Search Engine Optimization
Published Oct 14, 2024
SEO is one of the first things you’ll want to get right with your website. Not only does it help generate organic (aka FREE) traffic by signaling to Google and other search engines that your content is relevant and reliable, but it also plays a direct role in your conversion funnel and ad spend. On top of that, while your ads’ return on investment (ROI) may decrease over time, SEO often increases in value over time.
Whether you do the Search Engine Optimization yourself, hire an in-house marketer or work with a third-party like Teq Crew, this is one of the most fundamental parts of your website to get right.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of enhancing a website’s visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The primary goal of SEO is to improve organic (non-paid) traffic to a site by optimizing its content and structure. This involves various techniques, including technical metrics, keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
Technical metrics are related to your website’s setup and configuration. While there are a few ways to measure this, it often comes down to how quickly your page loads. There are a variety of ways to improve your website, and if you look further below to the Technical SEO Metrics section, you’ll see one key tool that every website should be using.
Keyword research identifies the terms and phrases potential customers use to search for information. By incorporating these keywords into website content, businesses can increase the likelihood of appearing in relevant search results. In the Keywords section below, you’ll learn about a free tool that helps you measure your keyword performance.
On-page optimization focuses on improving individual web pages, ensuring that titles, meta descriptions, headings, and images are optimized for both search engines and users. Check out the On-Page Optimization section to find out which WordPress tool we prefer for making sure each page has all of the key SEO elements optimized.
Link building involves acquiring backlinks from reputable sites, which signals to search engines that the content is credible and valuable. This can enhance a site’s authority and ranking.
SEO is an ongoing process, as search engine algorithms frequently change. Staying updated on best practices and industry trends is essential for maintaining and improving search rankings. Overall, effective SEO can lead to increased visibility, more traffic, and ultimately, higher conversion rates, making it a critical component of digital marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes.
Technical SEO Metrics
Technical SEO refers to optimizing a website’s infrastructure to improve its performance and crawling by search engines. This includes elements like site architecture, mobile-friendliness, secure connections (HTTPS), and structured data. One crucial aspect is the Google PageSpeed Score, which measures how quickly a webpage loads. A higher score indicates better performance, enhancing user experience and potentially improving search rankings. Optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing code are common strategies to boost this score. Effective technical SEO ensures that search engines can easily access and index content, ultimately leading to better visibility and increased organic traffic.
Given that the majority of web traffic comes from mobile, it’s important to not only design your website with mobile first, but you also need to focus on your technical SEO metrics from this perspective as well.
A general target is an 80+ mobile score and a 95+ desktop score. As you can see below, the Teq Crew website has a 77 on mobile and 95 on desktop.
To improve the score, there are a variety of technical improvements to a website that can be made, and Google’s tool provides recommendations for how to improve your score. If you’re using WordPress, there are a variety of plugins that can help optimize image size and when they load, along with cleaning up some of the longer loading WordPress scripts.
If you’re looking for some help with your technical SEO metrics or aren’t sure where to start, contact us and we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction or see how we can help you directly.
Keywords
Keywords are essential for SEO because they connect users with relevant content. When people search online, they use specific terms or phrases—keywords—that reflect their intent. By integrating these keywords into website content, businesses can increase the likelihood of appearing in search engine results pages (SERPs) when users enter those terms. This relevance not only helps attract targeted traffic but also enhances user engagement, as visitors find what they’re looking for. Additionally, keyword optimization informs content strategy, guiding the creation of articles, blogs, and other resources that meet audience needs, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates and improved search rankings.
When we start working with a client, one of our first questions during our audit is to know what are your best performing keywords. In other words, where are you getting traffic already. The value of this question is multi-faceted, and one critical thing that this often uncovers is that there is a missing tool in your measurement.
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that allows you to see your website’s search impressions, clicks, and position for each keyword in Google. This is invaluable for seeing precise information about how your website is ranking. In particular, having high Technical SEO metrics combined with a high search ranking will help drive your ad costs down since these two metrics indicate that your website is highly relevant for the given search term.
On Page Optimization
On-Page Optimization involves refining individual web pages to improve their visibility and relevance to search engines. Key elements include optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content by incorporating targeted keywords. Additionally, ensuring proper URL structure, using alt text for images, and enhancing internal linking can significantly impact a page’s SEO performance. On-page optimization also focuses on user experience, making sure that content is valuable and easy to read. By addressing these factors, websites can enhance their chances of ranking higher in search results, ultimately driving more organic traffic and improving user engagement.
Rank Math is our preferred WordPress plugin to simplify SEO management. Its user-friendly interface offers an intuitive dashboard, making it easy to implement SEO best practices without extensive technical knowledge. Rank Math provides an easy-to-use score that evaluates on-page SEO elements, helping users identify areas for improvement. With features like keyword optimization and schema markup, it streamlines the SEO process. Additionally, Rank Math offers built-in suggestions for enhancing content quality and visibility, making it a valuable tool for both beginners and experienced marketers aiming to boost their website’s performance.
Link Building
Link building is a crucial SEO strategy that involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These backlinks are essential for improving a site’s authority and search engine rankings, as they signal to search engines that your content is credible and valuable.
To effectively build links, start by creating high-quality, shareable content that naturally attracts attention. This could include informative blog posts, infographics, or unique research. Once your content is established, promote it through social media, newsletters, and online communities to increase visibility.
Another effective strategy is outreach. Identify relevant websites or blogs in your niche and reach out to them, proposing guest posts or collaborations. Offer to write a valuable article for their audience in exchange for a backlink to your site.
Additionally, you can leverage relationships with industry influencers and existing contacts to gain mentions and links. Participating in forums and commenting on relevant blogs can also help you build connections and earn links organically.
Lastly, monitor your backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console to ensure you maintain high-quality links and disavow any harmful ones. By consistently implementing these strategies, you can enhance your site’s authority and improve its search engine rankings.
If you need help with SEO, our team is here to assist you! We understand that navigating the complexities of search engine optimization can be challenging. Whether you’re looking to improve your rankings, enhance your website’s visibility, or develop a comprehensive SEO strategy, we can provide tailored solutions to meet your needs. Simply fill out our contact form, and we’ll get back to you promptly to discuss how we can support your goals. Don’t let SEO challenges hold you back—reach out today, and let’s work together to boost your online presence and drive more traffic to your site!
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