SEO Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS SEO & WHY DO I NEED IT?
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Search engines are the online search tools that people use every day to find your website: namely Google, Bing and Yahoo. SEO involves optimizing your website’s content and cornering your niche so your audience can find exactly what they’re looking for. That, in turn, helps you rank better on search engines which can lead to more sales of your product or service.
Why do I need SEO?
SEO can greatly increase traffic to your website, and not always in the way that you might think. For example, if you sell basketball shoes on your website, you might not be able to compete with other websites who have been around longer and have a bigger selection of basketball shoes than you. That means you’ll likely never get on page one of the search results when someone types in “basketball shoes”.
However, doing SEO research may reveal that for the term “basketball runners” gets 1000 searches per day and doesn’t have many competing websites, so it is advantageous for you to orientate your content toward “basketball runners” and fill that corner of the market. SEO focuses on both revealing the search terms you can realistically rank for, and optimizing your content appropriately.
When should SEO be applied?
SEO can uncover things you never thought possible, and that can fundamentally improve the foundations and purpose of your website. So when possible it is best to include SEO in the early planning stages of your website so you get it right the first time.
Where do you apply SEO?
Nearly every form of content can get ranked on search engines (text, images, videos, etc.) which means nearly everything can be search engine optomized. It’s best to pick and choose wisely which parts of your site will become flagship items for SEO, and then focus on harnessing those.
How do you apply SEO?
We apply SEO by first carefully examining your website’s demographic, and the purpose of your website (what you wish to say or sell). Once established, we research related search terms that would lead the most new visitors to find your website. These search terms should not compete with many other well established websites, otherwise your website will be drowned out by the competition.
Once we discover these low competition high visit terms, the process of optimizing your website to match those search terms begins. The result: a website that has high quality content that doesn’t already appear on the web. This in turn means high volume daily searches with low competition. It’s like finding the sweet spot that is unique to your website.
What else should I know about SEO & Search Engines?
What makes a website rank well on Google, Bing & Yahoo depends on a set of algorithms and as well as human assessments. These algorithms can change 500-600 times per year. Therefore, SEO isn’t a rule book set in stone. SEO is always changing. But one thing always has and always will remain clear: the primary aim of search engines is to find websites that truly and honestly offer valuable content to users.
Websites that try to use black hat (underhand) tactics to bring in more traffic will sooner or later be blacklisted from search engines. That means it’s better for websites to focus on authentic, valuable content, not first on rankings. That in turn has a positive effect on your rankings while also helping you maintain those rankings.
SEO is like planting a garden
I like to think of SEO as a garden. SEO doesn’t happen overnight, it requires the planting of seeds (placing valuable content), watering (improving, expanding and developing that content) and the element of time. Why time? Because it takes time for search engines to recognize your website and its valuable content, and it takes time for people to start discovering that content and sharing it with others. So take good care of your SEO garden and it will bear plentiful fruit for your business.
