In this article I’ll talk about SEO and why it plays such a critical role for the successful engagement of your website and how search engine visibility comes into play. I can’t tell you how often I come across client websites that are seriously lacking in SEO for organic searching. When I raise the issue with those clients my initial question is most often followed by a moment of silence.
Mammoth search engine mogul Google leads their industry by a landslide and their ‘algorithms’, essentially a set of rules for online presence which are defined by problem solving in a finite set of steps such that when followed as best practice by anyone with an internet purpose, define how we develop our website and related online content and brand marketing.
Clients frequently ask me questions about whether on page SEO is really all that important or that effective and if it is so important, how do they go about changing their website and marketing content to achieve better results. Are you, like those clients, extremely frustrated that you have invest so much time and energy into developing an attractive website with stellar product or services content presentation and you simply are not getting the website traffic that you had expected?
SEO Works
Rest assured that employing SEO techniques does indeed work. There are critical steps to follow in developing your online content effectively incorporating SEO strategy and the results are telling. Research from the experts will help guide you through the steps to ensure a sound organic search optimization framework is in place. If it all seems just too complicated and time-consuming consider hiring a professional to get the job done. SEO is an ongoing process and you need to understand the basic principles to apply. You will also need to stay abreast of the frequently changing dynamics of the algorithmic playbook or risk falling perilously behind.
SEO Is Here To Stay
For the foreseeable future SEO will remain on the forefront of online technology and critical best practice. Search engines have their differences when it comes to the whole subject but Google being the powerhouse that it is, the other players march pretty much the same tune and regardless, if you want to be visible online (and isn’t that everyone’s greatest desire?), playing by Google’s rules becomes essential. ‘Keywords’, the buzzword on everybody’s lips in recent times, is the online language application that makes search engine visibility become a reality.
Without effective development of keywords and keyword phrase implementation throughout our websites and all related online presence including blogs, marketing articles, our social media and professional networking platforms and more, the search engines cannot effectively connect with our content as it is interwoven online like a complicated web of intricate touch points all relative and relevant to our hub web and blog site locations. And without essential keyword implementation those touch point locations do not interconnect in a meaningful way that display collectively in organic search results.
SEO Return On Investment
When comparing costs related to implementation of effective SEO with various other available methods of online marketing including paid advertising, social media marketing, lead generation through purchased leads for email marketing platforms, we find that search engine optimization generates a considerable ROI. Given that we can even develop skills necessary to implement SEO independent of professional services, that ROI can become incrementally more productive in terms of ROI.
Search Engine Reliance on Product/Service Decisions
A huge majority of pre-purchase decision making now begins with customers referring to online information including product and services reviews. The internet has evolved into our daily resource for virtually every aspect of pre-purchase research in terms of which products best suit our needs to who offers those products and services and where they are located whether locally or through online purchase and shipment.
In that regard, just consider for a moment where your web content needs to be in terms of visibility to capture a solid market share of your own vs. staring at a telephone that rarely rings. Without putting SEO into place wherever you exist online you will experience great difficulty getting found and that being the case internet searchers will simply go to your competitors instead.
Mobile Devices and Local Search
The reality of the day is that use of mobile devices has exploded. Take a look at percentages of those using their mobile technology to search for markets of interest, especially locally, is astounding though not at all surprising.
People’s lifestyles today are fast-paced and demanding. They don’t have time to locate a phone book, especially where publicly telephone service is virtually non-existent. They are carrying their mobile devices for fast and ready communications and as a reference tool of choice. When they want something they want to find it fast, connect with the merchant and make a fast, informed purchase. The bottom line here is to make sure your website or blog are mobile friendly with high quality, ‘responsive’ content that has suitable presentation for the mobile technology that is quickly coming to dominate the marketplace.
Quality Content Rules
A close suitor to search engine optimization is the need for high quality content that is optimized with keywords, keyword phrases and anchor text. Keep your site and marketing content updated, fresh with new and relevant, useful information that site visitors can take action on right now. Suggested keyword density of 3% of overall content quantity is the current standard that should be followed. Exceeding that density level will run you the risk of negative search engine ranking and even being penalized for perceived keyword ‘stuffing’ or spam-like activity.
Loading up your content with keyword elements virtually without restriction was once an acceptable practice but not anymore. Beware of best SEO practices to avoid costly penalty that could render your online presence virtually nonexistent. Make sure that you have carefully researched for best and most relevant keyword implementation as it directly applies to your market, otherwise your online presence will show up in non-relevant search results which again looks bad to search engines.
Ensure that your content is carefully thought out in advance, informative and reads in a way that captures your viewer’s attention and compels their response in a positive way. Dull, overloaded content laced with redundancy only serves to frustrate a reader who typically skims through content to first of all determine if it is what they are looking for and secondly whether or not to read on and make a decision to contact you for more information or make a purchase decision. Remember, Google and the various other search engines crawl your content with frequency to evaluate your relevance and search visibility.
SEO Practices; An Ongoing Process
Keep this principal in your sights moving forward. Keep you content updated, highly relevant and informative and make sure your content follows best practices of the day in every respect including SEO algorithm standards. Stay abreast of new trends and necessary practices online. If your business is not developing in a positive direction you are falling behind and your competitors are moving full steam ahead.
Stay sharp and innovative…don’t copy, be creative, relevant and exceptional. Know your marketplace and your competitors, offer value and differentiate yourself and what you offer with something of value that your competitors do not or cannot offer in kind.
Keyword Planning
Effective SEO planning and implementation begins with finding the right keywords to adopt for your own product or service orientation. Make sure your keywords are creative yet highly relevant. Do not rely simply on your imagination to establish a list of best-use keywords and keyword phrases.
There are a number of effective keyword planning tools available online. One such tool is the Google Adwords Keyword Planner Tool. While the Adwords element of this Google service is paid, the keyword planner tool is free. As with any such tool, it takes a little practice to understand the dynamics of the tool and how best to manipulate your keyword search for best results. This Google keyword essential tool in the webmaster arsenal produces a host of single word and keyword phrase combinations, their relative monthly frequency in organic searches, their level of competition, suggested bid level for PPC campaigns and more.
While in the early stages of your online presence, the time when you are a relative unknown, best practice suggests that you opt for those keywords from the planner tool results that are frequently/most commonly used in search terms AND which are relatively medium-level in terms of competition rating. Both of these values are stated in the keyword results page(s) which will also deliver keyword results in terms of relevant groups to target. Understanding the dynamics of this tool’s best keyword parameters to suggest and ensuing results is critical to finding and implementing the best possible keyword content for your online optimization.
Where To Effectively Place Keywords/Phrases
Just as important as finding the best keyword and keyword phrase combinations to implement is where to place your keyword elements.
Website and Blogs:
Titles and Headings/Subheadings – Including keyword elements within the context of titles and headings/subheadings on your website and blog are essential elements of website SEO. Make sure that where keywords are applied in these elements they read back naturally (as a natural component of the sentence or title/heading structure). If on reading back an optimized title or heading the keyword seems unnatural or out of place then you MUST re-phrase until that natural read is achieved, otherwise the search engines will penalize you for perceived spam-like content/keyword stuffing activity. Make such content highly relevant and compelling. The title and headings are the starting point for capturing your reader’s attention. Make the best out of creative, captivating title and heading content that compels your site visitors to want to read on rather than click out.
Body Text – Incorporate carefully planned and executed keywords and keyword phrases within the context of your content, ensuring that the keyword elements are highly relevant to the subject matter. Maintain that ‘natural’ integration of your keyword elements wherever they are placed within your content. SEO analysis takes into account which keywords and phrases are used and where they are placed for greatest effectiveness in that natural presence within the context of your content. Exceed the current suggested guideline of a maximum 3% keyword density of your content to your detriment. Remember, the search engines are keeping track! Remember too, that long tail keywords work very naturally within the context of sentences. Also an effective SEO application is the use of keyword synonyms, words that are similar to primary keywords and are also picked up and favoured by the search engines.
Content Tags – Content tags are a critical element of search engine optimization. As the name would suggest, content ‘tags’ are essential content identifiers that are picked up by the search engines and help to ensure that your content shows up in organic search results. Play down the importance of careful tag selection. Web writers often rush this element of content publication online having completed the blog post or article itself and feeling that the tags are insignificant or non-essential.
Give tagging as much attention as the determination of keyword selection and make sure that some of those top keywords (always highly relevant to the content itself) are found in the tags as well. Tag keyword elements are as critical as implementation within body text and post titles or headlines.
Meta Tags – Where you have access to your website or blog meta descriptions in your site’s dashboard, editor or settings controls, make sure your site’s top keywords are included in your meta tag descriptions. Incorporating this critical element of website SEO is extremely important. Search engines continue to include the meta tags as one of the key identifiers of online content. While some search engines give this element less significance, it continues to be a barometer of measure in the search visibility process.
Sidebar Content SEO – Another often overlooked element for SEO opportunity is sidebar content. While there is less opportunity for inclusion of keywords in your narrower sidebar fields, don’t exclude them from the optimization strategy. Whether within the brief context of a sidebar element or its title/heading, infuse that content with relevant keywords as well. Always be mindful of the overall site keyword density when adding SEO to sidebar elements.
Site Navigation Bar – Keywords can also be used in page name tabs within the navigation bar and site maps. Tab names are normally very brief in length, a matter of one, two or three words. Ensure the page name so tabbed reads highly relevant and natural.
Header Text; Headings & Sub-headings – Whether stand alone within the header element of a website or blog or as a text overlay in the header, here is another perfect opportunity to apply keyword elements…in moderation. Headers should not be cluttered with excess textual content...case in point our own homepage header. Keep your header clean, attractive, visually pleasing and always relevant to the site’s purpose and conveyance. Maintain a high level of quality and in a few well placed words identify to the site visitor exactly what your site is all about…this is NOT the place to fall short in that respect.
A brief call to action can also be effectively well-placed in the header to prompt the visitor to find out more.
Remember that statistically, you have but a few minutes to engage your website visitors – they must be able to clearly identify what your site is about and what you offer with a quick scan of your homepage and within no more than five or six minutes, preferably sooner. The growing trend in the day is minimal website or blog visitor tolerance for fluff or ambiguous content. They want to know within a few minutes of landing on your site that your content will provide them with what they are looking for…or they will click out fast and never return.
Anchor Text – Within the context of your article or blog body text incorporate a few words of sentence wording as ‘anchor text’ linking to related content or elements on another page of your site just I did above with “our own homepage header” linking to this site’s homepage. Anchor text linking is yet another form of on page SEO which actually helps search engine crawlers understand the mapping or site layout dynamics by linking your various site pages in this manner. Anchor text is an easy application of natural SEO writing and content strategy.
Social Media Optimization – Often overlooked, social media locations are yet another critical element of your SEO strategy and implementation. Start your SEO right on your social media profile whether Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and more. Make sure to extend your SEO strategy to your professional LinkedIn profile as well. This cannot be understated. Carry your SEO across your entire online presence using the same essential keyword group to ensure that an online correlation of all of those elements are picked up by the search engines.
In conclusion, webmasters want to be ever-mindful of SEO implementation and the various elements of your web content to incorporate keywords and keyword phrases to your best advantage. Post a list of these critical elements for SEO best practice in a conspicuous location above or reasonably close to your computer as a constant reminder every time you update your site with a new post or refresh your site’s flagship elements that will drive traffic to your site.