SEO Basics: What is REALLY Necessary?

By this point in 2018, you’ve likely used a search engine, posted on some kind of social media account, and wondered how certain websites get to be so popular. If you don’t know anything about SEO, then these three topics might not seem related. But if you do know something about SEO, then you know that all of these factors play into a digital marketing concept called SEO, or search engine optimization.

Let’s start from the beginning.

When using a search engine, you’ll be familiar with the list of results you receive in response to a user-entered query. Over 71% of searches result in a page one click—meaning, when you search, you’re going to click a result on the first page rather than click that arrow over to the second page of search results (were you even aware that was an option anymore?). In fact, the first 5 results account for 68% of all the clicks on the page, meaning that even if you’re on page one, you’re not going to fare as well if you’re at the bottom of the list.

So, this is your goal. When you want to utilize an SEO service, you want to be on page one. We’re here to tell you what you’re going to need to get there:

1. A Website

This sounds rather obvious, but it should be stated: You need a website for SEO to work its magic the most effectively. There are some business owners who just want to be found on page one business listings—but Google is more likely to rank your business if you have an actual website. The reason? Let’s imagine you were going to search for something—say, a local store that sells custom-made furniture. Are you going to want to drop in without knowing anything about the business? Or are you going to want to visit the website first, and get a feel for the business before you make a trip to the storefront? Likely, it’s the latter. This is why your customers want to see your website—they want to get to know you a bit before they invest their time and money. When you think of it this way, it’s easy to imagine a website as a sort of advertising service. And, frankly, that is exactly what it should be!

2. Content for your Website

Okay, so now that you understand why you need a website, let’s talk a bit about what should be on your website. You’ll need:

• A domain name: Don’t make it long and insanely difficult for people to remember. Make it simple and to the point, and representative of your business, of course.

• A host: Someone has to host your website. There are tons of options out there: Wix, Blogger, Wordpress, Godaddy, and more. Take your time and do some research. (Psst, we also offer custom websites!)

• Written content: When writing content, you need to make it engaging for your audience to read. Answer questions your visitors have, reassure them you are the right choice for them, and convince them their purchase is a smart one.

• Image/visual content: Images and videos are just as important as content. You shouldn’t have an overly image-heavy layout, but you should include images to break up long blocks of text, provide context for your content, and keep customers clicking and engaged.

3.Social Media Accounts

You may use social media on your own already, but using them for business is a completely different story. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat are all platforms that can seem scary at first, but they can be really helpful to your marketing strategy. With proper optimization, you can engage your audience in a meaningful way and drive traffic to your website through your social media accounts.

4. Strategic Marketing Plans

There are optimal times to post to social media. There are ways you should promote yourself, and ways that come off a little, well, pushy. There are also ways you should be able to optimize your website’s content using keywords, meta tags, headings, and smart linking schemes. Does all of that sound like a foreign language to you? We hear you. We’re here to help, so if you want to know how to make a marketing plan that will work for you, just give us a call or set up a time to see a demo of our services!

#localseo #tipsandtricks #basics