Search engine optimization is a fundamental and essential part of any business; it not only helps one to position their website properly so they can be found, but it also helps them to stand out as an authority in their respective fields.
The intention of search engine optimization (SEO) is to have the search engine crawlers find the pages and sites and specifically rank the relevance of a page so that it appears on the search engine results. There is no silver bullet when it comes to optimization; it is a culmination of, analysis, research, content optimization & submission, and continuous testing & measuring, all of which require time and mastery.
Why is SEO important?
More and more businesses are moving online because that’s where their clients hang out. The shift has seen the rise in competition for the top spots – everyone is trying to rank on the first pages of the search engine for their respective keywords. Ranking on the first page of Google, Yahoo or Bing has plenty of advantages, because very few people scroll to the second or third pages when they’re looking for something.
In order to keep up with the competition, or better yet, to outdo them, you have to integrate SEO into your marketing strategy. This way, when your clients search for the specific keyword that you want to rank for, your website comes to the top. If you are just getting started with your website, or have been around, but had no idea how to go about ranking, use these SEO basics to optimize your site:
Provide relevant content
In the online world, content is king, without content, your website is doomed to fail. Come up with relevant and quality content that will drive high-quality traffic to your site, and publish them consistently. Content may include anything from articles, blogs, videos, webinars, infographics, pictures and more.
Loading speed
A recent study revealed that the human attention span is now eight seconds, which is even lower than the ill-focused jellyfish at nine. If your site takes longer to load, your prospects will quickly bounce off to your competitors. Search engines will also presume that your platform isn’t providing what the users are looking for, so, it becomes hard for you to rank.
Authority links
Authority links are links that come from authority sites. They are ideal as they help to drive traffic from the renowned sites to yours. When you have such links pointing clients to your site, search engines assume that you have something good to offer, and therefore ranks you higher.
User experience
It’s easy to overlook the user experience, but it plays a crucial role. Think about how easy it is for your prospects to navigate through your site to whatever it is they are looking for. A good page should be interactive enough to keep the user engaged. Above all, make sure your site is responsive, so it fits on any kind of device and browser.