What is SEO?

SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization and refers to the process associated with ranking a website in Google search results. SEO rankings are based on Google’s ranking algorithm, which collects a wide variety of factors designed to match a Google Search with websites that best serve the user’s search intent. For example, a Google Search for “tennis shoes” will, more often than not, result in many websites selling tennis shoes. Google’s goal is to present the most relevant information to a user based on their search. Convincing Google that your website is the most relevant result for a wide variety of searches is basically what all SEO strategies aim to achieve.

There are some basic optimizations any website owner can implement on their website without the help of an online marketing agency.

Keyword Optimization

Google wants to see that your website is the most relevant source of information related to your industry. A construction company talking about vacation homes for sale will surely not be ranking on top pages anytime soon. In order to establish authority in your industry, you must determine what keywords your customers are using to find companies like yours. Once you determine what keywords are important to your business, you need to make sure that these keywords are easily found throughout all pages of your website. Make sure that the keywords are mentioned naturally because keyword stuffing can have the opposite effect on your keyword rankings.

Backlinks

Backlinks are an effective way Google determines the authority of any given website. Think of backlinks like votes for a high school class president. In order to be elected to the student council, the nominee (your website) must collect votes from the whole school. If votes for you come in only from the jocks and athletes, the principal will assume you paid them to vote for you. If you only get votes from the least popular kids, the principal won’t see you as a viable candidate for the school as a whole. Backlinks work the same way. In order to achieve an effective backlink portfolio, you must balance the authority of the websites linking to yours.

Website Metrics

A topic many marketers gloss over, improving basic website metrics can actually boost your SEO rankings. Site speed not only impacts your website visitors, but it also plays a role in Google’s algorithm. Walmart reported that for every 1-second page load improvement, their conversion rate increased 2%. Additionally, submitting a sitemap of your website to Google can help Google understand the structure of your website and its content. By assisting the Google crawlers navigate your website, it becomes easier for Google to identify and understand the focal points of your website and business.

These are only a few of the important factors Google looks at when ranking your website. Contact Media Berries today to learn more about SEO and grow your business’ online presence.