What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
When a potential customer uses the internet to search for your type of business, they enter keywords or phrases into a search engine and click ‘search’. The search engine immediately uses those keywords, along with an array of complex algorithms, to filter through millions of websites within a split second, and displays a list of websites that provide the most relevant content and the best user experience.
The websites that appear in this list are known as ‘organic listings’. In addition, the search engine may also display a selection of adverts, or ‘sponsored links’, for which businesses have bid for. These non-organic listings require a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign to be set up with a search provider such as Google.
In order for your website to achieve the best possible ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), there are a number of considerations and steps that have to be taken to advise the search engines that your website is worthy of a listing on that first page of search results. This is where Search Engine Optimization come into play.
Is SEO important?
Having an SEO strategy in place is one of the most important elements for any website, and it must be done with scrupulous precision to ensure the best results. The parameters for SEO are changing regularly and there’s so much that can be done to help push your site up the rankings. SEO trends come and go as the search engines change the way they do things, what was ‘fashionable’ last year is not necessarily the done thing now, it’s a large task to keep on top of for any website owner.
There are certain things you can do for yourself if you have the time. These include asking your customers to leave genuine customer reviews on your Google My Business page (of course you need to make sure your website and your Google page are linked to each other). Updating your social media pages with interesting information, such as special offers, discounts or new products, even new staff members joining your team. Remember each time you post to include a link back to your website, and don’t always link to your homepage, vary the text and landing pages you use. Most importantly keep it looking natural. Search engines are very clever and they know if you try to cheat the system, such as writing a number of ‘fake’ customer reviews yourself.
Whilst it is usually possible to improve the SERP position of a website, there is no way to guarantee which position will be achieved (even with pay-per-click campaigns). If you get your SEO correct, your organic listing position should improve and therefore enable you to reduce costs of PPC campaigns or eliminate the need for them altogether.
We take care of SEO for a number of websites and have many happy customers. When it comes to organic listings, great success doesn’t happen overnight and having an ongoing SEO strategy should achieve the best results.
How do we take care of SEO?
After some initial keyword research, working in-line with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, we will ensure that as many SEO boxes get ticked for your website as is physically possible. SEO is not as straight forward as it used to be, and it’s vital that the guidelines are strictly followed to ensure no black hat techniques are used in an attempt to falsely beat the system.
There are a lot of factors that have an impact on your SERP position. Some of which should be done within your website (this called ‘on-page SEO’). In addition to this, there are some very important best-practise elements that should be done as ‘off-page SEO’. We will put a plan of action together for you.
Simply give us a call on 01233 535008 to discuss your needs and for a FREE, no-obligation quote. Please note that SEO techniques often change and some websites are easier to achieve quick results with less work than others. This may be due to many factors which we will make you aware of before any SEO work commences. Results also have a lot to do with your budget and who your main competitors are. However, we have trained with the best SEOs in the world, completed their training courses and attended their seminars, one of which was in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
SEO website audits
Please read our latest article about starting your SEO improvements with a professional website audit.