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Introduction to SEO 4
Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to techniques that help your website rank higher in organic (or
“natural”) search results, thus making your website more visible to people who are looking for your product or service via search engines
SEO is part of the broader topic of
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) encompasses all strategies aimed at enhancing visibility on search engines, including both organic and paid search methods Paid search allows businesses to pay for their website to appear prominently when users enter specific keywords or phrases While both organic and paid listings are visible on search engine results pages, they are positioned differently, highlighting the distinct nature of each approach.
So, why is it important for your business‟ website to be listed on search engines?
With over 694,000 searches happening every second on Google, not having your website indexed means missing countless opportunities for visitors and potential customers Implementing both basic and advanced SEO techniques can significantly enhance your website's search engine ranking, making it easier for your target audience to discover your content and offerings.
Paid search allows you to pay for your website to appear in search engine results, but it can be expensive if not managed properly Additionally, it's important to note that approximately 88% of users do not click on paid search ads.
To maximize the relevance and usefulness of your website in search engine results, it is crucial to focus on organic search listings Prioritizing SEO over paid search is advisable until you have a solid understanding of how to achieve high organic rankings.
Google Replaces the Phone Book
Outbound marketing is no longer effective, as traditional methods like yellow pages, newspaper, and radio ads have lost their impact Businesses once relied heavily on these tactics to attract customers, but the rise of the Internet has shifted control to consumers.
In today's digital landscape, consumers easily ignore the overwhelming number of advertisements they encounter daily To capture their attention, businesses must shift from outbound marketing to inbound marketing, ensuring they are easily discoverable when potential customers search for relevant products or services Just as phone books have become obsolete, Google has taken their place as the primary resource for information If your website is not properly indexed and optimized for relevant keywords, you risk losing valuable traffic to your competitors.
Search engines aim to deliver the most relevant results for your queries When they successfully meet your information needs, you become a satisfied user Satisfied users are more inclined to return to the same search engine repeatedly, as they consistently receive the results they seek.
Search engines require a comprehensive archive of information to display relevant results for user queries Each search engine employs unique methods for gathering and prioritizing website content, a process known as indexing By scanning the vast online landscape, search engines index all available information to ensure they can provide accurate results when a search query is entered.
Search engines utilize bots, or crawlers, to continuously scan and index websites by following links on each page If your website isn't indexed, it won't appear in search results However, unless you're engaging in unethical practices, your website is likely already indexed.
Major search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo continuously index vast numbers of webpages, ranging from hundreds of millions to billions To determine what to display on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for a given query, these search engines evaluate two primary factors: the content of your website and its prioritization in search results.
Search engine bots index your website by scanning each page for clues about its topics and examining the back-end code for specific tags, descriptions, and instructions.
Search engine bots not only index webpages but also evaluate the number of inbound links from other websites A higher number of inbound links enhances a website's authority, with each link acting as a vote for its content However, the value of these links varies; for example, a link from a reputable source like The New York Times (nytimes.com) provides a more significant boost, often referred to as link juice, compared to a link from a smaller blog.
When a user submits a search query, the search engine retrieves the most relevant information from its index and presents the results on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), ranking them by relevance and authority.
Different search engines yield varying results on their SERPs due to the unique proprietary algorithms they employ, which take into account multiple factors to determine the most relevant results for a given search query.
A few factors that a search engine algorithm may consider when deciding what information to show in the SERP include:
Geographic location of the searcher
Historical performance of a listing (clicks, bounce rates, etc.)
Link quality (reciprocal vs one-way)
Webpage content (keywords, tags, pictures)
Back end code or HTML of webpage
Link type (social media sharing, link from media outlet, blog, etc.)
With a market capitalization of $200 billion, Google leads the search engine industry, having transformed search technology and improved user experience through its sophisticated algorithm Holding a 64% market share, Google is recognized as the foremost innovator and authority in the field, according to Compete, Inc.
On-Page SEO 16
To enhance your website's visibility and ensure search engines can effectively index your content, focus on optimizing various elements that clarify the purpose and relevance of your material.
To create valuable and engaging content, it's essential to focus on both the topic and the formatting of your webpages Each page should feature a compelling headline that captures the reader's attention and includes the relevant keyword or phrase Additionally, using formatting techniques like bolding important keywords can emphasize the phrases you are optimizing for, aiding search engine bots in understanding your content better.
The structure of your website's URL significantly affects search engines' ability to index and comprehend your content A well-organized URL structure enhances this process Many website creation tools may generate random numbers and codes in URLs, which, while beneficial for the software, do not serve any practical purpose It is advisable to edit URLs to include your webpage title Some platforms, such as HubSpot, automatically generate URLs based on your content to address this concern.
Landing on a webpage filled with dense text can be overwhelming Incorporating images not only helps to break up the text but also provides a chance to enhance communication with search engines Since search engines cannot interpret images directly, they rely on specific clues to understand their content.
When uploading images to your website, it's essential to use descriptive file names, as these names are embedded in your site's HTML and scanned by search engines For instance, a file name like "red-tennis-shoes-velcro.jpg" is far more beneficial for SEO than a generic name such as "pic12345.jpg."
To enhance your website's SEO, it's important to include alt tags for all images Alt tags are brief snippets of code that provide descriptive text for each photo, helping search engines understand the content of your images.
Every webpage features a title tag, which is the text snippet displayed in the upper left corner of your browser and as the blue link in search engine results pages (SERPs) With a maximum length of 75 characters, it's essential to select your words carefully to optimize visibility and relevance.
Meta tags are essential snippets of code found in the HTML of your webpage, typically positioned near the title tag in the head section The two primary types of meta tags are the meta description and meta keywords.
A meta description is a brief text snippet that summarizes your webpage's content and is often displayed under your link in search engine results Without a meta description, search engines may choose random content from your page It's important to keep your meta description within 150 characters for optimal visibility.
Meta keywords consists of an additional text snippet in the HTML that allows you to list a few different keywords that relate to your webpage
In the past, search engines relied on meta keywords to rank webpages, but now most major search engines no longer consider them in their indexing process However, some smaller or niche search engines may still utilize this feature As a best practice, it's advisable to include 5-7 relevant keywords in the meta keywords section, but it's not necessary to invest excessive time on this task.
Search engine bots analyze your webpages to identify their content, focusing on keywords that stand out as more significant Utilizing headline tags is crucial, as they not only enhance readability for users but also signal to search engines which elements are most important By incorporating various headline tags, you provide clear indications of your webpage's key topics, improving both user experience and SEO effectiveness.
In addition to inbound links from external websites, it's important to reference other pages within your own site when creating content You can do this by inserting links to relevant webpages within your blog or specific content Utilizing anchor text is highly recommended, as it indicates that the linked page is related to the keyword or phrase used as the anchor This practice not only enhances user experience but also aids search engines in understanding your site's structure.
Off-Page SEO 21
Off-page SEO is often more challenging than on-page SEO, as it involves establishing relationships with other websites through engaging content and outreach This relationship-building process, known as link building, is crucial for improving your search engine ranking Factors such as who links to your site, the nature of those links, and how your content is shared on social networks significantly influence your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Utilizing free tools to identify websites that link to you is crucial for search engine optimization While having twenty inbound links from friends' websites can be beneficial, securing a single link from a reputable source, such as a major publication or an educational website with a edu domain, can significantly outweigh the value of those twenty links combined.
The Internet is a vast network of interconnected pages and websites, but not all links hold the same value Links from prominent publications and popular blogs tend to offer more "link juice" due to their high traffic, significantly enhancing a webpage's potential to go viral.
Linking to authoritative websites relevant to current stories and trends is essential for newspaper websites, enhancing their value Similarly, educational websites with a edu domain, designated for educational institutions, are recognized by search engines as credible sources Consequently, backlinks from these sites significantly boost your website's authority.
How are they Linking to You?
Using anchor text to link your internal webpages enhances relevancy for specific keywords When another website links to you, requesting keyword-rich anchor text is beneficial However, if that's not possible, accepting any link to your domain is still valuable, as all link juice contributes positively to your SEO efforts.
Link trading, a common practice in link building, involves reciprocal links where one website links to another in exchange for a link back While these reciprocal links are not prohibited and can provide some link juice, they are generally less valuable than one-way links Although there was a time when reciprocal links held equal weight, search engines have become increasingly sophisticated in assessing the value of links, leading to a decline in the effectiveness of this strategy.
Investing in link building without understanding SEO can be detrimental, as search engines strictly prohibit paid links All paid links must utilize a no-follow tag to prevent search engines from attributing credit to them Failure to tag paid links, whether you are the linker or the linkee, can result in severe penalties, including suspension or permanent blacklisting from search engine results.
Search engines do not recognize links to your website from advertisements as inbound links If they identify paid link relationships that are not clearly marked as advertisements, your website may face suspension from search engine results pages (SERP) or even be blacklisted in severe cases.
If you're short on time for link building but have the budget, consider hiring an SEO firm However, be cautious, as some firms may engage in questionable SEO practices It's essential to conduct thorough research before entering any agreements or making payments.
Using Social Media to Spread Content
The rapid growth of social networks such as Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn has significantly transformed online engagement, with ComScore reporting that 16% of all online time is now dedicated to these platforms As hundreds of millions of users actively share content with their networks, search engines are increasingly recognizing the influence of social media on online visibility and content dissemination.
Social activity on a webpage, including shares, likes, and recommendations, significantly impacts its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), as noted by SEOMoz Search engines recognize the influence of content shared on social networks, leading to higher rankings for such content.
Businesses can enhance their brand presence on social networks not only to engage new prospects and generate leads but also to leverage significant SEO benefits that come from increased visibility and awareness.
To enhance your SERP rankings through social media, it's essential to make your content easily shareable One effective method is to integrate social network buttons throughout your website Utilizing services like AddThis simplifies the installation process, and if you use HubSpot's blogging software, this feature is automatically included.
Using Email to Spread Content
In today's business landscape, email is essential for nurturing relationships with existing leads and customers, as well as for attracting new ones through promotional blasts With the decline of direct mail, email marketing has surged in popularity, making it easier than ever to establish an email program, upload leads, and communicate effectively However, the rapid adoption of email by businesses has led to a decrease in its overall effectiveness, creating a noisy environment where every email sent must be impactful.
To enhance your website's visibility, it's essential to make your content easily shareable via email, just as you would for social media Incorporate clear calls-to-action in your emails to nurture your audience, generate leads, and convert them into customers Additionally, facilitate sharing options for your email readers, allowing them to effortlessly share content with friends and on social networks This strategy will expand the reach of your website content and improve your chances of acquiring inbound links, ultimately benefiting your SEO efforts.
Identifying Keywords 26
How to Identify Long-Tail Keywords
Focusing on long-tail keywords is essential for effective SEO, as outlined in the Long-Tail Concept & Theory section of this ebook While these keywords may attract less traffic than broader terms, they tend to bring in more qualified visitors who are further along in their intent Fortunately, selecting the appropriate long-tail keywords for your website pages is a straightforward process.
When selecting keywords for SEO, relevance is crucial Being specific enhances your chances of attracting qualified prospects For example, if you run a swimming pool installation company, choosing targeted keywords will significantly improve your visibility to potential customers.
“swimming pools” vs “fiberglass in-ground pool installation”
When someone searches for “fiberglass in-ground pool installation,” they are actively seeking information or services related to installation, which presents an opportunity for you While optimizing for the broader term “swimming pools” can be beneficial, it tends to attract a more general audience that may not be specifically interested in your offerings.
When optimizing for keywords, it's essential to consider location-based searches, as users often include their geographic area when looking for contractors and services For instance, a search for "fiberglass in-ground pool installation" may be specified as "fiberglass in-ground pool installation in [location]."
To enhance your website's visibility, incorporate location-based keywords on all pages if you serve a single geo-location, as traffic from other areas may not be beneficial For businesses operating in multiple locations, it's advisable to create dedicated webpages for each area to ensure your brand appears in local search results.
Identifying the right starting point for keyword research can be daunting, and relying on guesswork is not advisable Fortunately, there are numerous effective methods to research and discover long-tail keywords that align with your business needs In the following sections, we will explore these strategies in detail.
Web analytics tools such as Google Analytics and HubSpot enable you to identify the organic search keywords that are currently attracting traffic to your website These keywords serve as a foundational set of core terms, offering a valuable list of keywords and their performance metrics that you can use to benchmark your future SEO strategies.
Google offers several tools for effective keyword research, with the Google Adwords Keyword Tool being an excellent starting point Users can input a single keyword, multiple keywords, or their website URL to receive a list of related keywords This tool provides essential metrics, allowing users to assess the competition level and search volume for each keyword on both global and local scales.
Google Insights for Search is a valuable tool that enables users to input multiple keywords and refine their search by location, search history, and category It provides insights into the level of web interest surrounding specific keywords, identifies factors driving that interest such as press coverage, reveals the sources of traffic, and suggests related keywords.
HubSpot offers a Keyword Grader tool that assists in identifying optimal keywords for site optimization while tracking the performance of each keyword This tracking capability enables users to determine which keywords are effectively generating traffic and leads, allowing for ongoing keyword optimization based on the gathered data.
In addition to analyzing web analytics data and utilizing keyword research tools, conducting searches directly on search engines can provide valuable insights This approach allows you to address essential questions effectively.
Assess the level of competition in your niche by checking the number of search results If the results reach into the hundreds of thousands or millions, consider whether investing your time and effort in that area is truly worthwhile.
To understand your competitive landscape, select a keyword for optimization and analyze the top 20 search results Determine if your competitors appear in these rankings and assess your own position This analysis will help you identify opportunities to target less competitive keywords or decide if it's worth competing for a more popular keyword.
Google offers recommendations through its feature known as Google Instant, which automatically populates search results as you type This functionality aims to predict your search intent based on previous search data By leveraging this data, you can enhance your search experience; just begin typing a keyword to discover relevant suggestions.
Google populates under your search result This is a quick way to get keyword ideas.
Measuring Success 32
SEO requires significant time and effort, but it's essential to see the results of your hard work To ensure your SEO strategy remains effective and to measure your success, you can track various metrics daily, weekly, or monthly.
Monitoring your website's organic search traffic weekly is essential for assessing the effectiveness of recent changes This practice allows you to evaluate whether your efforts over the past weeks or months are yielding positive results.
Web analytics tools such as Google Analytics and inbound marketing platforms like HubSpot simplify the tracking of conversions from organic search traffic and keywords They enable users to establish various conversion definitions, including visits, leads, and customers, providing valuable insights into the return on investment from SEO efforts.
Tracking the number of indexed pages on your website is a straightforward method to assess the effectiveness of your SEO strategies and overall site growth An increase in indexed pages enhances your potential to rank for a broader range of keywords Utilize free tools such as HubSpot's Website Grader to monitor your indexed pages, and ensure to evaluate this metric monthly, aiming for a consistent upward trend.
Inbound links serve as a key indicator of your off-page SEO success You can use HubSpot's Website Grader to check the current number of inbound links to your site It's important to monitor this metric on a monthly basis, as any increase signifies positive growth.
To enhance your website's SEO, maintain a list of keywords that generate organic search traffic Monthly, analyze your organic search data to identify the keywords contributing to this traffic, with brand keywords typically accounting for the majority It's crucial to distinguish between brand and non-branded keywords, focusing particularly on the latter to understand their impact on your website's performance.
To enhance your SEO strategy, identify the top 10 keywords you aim to rank for Each month, perform a Google search to check your ranking for these keywords and document your position This tracking will help you assess the effectiveness of your SEO efforts Pay special attention to any significant changes, particularly jumps of more than five spots, as these are often indicative of impactful adjustments rather than routine search engine updates.
At this stage, you should clearly understand the importance of SEO for every online business While creating and implementing an SEO strategy may seem overwhelming, it becomes manageable with sufficient time and resources Several key factors must be considered when embarking on your SEO journey.
Conduct thorough keyword research to create a prioritized list of keywords you want to rank for in search engines This list should be dynamic, reviewed, and updated at least monthly to reflect ongoing keyword research and track your current rankings.
After completing keyword research, you'll determine the number of specific webpages to create, each requiring content and images It's essential to decide their placement on your website and identify relevant pages or offers for linking Compile a list of necessary assets to be created or collected, and develop a plan to accomplish this task efficiently.
Blogging is a powerful tool for improving keyword rankings and engaging website users If your business lacks a blog, establish one and aim to post at least weekly Focus on creating content that resonates with your audience rather than solely targeting search engines By writing about topics that interest your audience and prospects, you increase the likelihood of being discovered through search engines Each blog post serves as a new webpage, enhancing your chances of visibility online.
Link building is a crucial aspect of off-page SEO, so it's essential to explore various strategies for attracting inbound links to your website Begin by collaborating with local businesses to exchange links, and consider writing blog posts to share valuable content that can also be linked back to your site.
Utilizing social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn can significantly enhance your inbound link strategy By posting articles on your blog that are relevant to current events or news, you boost the likelihood of attracting links from news outlets and industry influencers.
Stay Current on SEO News & Practices
The search engine landscape is constantly changing, making it challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices in SEO To stay informed, it's essential to read and utilize various online resources that provide updates on SEO news and changes affecting your website Here are some valuable resources to help you get started.
You now possess the essential tools and concepts to begin with SEO fundamentals Take the time to develop a strategy that suits your needs and start optimizing your content effectively!
Algorithm - The calculation the search engines use to find the most relevant information in relation to a search query
Alt Tags - Short snippets of code that allow you to tag each photo on your site with a short text blurb
Anchor Text – Text in your webpage content that is linked to another website or webpage
Black Hat SEO – A back-handed approach to SEO that involves shortcuts and manipulation of a website It is prohibited by the search engines
Keyword Density – How often a keyword is mentioned on a page
Headline Tags – HTML code tags denoted by “Headline” that make the text bigger than other text on the page
Head Terms – phrases more generic in nature (usually 1-2 keywords long) that garner significant amount of search engine traffic, but provide little return
HTML – Stands for Hypertext Markup Language is a standardized code for tagging text files to formate font, color, graphic, and hyperlinks to create webpages
Inbound Links – Links to your website from external websites that are not on your domain
Indexing – The process used by the search engines to crawl the web, scanning webpages and storing information about them
Link Building – The process of generating inbound links from other websites
Link Juice – The boost given to a website‟s authority via inbound links from other authoritative websites
To optimize your website's performance, maintain a list of keywords that generate organic search traffic Monthly, analyze your organic search data to identify the keywords contributing to this traffic, with brand keywords typically accounting for the majority It's essential to distinguish between brand and non-branded keywords, focusing particularly on the latter to enhance your website's visibility and reach.
To enhance your SEO strategy, identify the top 10 keywords you aim to rank for Each month, perform a Google search to check your ranking for these keywords and document your position This tracking will help you assess the effectiveness of your SEO efforts Pay special attention to any significant changes, particularly jumps of more than five spots, as these are often indicative of impactful adjustments rather than standard search engine fluctuations.
Now What? 35
Understanding SEO is essential for every online business, as it plays a critical role in their success While developing and implementing an SEO strategy may seem overwhelming, it becomes manageable with sufficient time and resources When starting with SEO, there are several important factors to consider.
Conduct thorough keyword research to create a prioritized list of keywords you aim to rank for in search engines This list should be a dynamic document, reviewed and updated monthly to reflect ongoing keyword research and track your current rankings.
After completing keyword research, you'll determine the number of specific webpages to create, each requiring content and images It's essential to decide their placement on your website and identify relevant pages or offers for linking Compile a list of necessary assets to be created or collected, and develop a plan to accomplish this task efficiently.
Blogging is a powerful tool for improving keyword rankings and engaging website visitors If your business lacks a blog, establish one and aim to post at least weekly Focus on creating content that resonates with your audience rather than solely targeting search engines By addressing topics of interest to your audience and prospects, you increase the likelihood of being discovered through search engines Each blog post serves as a new webpage, enhancing your chances of visibility online.
Link building is a crucial aspect of off-page SEO, so it's important to explore various strategies for attracting inbound links to your website Begin by collaborating with local businesses to exchange links, and consider writing blog posts to share your insights and expertise.
Utilizing social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn can significantly enhance your inbound link strategy By posting articles on your blog that are relevant to current events or news, you can boost the likelihood of attracting links from news outlets and industry influencers.
Stay Current on SEO News & Practices
The search engine landscape is constantly changing, making it challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices in SEO To stay informed, regularly reading from various online resources is essential Here are some valuable resources to help you stay updated on SEO news and changes that could affect your website.
You now possess the essential tools and concepts to begin with SEO fundamentals Take your time to develop the strategy that best suits your needs and start optimizing your content effectively!
Algorithm - The calculation the search engines use to find the most relevant information in relation to a search query
Alt Tags - Short snippets of code that allow you to tag each photo on your site with a short text blurb
Anchor Text – Text in your webpage content that is linked to another website or webpage
Black Hat SEO – A back-handed approach to SEO that involves shortcuts and manipulation of a website It is prohibited by the search engines
Keyword Density – How often a keyword is mentioned on a page
Headline Tags – HTML code tags denoted by “Headline” that make the text bigger than other text on the page
Head Terms – phrases more generic in nature (usually 1-2 keywords long) that garner significant amount of search engine traffic, but provide little return
HTML – Stands for Hypertext Markup Language is a standardized code for tagging text files to formate font, color, graphic, and hyperlinks to create webpages
Inbound Links – Links to your website from external websites that are not on your domain
Indexing – The process used by the search engines to crawl the web, scanning webpages and storing information about them
Link Building – The process of generating inbound links from other websites
Link Juice – The boost given to a website‟s authority via inbound links from other authoritative websites
The long-tail theory illustrates that although a small percentage of keywords (the head) generates the majority of search traffic, there are millions of unique keywords that collectively account for a substantial volume of search traffic (the tail).