SEO, otherwise known as search engine optimisation, is the act of improving the flow of traffic to a website by increasing its visibility on popular search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. With so many businesses making the permanent switch to online, digital marketing has never been more important, and SEO is one of the most effective ways to bring in new customers to a website.
The proof of SEO’s importance is indisputable. According to research by Hubspot, 94% of all web traffic is derived from organic search – that’s typing into a search engine and discovering a website on the search results. Getting up there as first on Google search results is important, too, with websites that make it to the top getting an average of a 34.36% click-through rate from computer desktops and 35% from mobile devices.
How can SEO be used?
The way SEO works is simple: when someone types something into a search engine, if that search item is a keyword that relates to your website, your website will appear at the top (or near to) of their search results. There are plenty of articles on the topic such as this SEO guide. This is an easy way to attract more customers to your website simply by appearing as a relevant option that will meet the search engine user’s needs.
With effective keyword SEO, your leads are far more likely to be your targeted customers, encouraging sales with minimal effort or marketing costs on your part.
How much does SEO cost?
The cost of SEO varies depending on who you find to do your work, but you can generally expect an SEO expert to charge between $70 and $150 per hour. When it comes to SEO, finding the cheapest professional to handle your SEO might not be the best way forward. Costs can often equate to level of expertise, and you’re obviously looking for the most knowledgeable expert to carry out the job.
SEO can be project based (when the client pays for the project) or performance-based (when the client pays only when their rankings improve), or you can set up a monthly deposit for long-term work. It’s difficult to estimate SEO costs, as the setup time and the work that follows varies from website to website, and the level of work that’s required.
Examples of companies using SEO right
If you want to see who’s doing SEO right, simply search a popular company name into Google, and if their websites, social platforms and any other areas of online presence rank in the top five search engine results, you know they’re doing something right. Ecommerce store Etsy is a good example of this – searching the name into the search bar brings up first the website, followed by its Twitter and Pinterest pages, a link to download the Etsy app, and its Facebook page.
SEO can be far cleverer than simply making sure you’re at the top of your own search results. Some companies may use the keywords of their competitors in their own SEO strategies so that when a user searches for the competitor, an advert for this similar company will show up at the top of their search engine results, driving the potential for new leads.
Best SEO Tools To Use
When it comes to SEO, the number of available tools to use is overwhelming. You should know that most of them do a variation of the same thing, so there’s no need to consider using a handful of them for your own website. Some of the top recommended SEO tools are as follows:
· Google Keyword Planner
For keyword research, you won’t get any better than Google Keyword planner. This paid search tool enables you to research and analyse top keywords to use in Google pay-per-click campaigns.
· Woorank
Any technical aspects of SEO are best being handled with Woorank. The handy tool will generate tailored SEO reports for you, so you can see what’s right and wrong with your technical, on-page and off-page SEO.
· Ahrefs
If you’re looking to monitor your backlinks, Ahrefs is one of the most popular tools to use. The tool’s free backlink checker allows you to review the followed versus no-followed links for any target.
· Link Research Tools
For link building, you won’t go wrong with Link Research Tools. The site allows for link monitoring, competitor research, link building and link audits.
· Google Search Console
It’s hard to beat Google Search Console if you’re after a tool to track your search engine ranking. The free-of-charge web service enables webmasters to check indexing status and optimize visibility of their websites.
My Top Tips For Killing It With SEO
If you’re getting started with SEO, follow these top actionable tips to quick and easy SEO success:
1. Give your website one focus. It’ll make all aspects of digital marketing so much easier.
2. Create keywords related to your primary focus, and put them where they count. This could be in your website’s title, domain name, page titles, page content and blog categories.
3. Sort out your internal links. You want to create an internal network on your site that keeps people clicking through for hours.
4. Set up a blog (if you haven’t already). Blogs are SEO godsends if you’re on it with your keywording and backlinking.
5. Link externally. Find other websites that are relevant to your content (your competitors aside, obviously), and if people click through, you will be seen by search engines as a trusted expert on your particular topic.
The Top SEO Blogs To Follow
1. Moz
As arguably the biggest SEO blog on the internet, Moz is a go-to resource for all SEO professionals, sharing advice, research, how-tos, and insights from industry experts.
2. Search Engine Land
Search Engine Land offers everything from daily news coverage, advertising technology and the martech landscape, to the more basic how-tos and Q&As by subject matter experts.
3. Yoast
Yoast offers invaluable resources such as how to guides, free webinars and news and updates, as well as an “Ask Yoast” series
Aside from the examples above, there are so many more SEO blogs that are really worth the read. I suggest you take a look at a full list of my favourite SEO blogs for a better understanding of the online resources on offer.
Conclusion
Ultimately, a business simply can’t expect to survive with no SEO strategy in place. It isn’t just recommended nowadays; it’s a necessity. The benefits of SEO are such that it will most likely be the best business investment you ever make.
