SEO is still a vital weapon in your online marketing armoury. But to really make the most out of your SEO campaigns and management, you need to have an understanding of what SEO is – and how it works. We’re going to take you through some of the basics right now – so read on to find out more!
What is SEO?
SEO stands for ‘search engine optimisation.’ It is, effectively, a list of things you need to do to make sure that when someone searches for a product or information on something you sell or do, your business or organisation is listed on a search engine such as Google. The search engines want to connect their customers – the people doing a search – to the best possible answers to their questions or queries. Search engines like Google use highly complicated algorithms to determine the best results and have criteria that help them make a super fast decision. So, if you do what Google wants, you get a high ranking. If you don’t, you may not even appear on the first million pages of results.
How does it work?
When someone searches for something on Google, they use a search term – called a keyword. Google then appraises all websites that it deems relevant to that search term and provides the user with a series of sites it believes to be a match for that specific keyword. However, it’s important to understand that you can have the best, most valuable, and relevant website to a search term, but still not get listed. The top results are all websites that are actively adopting the best SEO practices in the eyes of Google. So, the art of SEO is all about working out what Google wants, and ensuring you are ticking all of their boxes.
What factors affect your ranking?
Google and other search engines are highly secretive about their ‘magic formulas.’ However, thanks to many SEO specialists – and based on announcements from Google itself – we can say with some conviction that there are some key areas that can affect your ranking. In fact, experts think there could be over 200 of them at play, and the list tends to go up with every new iteration. Domain authority, mobile friendliness, content quality, and speed are all of increasing importance these days. But you also need to consider user experience, search accessibility, and onsite, technical optimisation. It’s a vast subject that could take months to cover completely.
The importance of links
Another crucial part of making your way to the top of the rankings is linking. When another website references yours, with a link to a specific, relevant page, Google sees you as more authoritative in your industry, And obviously, the more links you have pointing to your site, the more reliable you will be. However, you need to be careful. A link from a university site or national/international media organisation is incredibly powerful and shows Google you are worth listening to. But if your links are coming from cheap, poor-quality websites that aren’t relevant to what you do, or link farms or link directories, it will go against you.
Why is it so important?
SEO is critical if you are trying to run an online business of any kind. In simple terms, if you don’t get your business listed on the first page of search engines like Google, you are missing out on a huge share of potential visitors to your site. And although you need to put in considerable work to rank your site highly on Google, the reality is that it can get you a huge number of leads, for free.
Is it too late?
If you are starting a new website or business, or have never done SEO on your site before, it can be tempting to feel like you have been left behind. But the beauty of SEO is that a brand new business still has a chance to become an authority. It’s no small task, of course, but with expertise, diligence, and hard work, you can get the results you need.
SEO can help your business in many different ways. But it can be a time-consuming process, particularly if you are busy the many things that go along with running a business. So, if you are looking for an experienced, driven SEO agency that can manage your search campaigns and get you the results you need, why not give us a call? Right here at Click Through Digital, we will help you to climb the Google rankings and boost your business’s online profile with search engine optimisation.
