What Is Search Engine Optimization?

SEO is the process of optimizing a website (and a business’s web presence) so that the website is more easily found and displayed by a search engine. The goal of all websites should be to be displayed on the first page of a search engine’s result page, and as close to the top as possible. In order to help search engines find a website and display it in a desirable location, an SEO strategy must be implemented.

The Importance of Search Engine Optimization

So, why does SEO matter? What’s the value of having a website displayed towards the top of a search engine results page?

The first reason is simple: When a business’s webpage doesn’t display towards the top following a user’s search for something that the business is selling or offering, the user will not click on the business’s page. For example, if your business sells wedding cakes and a user searches “wedding cakes near me” on Google, you want that user to see your website and choose to click it. Unfortunately, if your website doesn’t display towards the top of the search results page—or even on the first page at all—chances are very low that the user will select it. Over 25 percent of people click the first Google search result, never making it past that to consider other options.

While paid search can get results and may be an effective part of an online marketing strategy, data shows that over 50 percent of all trackable website traffic comes from organic search. And when it comes to local search, the statistics are even more staggering: over two-thirds of people who search for something nearby on their smartphones visit the business within a day.

If your website isn’t optimized so that search engines can easily find it, you’re missing out on the opportunity to connect with your target audience. An effective SEO strategy can change that.

Search Engine Optimization Best Practices

By integrating the best practices for search engine optimization, you can help search engines—and prospective customers—find your website. Tips for improving your SEO include:

• Integrate keywords. Keyword integration is an essential part of an effective SEO strategy. Keywords are the words and terms that users are likely to search and which best describe your business, product, or services. For example, if you offer dog walking services, the keywords “dog walking” and “dog walker” should be heavily sprinkled into your website’s content.

• Be unique. Copying others’ content isn’t a good idea when it comes to search engine optimization, nor is copying your own—each page should be 100 percent original. And when it comes to being original, it’s not just the main text on your web pages that you want to think about, but also all of your title tags, titles, meta descriptions, and alt text, too. And remember: content on your site should not be duplicative at all, which means that each page, title, etc. needs to be entirely unique.

• Integrate local SEO. Going back to the importance of keywords, don’t forget about the relevance of local Integrating the names of towns and cities near your business into your content can help local users find you.

• Keep it fresh. One way to help search engines be able to find your business is to frequently post content; search engines love new content and will think that your site is more relevant if it’s being updated regularly. Usually, this means keeping a blog and posting to it regularly, although updating static pages as necessary is recommended, too.

• Get on socials. Did you know that search engine optimization can be affected by more than just the content on your website, but also your brand’s general relevance? This is one of the reasons that it’s so important to get on social media, as maintaining a presence on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Google My Business, and LinkedIn can improve your website’s reach and SEO.

• Track your performance and adjust as necessary. It’s not just about implementing SEO best practices and then hoping for the best; you should be tracking your performance, setting goals and monitoring certain metrics (such as leads and conversions), and then making adjustments to your SEO strategy based on the results.

How Our SEO Professionals Can Help

At Too Darn Loud Digital Marketing, our SEO professionals know that as a business owner, your energy is focused on running your business, not on improving your search engine rankings. Our team can provide you with the comprehensive digital marketing and SEO services your business needs to be successful online, including keyword identification and integration, content creation services, website design and development services, social media marketing services, organic and paid search services, and performance tracking. Our services can be customized to you based on your business’s needs, your budget, and your performance goals.

Connect with Our SEO Experts Today

Ensuring that users can actually find your website when searching for businesses similar to yours is essential to generating leads. At Too Darn Loud Digital Marketing, our search engine optimization professionals have the skills and knowledge to effectively transform your webpage into one that gets noticed. To learn more about our SEO services for businesses like yours, please reach out to us by sending us a message using the our contact form on our website. We’re available to walk you through your SEO service options today.