Websites are our business, which means search engine optimization(SEO) is always on our minds. Search engine optimization for a website is never done, it’s constantly changing and evolving, which means the website needs to do the same to stay ahead of the game. Because SEO is A) important and B) a moving target, we like to share a lot of information with our readers. Below we have everything you need to know whether you building a new website, looking to redesign your existing website without losing your SEO, or enhancing the SEO on your current website.
What Is SEO?
Search engine optimization is the process of improving your website search enging rankings. That rank on the SERP—search engine results page—is determined by how well your site matches not only the search terms entered but also how easily the search engine was able to evaluate your site for information. WordPress makes SEO easy for users to optimize their websites for search engines.
How Is It Determined?
SEO is largely determined by Google Ranking Factors. While not all of the 200+ factors are made public, there are some that are more commonly known. These factors are as simple as having accurate image information to as complex as code that optimizes your website on mobile devices. Others include:
- Security
- Link quality and quantity
- Page speed
- Accessibility
- Content including:
- Age
- Magnitude of updates
- Page Structure
- Titles & Subheads
- Quality (grammar, spelling, punctuation)
On-Page Vs. Off-Page SEO
On-page SEO refers to anything on a website, both what is visible to visitors and what is behind the scenes. This includes anything that helps to improve your ranking on a search engine. These areas would include the following:
- Keywords
- Internal links
- Alt text, captions, and image descriptions
- Blogs
- Metadata
Much like the name implies, off-page SEO is just that: any kind of content that exists outside of your website and that points back to, including:
- Backlinks
- Directories
- Thought leader content such as trade shows and speaking engagements
- Social Media
Local Schema
Local schema is schema code that is specific to your local business. It codes things such as the hours your business is open, currency accepted, department information, and so on. When potential customers come to your website, they see the standard information. But with local schema, a search engine will see not only that information but the background code as well. The easier the code is to read, the higher ranking a search engine can give your site.
Ways to Improve
In addition to implementing the items above, organically (meaning without paying for Google Ad Words or any other kind of advertising) improving your SEO score an be done by:
- Blogging. Consistent posting of blogs of 350+ words gives big content updates to your site. In addition, having good punctuation, headers, keywords, and backlinks is key to ranking higher.
- Google Business Page. Create a Google Business Page and update all of your business information, be sure to add pictures and collect reviews. Google loves these pages and they help to increase your SEO ranking.
- Links. If you have a blog, be sure to go back to older posts and link to newer posts. Quality and quantity of internal links is key.
- Images. Updating images, as well as completing all of the descriptive information, can make it easier for web crawlers to analyze your site. The easier it is to analyze? The higher the rank.
- Regular Maintenance – Regular maintenance keeps your site up-to-date and also visible by reducing downtime.
How Long Does it Take to Improve
It’s not possible to say exactly how long it takes to improve your rankings as there are so many factors that go into SEO. But, generally, if you are creating fresh content and putting the effort into improving your SEO, you should start to see an increase in traffic and rankings within 3-6 months on an existing website and 9 to 12 months on a new domain.
We Can Help
If you need help enhancing your SEO, we’re here for you. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation and let’s talk through your questions and see how our SEO services can support your business.
Resources:
- How Long Does It Take For SEO To Start Working?
- How WordPress Makes Website SEO Easy
- Redesign Your Business Website Without Losing SEO
- Google Ranking Factors: What You Need to Know
- How to Organically Boost SEO
- How to Structure Your Blog for the Best SEO
- Image Information: What Is Important for SEO
- Titles and Subheadings: Why They Matter and How to Use Them Correctly
- How Local Schema Can Help Clients Find Your Business
- On-Page and Off-Page SEO
- What Are Backlinks and How Do They Help SEO?
- Why Your Business Website Needs a Blog
- 52 Reasons to Start a Business Blog
- Website Best Practices: Security
- Alternative Ways to Keep Website Content Fresh
- 3 Ways to Improve Website Speed and Performance
