Search Engine Optimization for
Beginners
With so much information - and misinformation - available on the
topic of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) it can be tricky trying to
separate fact from fiction. Coupled with the fact that SEO changes
only slightly less rapidly than the weather, it can be downright
overwhelming to know where to start.
So, if you're an SEO newbie looking for a place to start, here's a
look at some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) basics. What Is SEO?
Even the most beautifully-designed site won't do you much good if
potential customers can't find it. That's where Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) comes in: SEO helps ensure your site is more
visible in the search engines, drive qualified traffic to your
website, and convert that traffic into actual customers.
In short, SEO increases your website's rankings in the search
engines by making the pages within your site more attractive to the
search engines. The more attractive your site is to Google, the
higher its rankings in the search engine results pages. And the
higher your rankings, the more likely users will visit your site.
Obviously, a site with a result on Page 1 of Google is going to get
more traffic than a site buried on Page 14.
If your site is missing from the top search results, then you may
not be maximizing your ability to generate new business and add
revenue to your bottom line. Let's take a look at some stats:
- 1.3 billion Internet users
- Over 85% start at a search engine
- Less than 25% will go beyond the top 10
search engine results
- Top 10 results get 80% more traffic than
those ranked in the 11-30 spots
Besides gaining better rankings in the search
engines, SEO is effective in several other areas as well:
- Branding/establishment as an authority
- Pre-qualified lead generation
- Easily tracked ROI
- Cost savings compared to other mediums such
as glossy brochures and yellow pages ads (average cost per lead
is $0.29!)
Breaking SEO Down
SEO consists of several key elements that work together to generate
increases in a website's rankings, traffic and conversions: Keyword
Selection, Copywriting, Link Building, HTML Optimization and
Analytics. Let's take a look at each element in more detail:
Keyword Selection
The foundation of any SEO campaign is good keyword research. That's
because targeting the right keywords is essential to getting your
SEO on the right track. If your sell silver ladies watches, then
you're going to want to rank in the search engines for the phrase
"silver ladies watches" and other similar phrases. If your keyword
research is off and you target the wrong keywords, then you may not
get visitors who want what your site has to offer. That's why you
need to make sure that your site is properly optimized for the
most-searched-for keywords related to your business.
Copywriting
Getting potential customers to your site is only half the battle;
you've got to convince them to buy. That's where persuasive
copywriting comes in. Be sure to tell people why they need your
products or services and include conversion points throughout the
site. The search engines like content, so you also need to optimize
your copy to include your keywords. This includes things like
descriptive product pages, built-out content like biographies, news
sections, etc. One important point to remember is to keep your most
critical content "above the fold" - that's the area that's visible
to your users before they have to scroll down.
Link Building
Think popularity contests ended in high school? Think again; you're
not so lucky. Link building is like one big online popularity
contest, and the search engines like the popular kids. Your success
in the search engines depends, in part, on the amount of relevant
incoming links to your site. Of course, having lots of good links
also drives customers to your site, which is a good thing, too.
Links can come in various sources, including directories, business
partners, organizations, social media sites, and much, much more.
HTML Optimization
Title tags, header tags, Alt tags, Meta-descriptions -- the search
engines want your site's HTML to be descriptive and clean. Search
engines want to know exactly what your page is about; they don't
want to sort through a bunch of extraneous code to figure it out.
That's why you'll hear SEO types talk about the importance of having
clean code and how to use CSS to make that happen.
Measuring Success
No SEO campaign is complete without analytics. After all, if you
aren't measuring things like traffic, link popularity, and
conversions, then how do you know if your SEO strategies are
working? Programs like ClickTracks and Google Analytics help make
the number-crunching a little easier. When analyzing an SEO
campaign, it's important to only make one change at a time so that
you know which changes are effective.
If you want to have an effective SEO campaign, you need to include
each of the five SEO elements listed above. Keep in mind the
information here just scratches the surface of these topics, and
there are certainly other more advanced SEO strategies that can
benefit your site as well. These building blocks, however, are the
perfect way to get your SEO campaign started on the right track. |
