If you want to grow your business online, you need traffic. And not just any traffic, but targeted traffic from people who are actively looking for what you sell. That's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business in Google, Bing, and other search engines. The better visibility your pages have in search results, the more likely you are to garner attention and attract prospective and existing customers to your business.
How Search Engines Work
Search engines like Google use bots to crawl pages on the web, going from site to site, collecting information about those pages and putting them in an index. Think of the index like a giant library where a librarian can pull up a book (or a web page) to help you find exactly what you're looking for at the time.
Next, algorithms analyze pages in the index, taking into account hundreds of ranking factors or signals, to determine the order pages should appear in the search results for a given query.
Key Components of SEO
SEO is often broken down into three core pillars:
- Technical SEO: Optimizing the infrastructure of your website so search engine spiders can crawl and index your website more effectively.
- On-Page SEO: Optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines.
- Off-Page SEO: Activities done off of a website in an effort to increase the site's rankings (like backlinks).
The SEO Process
To succeed in SEO, you need a strategy. Here are the main steps:
- Keyword Research: Finding the right terms to target. We recommend using Google Keyword Planner to find high-volume, low-competition keywords.
- Content Creation: Writing high-quality, helpful articles that satisfy user intent.
- Optimization: ensuring your title tags, meta descriptions, and headers are optimized.
- Link Building: Acquiring backlinks from reputable sites.
Why is SEO Important?
Unlike paid ads, where traffic stops the moment you stop paying, SEO is an investment. A well-optimized page can bring you traffic for years. It builds credibility, trust, and brand awareness.
Final Thoughts
SEO isn't rocket science, but it takes time and consistency. Start with the basics (SEO for Beginners Checklist), create great content, and build quality backlinks. Results will follow.