While exchanging texts with a good friend, I mentioned how important it is to consider SEO before choosing a website platform for her photography business. She quickly texts back, “What is SEO?” I sent her the following explanation, and I hope it helps you as well!
The importance of SEO.
Without a search engine optimized website, you may as well not have a website at all. Yes, you can add your website address to your business cards or pay for ads. However, if it is not optimized for search engines, it probably is not optimized for users, your potential customers. Poor user experience is likely to result in little to no phone calls, leads, or sales. That is why it is vital to understand search engine optimization when you plan to invest in a website.
Search engine ranking factors.
Search engines like Google, Bing, and Ecosia, want to deliver the best possible content and user experience. After all, if our preferred search engine stops giving us what we want, we’ll take our time, attention, and ultimately money elsewhere. For that reason, search engines have built rules and ranking factors into their platform that consider everything from:
- how quickly a website loads
- to the relevancy of the content
- to how organized the content is
- to the number of other websites linking to the website, the website’s popularity
After considering thousands of ranking factors, search engines serve a list of relevant websites to the user in a blink of an eye! It is a fantastic process.
Learn SEO basics.
The great thing is, search engines want to help us create fabulous websites! Google provides an incredibly helpful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) starter guide to help those new to SEO learn the basics.
However, it is essential to note that Google will never tell you exactly what you can do to help your website rank above your competitor’s website. Since the late 90s, people have attempted to trick the system and rank above other websites using various black hat SEO methods. I strongly recommend you do not even consider those methods. They might help temporarily, but they can get your domain blacklisted.
Favorite SEO website and tools.
To dig deeper into SEO, I recommend checking out Moz. Moz has been in the SEO game for years, and they provide complimentary advice, tools, and publish an updated SEO ranking guide annually. It is my go-to SEO resource.
Here are a few of my favorite SEO tools:
- PageSpeed Insights – provides a desktop and mobile website speed score along with recommendations to improve your PageSpeed.
- Mobile-Friendly Test – test how easy a visitor can use your website on a mobile device
- Link Explorer – while on-page optimization is essential to boost your search engine rankings, relevant backlinks from other websites are even more critical.
View all of Moz’s free SEO tools.
Content is king.
The best SEO advice I have ever heard is create great content. Content is king, and delivering GREAT content that helps your users naturally attracts backlinks and helps your website rank better.
We wish you good luck on your SEO journey. Contact our team at Beach Marketing if you need additional assistance with your website. We are here to help!
