Do you have a website that needs to get more traffic? Do you find yourself jealous of the competition who shows up in Google searches ahead of you? Are you wondering how to get there too? Then look no further than Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Here we will explore what SEO is, and a few tips on maximizing it for your website.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making your website ‘search engine friendly.’ This means that when people type a word or phrase into a search engine, those sites that are more optimized (or relevant to the search phrase) come up first. This is not to be confused with the search engine Ads – that is paid advertising. SEO is the organic, or natural, representation of your site within the search engines. It is based on the content of your site and its relevance to whatever the user has typed into the search engine.

For example: if you are a hairdressing salon in New Jersey – you will want to show up on the first page when someone types in hairdresser new jersey.

What is the difference between SEO and Paid Ads, then?

SEO can be a free way to get traffic to your site. It works by using the content on your site (words, images, headings, links to other sites, etc.) to rank your site in terms of relevance to the word or phrase being searched for. You can, in fact, do many things to your site to make it SEO friendly without spending any money, but you need to know that this is a time-consuming, and lengthy process.

If you want faster and more sophisticated results from SEO, then you can hire an expert. They will create a number of elements on your site that help it show up in the search results for the words or phrases you choose (that are related to your business, of course). These things include hyperlinks, links to other sites, page descriptions, meta descriptions and meta-tags. They can even re-word some of your content (like your About Us page, etc.) so that it relates to the keywords you want to appear for in searches.

Paid Advertising on search engines (like Google Ads) is a short-term process, whereby you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. This can get you immediate traffic to your site. You can choose which search terms you want to show up for and you can change the ads, or the link they go to, as often as you want.

Beginners SEO Guide

IS SEO NECESSARY?

Honestly – yes! Unless you want to continually pay for ads (which some people do) to get results then you should have an SEO plan in place. Think of it this way… Once you stop paying for the ads – you will no longer be seen in search engines, your traffic will drop off and your sales will decrease. With SEO, however, your appearance in search engines is forever (if your site is still live). Whatever content you have on your site will always rank for searches and you do not have to continually pay. Plus, with SEO there is no limit to how many people can click through to your site, whereas with paid ads – the number of clicks/visits per day is limited by your budget.

Beginners SEO Guide – How can I get started on SEO for my site?

Create new content regularly

Search engines like fresh content, so put something new up regularly (at least once a week, if not more). Make sure that it relates to any words or phrases you think people might use to search for a business like yours.

Provide as much information as possible

Complete all of the information about your business; contact details, About Us, product and service information. The more information you have, the more the search engines have to link you to searches.

Link to other sites

Having links to other sites creates a web of inter-connectivity – and search engines like this. Your site will show up on others if you have external links, so without giving business away to others, link to external sites that complement what you are offering.

What If I Lack Time to Do This?

Getting expert help with SEO is beneficial, especially to your time management. YellowFin Digital, Corpus Christi’s premier digital marketing agency, has the knowledge and passion to ensure your site gets to the first page of search engines so that you reach an array of new customers, as soon as possible. Don’t waste time – get YellowFin Digital to start your new journey today!