if you're writing about the best laptops for professionals, you may want to use subheads such as:
- Top 5 Laptops for Professionals
- The Advantages of Each Brand
- Where to Buy
- The Disadvantages of Each Brand
- Do's and Don'ts
- The Evolution of Laptops
Off-Page SEO
Did you know that up to 40% of a website's traffic may come from outside sources? This is where off-page SEO enters the picture. Off-page SEO refers to the activities and techniques applied to generate more organic (i.e., real or natural) traffic from various platforms, including social media.
If you've got a massive social media following, you can use this audience to promote your website and increase your Google ranking. The better your social media presence, the more likely visitors are to find your website when searching for relevant keywords and topics.
Did you know that 60% of all Google searches are made on mobile phones? Off-page SEO is absolutely vital for any business that wants to appear in the search results for mobile phones.
Link Building
Did you know that the first step in SEO is building a solid foundation? This foundation is built of links; incoming links to your site from other websites.
Incoming links are valuable because they provide discoveryability and authority to your site. If someone is Googling for information on marketing and happens to find your website on the first page of results, they're going to have little trouble finding other relevant content on your site.
Did you know that Google rewards websites that receive a lot of inbound links? Well, if you want to appear more frequently in the Google search results, start building those inbound links now!
Incoming links also give you the opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. If you're able to produce quality content, build a following, and establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry, you'll be able to drive traffic (and subsequently, sales) to your site.
Now that you've got the basics down, it's time to move into more specific strategies for optimizing your website. Familiarize yourself with the various tools and platforms available that can be used to grow and manage a blog. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO, which means you'll need to find what works best for your business.