SEO - Optimize to Capitalize
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SEO, or Search Engine Optimization - one of those arcane terms that you know you need, but aren’t exactly sure what it means. If you do know what it means, then you know that it’s not as simple as looking good in the eyes of Google. It means a lot of specific keyword usage and even more research.
It’s one of those buzzwords that's thrown around so often that you simply assume everyone knows exactly what it is. This of course is not the case, and many professionals responsible for their website’s performance might not be able to explain SEO to their co-worker or their boss. We’re here to remedy that.
The exact definition of SEO is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or web page in a search engine’s ‘natural’ or ‘unpaid’ (known as ‘organic') search results. So in theory, as you work at your site’s SEO, it shows up as the first result in any search engine, right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. SEO is the result of many optimization practices, and you’ll need to consistently tweak and adjust different elements of your site, over time, to affect (affect being the key word) its visibility in search results.
Before we break down the different aspects of proper SEO, it’s important to take a step back to explain how those search results are actually determined by a search engine, in order to establish what you’re working towards. If you’ve paid attention to tech news over the last few years (if you’re in the business of having a website, we recommend you do here, here, and of course, on our blog) you’ve most likely heard about the algorithms that power search engine results. More specifically, the algorithms used by engines like Google Search to determine exactly what will show up on what lists, and where in the queue. In the past year alone Google has made over 500 adjustments to its Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird algorithms. Although Google masterfully conceals the exact data that their system uses to catalogue and rank websites, little tidbits do tend to slip through the cracks, often by design, to the benefit of those listening.
Many of these minor changes are reactionary, due to shifts in user behaviour. Changes in the landscape of user interests, such as the recent trend away from personal opinion-driven blogs towards articles and memos written by accredited professionals, informs Google’s priorities, and they act quickly to ensure that you’re finding what interests you on your Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). This means that the SEO of today is drastically different from that of three years ago. Where SEO was once about link building and having your strongest keywords strategically positioned on your site, it’s now geared towards rewarding authoritative sites housing high quality content. This will change again, as interests do what they do best, and migrate.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at some of the primary factors driving SEO:
- Having an efficient site structure in place, allowing search engines to index or crawl your site. Heading tags, title tags, and XML site maps help with this.
- Having keywords that you know interest your users placed appropriately across your site.
- Using social media channels that are linked to your business and driving traffic in both directions.
- Having links to and from other websites.
- Having a wealth of authoritative content on your website.
- Reviewing your site’s analytics reports for detailed information that can be used to optimize bounce rates, traffic flow, entry sources, and valuable keywords.
- Keeping your website unique and its ultimate call to action legitimate and clear (if any).
Though this may seem like a potentially simple list of items, it’s only when you truly address all of these conditions in concert and factor in minor adjustments and tweaks that you’ll see a real impact on your SERPs. No one can, or should, claim that they can get you to the very top of your desired search result listings. There are simply too many factors at play and the details shift far too often. Instead, your goal should be to positively influence this placement as regularly as possible, by investing time in changes, industry awareness, trending topics, keywords, and your competition.
These commitments mean that SEO is an ongoing process for any organization or individual looking to capitalize, and is far from a one-time number crunch or maintenance period. For those who don’t have the experience, or are just outside of their comfort/knowledge zones, there are many viable options to ensure that a website isn’t left at the bottom of a search. Look into agencies that can work out a strategy, or take on the routine themselves; too many organizations miss out on the benefits of an optimized site due to time constraints or a lack of awareness. If you want to help us change that, feel free to use the social media buttons at the top of the page to share this article!
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