Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most crucial aspects of designing and running a successful website. In fact, without the proper SEO, it will be practically impossible to drive a large amount of traffic to your website. Therefore, you should place a strong emphasis on creating and maintaining up to date SEO techniques. Keep in mind that Google changes their search engine ranking algorithm on a regular basis, so it is important to work with someone who has extensive knowledge of SEO techniques.
Although most people have a basic understanding of what SEO is, it is important to have a strong grasp of what it can do for you if you use it correctly. Here are the five most important words that impact SEO:
1. Keywords
The main focus of SEO is adding the correct keywords to your site. For example, if you sell musical instruments in Chicago, it will be vital to use keywords that help people in your local area find your website. After all, if your target audience is not able to locate information about your store, you will have a difficult time increasing your profit margin.
2. Links
Inbound links are a great way to help drive traffic to your site. However, you need to make sure that these links come from quality sources. Otherwise, Google might penalize you by lowering your site’s search engine ranking. Examples of quality inbound links include well-written blogs that are dedicated to topics relevant to your industry.
3. Content
A few years ago, links and keywords were all that mattered. However, Google has decided to take steps to prevent the practice of stuffing linked keywords into poorly written content. In fact, any site that contains poor quality content will be penalized. However, as Everspark Interactive states on their website, where there is a big challenge, there is big opportunity. So if writing on your website uses proper spelling, grammar and sentence structure and is of quality content, it will do much better in the rankings. If you do not feel comfortable writing, you should hire a copywriter to assist you with the development of your site’s content.
4. Site Map
Each of the pages of your website should be linked and listed on an easily accessible site map. Additionally, you can use the title of each page as a way to increase your relevant keywords. Make sure that the structure of your site makes sense so that your visitors can easily navigate through the menu, and always include a site map to make it easy for search engines to catalog each page.
5. Ranking
Without a high page ranking, it will be really difficult to capture attention. Therefore, you need to carefully utilize all of the previously listed items to your advantage. For example, putting quality content on your website that has carefully selected keywords can help increase your website’s search engine ranking.
If you are unfamiliar with SEO or do not have enough time to dedicate to making regular updates, you should definitely contact a professional company that works solely on SEO. As an added bonus, many SEO companies can put you in touch with a copywriter to help you improve the quality of your site’s content.
Melanie Fleury
Melanie Fleury has worked in the SEO field for several years as both a writer and editor. Everspark Interactive believes in educating their clients in the anatomy of SEO and the way that Google algorithms work to rank websites. In today's economy, a great online presence is an essential for a business to reach its full potential.
