This is the story of SEO, the magical world where search engines like Google decide who gets to be on the first page and who gets thrown into the abyss of page 234. It’s a world where the rules are always changing, and the competition is fierce. But fear not, my dear business owners, for I’m here to guide you through the labyrinth of SEO and show you why it’s essential for your website’s success.
What is SEO?
Do you know how when you search for something on the internet, like an answer to “Do dogs bark in accents?”, a bunch of different websites come up? Well, SEO (which stands for Search Engine Optimization) is like a game that some people play to try to make their website show up higher on the list of websites that come up when you search for something.
It’s kind of like a race to see who can make their website the most popular and helpful for people who are looking for something online. The more people who like and use a website, the higher it will show up on the list when you search for something. So, people who want their website to be at the top of the list work really hard to make it really good and useful for people.
Why should I care about SEO?
First things first, let’s get one thing straight: SEO is not some voodoo magic that only the tech-savvy can understand. It’s simply a set of techniques and strategies that make your website more visible to search engines like Google. And why is that important? Because if your website isn’t visible, no one will find it, and if no one finds it, you won’t get any customers. Simple, right?
Now, you might be thinking, “But I have a small business, and I don’t have the budget to hire an SEO specialist!” Well, Homeslice, that’s where you’re wrong. SEO is not just for big companies with deep pockets. In fact, SEO is more critical for small businesses because it’s your chance to level the playing field and compete with the big dogs.
Think about it. If someone in your area is looking for a product or service you offer, where do you think they’re going to look? Yep, you guessed it, Google. And if your website isn’t optimized for search engines, you’ll be buried under a sea of competitors who are. So, if you want to stand out and get noticed, you need SEO on your side.
But how do I get started with SEO?
Well, there are a few things you can do right away to improve your website’s visibility:
1. Keyword research:
You need to know what keywords your customers are using to search for your products or services. Once you have a list of keywords, you can use them to optimize your website’s content.
2. On-page optimization:
This includes things like optimizing your page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags.
3. Content creation:
You need to create high-quality content that is relevant to your audience and optimized for your target keywords.
4. Backlinks:
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authoritative your site will appear to search engines.
Now you have the basics for SEO
Of course, there’s a lot more to SEO than these four things, but they’re a good place to start. And if you’re still feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. I created a free guide to help you with this!
When I build websites with my clients, I of course include a bit of magic to help, such as hooking everything up to Google Search Console, submitting techy things like sitemaps, and even connecting your Google Analytics.
The bottom line is this: if you want to succeed online, you need SEO. Don’t let your competitors outshine you because they’ve invested in SEO and you haven’t. Take control of your online presence and start optimizing your website today!
