What is SEO?

So the term SEO has been getting passed around almost like a disease and you’re still wondering what the hell it is. It’s ok… we’re here to make things even more confusing.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This practice or process helps build your website’s findability and authority online. Over 80% of people engage with a business online before they ever buy anything, so you want to get your site on the front page of Google. There are other search engines of course, but let’s face it, Google runs the game.

The Good, The Bad, The Evil

The first thing newbies should understand is that just like in any other business, there are right ways to do SEO and there are wrong ways. The terms White Hat, Grey Hat, and Black Hat SEO are all explicative of what to do and what not to do in your optimization. Of course Black Hat is the worse approach and Google will penalize you or even remove your site for being improperly coded. Why black always represents evil is beyond me, but as you can imagine, White Hat SEO refers to the correct methods in which you have to build your website content to rank well in Google SERPs.

We’re not going to go into detail of what is deemed right and wrong, just keep your wits about you and continue to do your research on the proper types of SEO.

Three Pillars of SEO

Now, don’t be scared away just yet! Let’s break down SEO a little more so you know the right questions to ask.

  1. Coding and Structure

This refers to the technical makeup of your website. The coding is the language used to develop it and the structure is aimed at improving the clarity, quality, and development time of your website. This is like the foundation of a house; if you don’t lay it down correctly, the whole project will be useless.

  1. Content and Keywords

When it comes to what your users are going to see, it is important to have engaging and consistent visuals that relate to your defined audience. This also may come up when talking about On-Page SEO. Having relevant keywords and valuable content is very important in the SEO process in order to boost profitable consumer action.

  1. Authority and Social Engagement

Though a tertiary level of optimization, building your social networks outside of your website is the key to having a truly successful online marketing campaign. Your authority is the likelihood of your domain being found in search engine results. Ask your SEO agency about building a strong backlink portfolio, as this greatly affects your overall authority. If you hear Off-Page SEO, it’s what happens behind-the-scenes of your website optimization.

Creating a decent social engagement on various platforms can be tough, but this is where your online marketing can really stand out from your competitors. Having multiple networks with the appropriate calls-to-action will bring business and activity back to your website.

Yes or No to SEO?

There really is no question to it: If you want your business to flourish online, you need to have solid Search Engine Optimization. Take this information and find the best SEO firm for your needs. Never hesitate to ask questions, because most SEO “experts” will tell you a lot, but end up doing very little. Integrity is still important in internet marketing so get in touch with us if you want to work with someone you can trust.