All I Ever Needed to know about Search Engine Optimization I learned in 5th grade

Unlocking the Secrets of How Your Website Content Can Help Your Search Rankings

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important topic for any business owner who has a website.  If you rely on your website for leads and sales (and who doesn’t?), good SEO is vital.  At first glance, SEO might seem complicated.  Terms like keywords and metadata sound like a secret language used by digital marketing gurus and website developers to confound everyone else. And although there is a science and a required skill set necessary for implementing good SEO, it isn’t as complicated as you might think.  Even if you choose to contract for SEO, which in many cases is a smart business decision, you still need to understand what SEO is and why it’s important.  Read on to unlock the secrets of search engine optimization.
 
When I was in 5th grade, I had two teachers who insisted that we as students label everything, write clearly and concisely, and above all, stay organized.  Little did I know that Sr. Paul and Mrs. Butler were teaching us the basics of search engine optimization long before the Internet was even imagined.   Honestly, if you have these basic skills, you are 50% of way to driving traffic to your website.  SEO experts agree that good website content is one of the most important building blocks in ranking on the first page of a Google search.  There are obviously many other factors that contribute to high search rankings; things like click-through-rate, time visitors spend on your site, and backlinks are all important.  But, you have control over your content, and one could argue that if your content is great, the other factors will automatically trend in your favor.
 
So what is good content? Below is a list of things that Google uses to assess the quality of your content:
 

• It is relevant, meaning that the words on your website match the words in a Google search.  The best way to make sure that you have this covered is to research keywords for your product or service and then use these words in your content.  Keywords should describe what a page on your website is all about.  However, Google isn’t easily fooled.  If you “stuff” your content with too many keywords, Google will figure that out and rank your site lower than other sites that use key words more appropriately.  In other words, use language that clearly and concisely describes what you have to offer.  Provide enough detail so that you answer your visitors’ questions, but don’t overwhelm them with information that they don’t need.  Keep your content germane to what your customers are actually looking for. 

 

• It has images like graphics, photos, and graphs to back up and further illustrate what the text on your website states.  We are a visual society and our collective attention span seems to be getting shorter.  It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that certainly rings true in the digital world.  Just make sure that you label any images on your website.  Google doesn’t “see” images, so using words to describe your images (metadata), will allow Google to recognize them.  This is also a great way to appropriately use keywords.

 

• Your website is organized, loads quickly, and can be easily navigated by your visitors. There is no limit to ways in which you can present your website, and although you want it to be interesting and attractive, you mostly want it to be useful and inviting.  A user-friendly website is both.  Make sure that your menu options are easy to see and accurate. They are the visitors’ map to your website.  If there is a specific call to action that you want to direct your visitors to, place a button for it on your home page and on relevant pages throughout your website. It’s also important to make sure that your pages load quickly.  This is something that you should frequently test.  If your pages aren’t loading efficiently, talk to your developer.  We expect speed in the digital world, and if your site isn’t fast enough, your visitors will leave and go elsewhere.

 

• Your domain name has a simple URL and it is secure.  Google will find your website much more quickly if your website address is clean, so keep your domain name short and descriptive (relevant) for best results. Make sure that your website has a security certificate installed on site.  If your address begins with https, you’re all set.  If it begins with http, have a chat with your developer.

In summary, quality never goes out of style.  Good writing, organization, and efficiency are at least half of SEO success.  Of course, there are other factors that contribute to search rankings, and we’ll talk about them next week.  However, having a quality website will help with the other factors that impact your search ranking.