SEO for beginners

As soon as you begin your online marketing journey you will need to learn about SEO and how you can use it with your business. You will start to see numerous articles about SEO and how it applies to marketing.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. This is the way that search engines decide what results to return. By understanding how it works, you as a business owner can take advantage of this to send potential customers to your site. It’s a tool you can use in your mission to increase engagement and traffic.

The ins and outs can get complicated so here are a few things you need to know as you start your online marketing journey.

Provide relevant content

Don’t focus on SEO in the beginning. Providing content that is practical, useful and easy-to-understand should always be your primary focus. SEO is not meant to shortcut the primary purpose of your blog and/or website. You want to provide the information your customers are searching for in a way that will be useful to them. By using specific keywords you are just making the content more accessible and easier to find. Always focus on what information your customers need to hear and then see how to optimize that content with SEO. Providing answers to questions and useful information should remain your primary focus in marketing.

Linking

The interconnectedness of the internet is one of its most valuable assets. Don’t be afraid to link to other blogs you’ve written, informational pages or even other websites that contain the information your customers are searching for. There is a lot of valuable material out there and by pointing your customers to it in an organized manner you are providing tools that they can use and recommend to others. Sometimes linking content will provide you even more visibility that creating something from scratch. Look for partners who complement your business and the services you provide. Also, look for resources that are valuable to your customers in whatever industry they are in.

Design

Be aware of how you are formatting and presenting the information to your website visitors. If your format is cluttered or if URLs don’t work, visitors will become discouraged and look for another site to find the information they need. Look at your website with fresh ideas and continually seek out ways to improve and make it more user friendly.

Work with a professional

Still confused by what SEO is? No worries. By teaming up with someone who knows the field and understands the details behind SEO you can focus on your business and quality customer service to your clients. Find a marketing partner that has experience providing SEO and give you valuable insights on how to make it work for you and increase your business.