Search Engine Optimization 101

Ever wondered why your website is ranked so low on Google’s search engine results pages? How can you become the first website that searchers see? Your answer lies in Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  

Welcome to Search Engine Optimization 101 — the perfect guide for every beginner’s SEO journey. In this blog, you will learn how to master and apply the tricks of SEO. Don’t worry, SEO is not rocket science; it’s just a simple technique that we can all use to our advantage.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is a fundamental practice to drive traffic to your website by ensuring you can be easily found on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). 

Why do I need SEO?

Although there are other alternatives like social media and paid advertising to generate website traffic, the most powerful method is through search engines. The fact is, organic search results are more reliable and direct compared with their paid counterparts. People prefer clicking an organic search result over a paid advertisement. In fact, less than 2.8% of US searchers click on paid advertisements. 

Ensuring that your company’s website is search-engine-optimized is critical to promoting and broadening your business goals. As such, effective digital marketing essentially revolves around SEO. 

The outcome of an SEO-friendly website is an increase in web-foot traffic, brand exposure, and consumer engagement through organic search results. The best part about organic search results is that they are completely free. You earn traffic to your website through a robust SEO strategy. 

So, how can you build an SEO-friendly website? Let’s first understand how SEO actually works.

How does SEO work? 

Every time a searcher types in a query on a search engine (in most cases, Google), they’re instantly presented with a list of results attempting to answer their question as accurately as possible. Though let’s be real, no one really has the time to scroll down to the bottom of the results page. Since the internet is flooded with information (40 trillion gigabytes to be exact), search engines rank websites based on their ability to satisfy a searcher’s queries. 

Let’s say you offer paper-shredding services. When people type “Where to shred papers?” or “Best shredding company”, you want to be the first link people see and click. If you’re quick to catch on, you will realize that the objective of SEO is utilizing specific keywords. Once you can deliver outstanding content related to specific keywords, it is more likely that search engines will rank your website on the top.

Therefore, the first step to performing SEO is to conduct keyword research. 

Keyword research

The purpose of keyword research is to identify what kind of content your target audience is searching for, aka the search demand landscape. In order to do this, you will need to get into your audience’s head while ensuring that you are targeting your correct audience. 

If you research the wrong audience, your correct audience may not be able to find your website. This would only grant your competitors an edge against you. So make sure you know exactly who you are targeting.

Once you have an idea of the search demand landscape, you should create a list of terms or phrases that you can use to achieve rankings. Of course, these keywords should relate to the products and services that your business provides. 

While you brainstorm for keywords, some points to consider are:

• Keyword Search-Density

Keyword search-density refers to the frequency of a target keyword being searched online. Take note of how many times a keyword will be searched each month. Some keywords may be time-sensitive. For example, content related to Christmas is mostly searched during the end of the year. 

• Less Competitive Keywords

After calculating keyword search-density, you might realize that certain keywords are overly dominated. It’ll be near impossible to climb your rank up by using extremely popular keywords. For example, it would be absurd to overtake successful tourist boards for search terms like “best places to visit in Miami”. Thus, you should expand on less competitive keywords. Remember, the intent here is to climb ranks. 

• Your Target Audience 

The most critical point is to fine-tune who is going to be searching for these terms. Is your audience specific to Canada or are they internationally-based? What questions do they ask? What words do they use when asking those questions? Do they search on their desktop, mobile, or voice search?

There are several SEO tools available to assist you in your keyword research. Some credible tools include SEM Rush, Keyword Explorer, and Google Trends (free). 

SERP (search engine results pages) features

Nowadays, search engines have become very resourceful and intuitive. Not only are searchers presented with answers through text, but there are also other features that show up on the results page. To make the most out of your SEO, it will be good to familiarize yourself with SERPs features and how they work.

Common SERPs features on Google:

• Featured Snippets (instant answer)

Featured Snippets are found at the top of the results page. They are formatted to provide direct and quick answers to search queries. 

• Local Pack (maps)

Local Pack is used to answer queries related to locations. For example, if you search “bakery near me”, a Local Pack will provide a map of bakeries within your current location. 

The majority of voice search queries involve “near me” questions and 60% of mobile searchers contact a business that appears on a Local Pack search result. Therefore, Local Pack is an efficient feature to consider if you want to gain local customers.

• Image Packs

Google shows Image Packs to answer queries related to visual content. To advance your usage of Image Packs, you can learn more about image search optimization.

• Videos

Similar to the photo feature, the video feature appears when answers can be found in a video format. You can watch a short preview of the video before clicking it which directs you to a video hosting platform (most of the time, YouTube). 

Videos have continuously proven to be an effective digital marketing tool. Other than driving traffic to your website, there are many more reasons to invest in corporate video production.

• FAQs

The FAQs feature usually begins with four questions that are related to your initial search query. When you click on a FAQ, it will expand to show the answer to the question — almost like Featured Snippets. The website that provided the answer is linked so that you can click on it to find out more. More questions will be generated at the bottom of the list as you continue to open more questions. 

• Shopping Ads 

Unlike the rest of the features above, Shopping Ads are paid spaces. They are arranged to sell products to potential customers. Listing of products, including the photo, price, and brand shows up at the top.

This is just a brief introduction of common SERPs features on Google — the most widely used search engine. Do note that Google likes to experiment with new SERPs Features from time to time to refine searcher’s experiences. Therefore, you should always be on the lookout for new updates and be open to learning about them.

Searcher satisfaction

How can you ensure that your website is fully optimized for search engines? Searcher satisfaction is key to building your website’s credibility and value. As you have learned, search engines sort results according to the historical performance data of which result worked best for searchers. 

Developing searcher satisfaction is like the cherry on top of your ice cream sundae — it puts a smile on people’s faces and leaves them wanting more. 

There are four aspects to achieving searcher satisfaction:

1. Provide a comprehensive answer

When you have a question, you want to find the best possible answer in the shortest amount of time. This applies to your prospective customers as well. So make sure you compose a comprehensive answer to the keyword that you’re targeting. If you can prove that you’re the most reliable resource, you’ll be in good shape. 

2. Prioritize user-experience

When you land on a website, think about what makes you click on the back button immediately. Is it the pop-up ads? The slow loading screen? Or it just looks sketchy?

When you prioritize user-experience on your interface, you create a pleasurable experience for anyone who visits your site. You want your website to be fast-loading, well-designed, and user-friendly. 

3. Think ahead — what do your searchers need next?

Now that you’ve provided the answer to your searcher’s queries, what’s next?

Take the initiative to solve your searcher’s next question or actions. This way, you give your searchers another reason to stay on your site. For example, if your page provides an answer to queries like “reasons for hair loss”, your searcher’s next task might be to look for hair treatment products. Include this on your page, be it a new section or an internal link.

Many sites tend to neglect this aspect, which is why you’ll have a competitive edge if you make this a priority. 

4. Incorporate creative elements and interactive tools

Create a lasting impact by adding creative elements and interactive tools. People are drawn to visuals like animation, unique fonts, product photos, etc. Consider starting a blog for your business. If you’re able to incorporate SEO with well-written blogs, the amount of organic traffic to your website will increase significantly. 

You can also interact with your searchers by asking for reviews, sharing your social media handles, and chatting with them directly on Live Chat.

Do NOT give your searchers a reason to click the back button!

The power of SEO is in your hands

Now that you understand the basics of SEO-101, it’s time for you to boost your website’s rank. 

SEO achieves far greater results than vanity metrics (values that do not exactly contribute to your business success). It may seem complicated in the beginning, but SEO can most definitely be your company’s best asset. 

FAQs

Am I choosing the right keywords for SEO?

Ultimately, your keywords should be relevant to your business. But if you’re able to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience, you can distinguish the best keywords to use. It may be a good idea to research your competition and see what they are using. 

You can also analyze the performance of keywords beforehand with keyword research tools like SEM Rush, Keyword Explorer, and Google Trends (free).

What other SERPs features can I use for SEO? 

SERPs features that you may find on Google include Reviews, Sitelinks, Top Stories, Twitter, Google Flights Block, Hotel Pack, Job Listings, and Google Ads. Google may edit or add new SERP features. So make sure you’re always updated. 

Should I hire an SEO expert to help me?

You can always attempt some basic SEO strategies yourself. However, to really take your business to the next level, it’s always a good idea to seek professional assistance. In fact, if your budget permits, hiring an SEO expert would be a great investment for your business in the long-run. 

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