Search engine optimization, known in short as SEO, is a vital part of any business’s online growth. SEO is a field within digital marketing that continues to change for two reasons- the way people use Google changes over time, and the way Google indexes web content also continues to change. Search engines are a gateway for potential customers to find your business, and SEO is the most direct way to increase organic traffic and bring more people to your website.

A small-business or enterprise SEO agency can help your company succeed and provide advice to transform your marketing efforts into successfully converting campaigns. Search engine optimization involves sharpening your website so that all pages, URLs, headers, content, and designs are easy for both people and Google’s algorithm to understand. All of these optimizations increase three key components of your digital presence and brand: authority, relevance, and trust.

What is Organic vs. Paid Traffic?

SEO marketing on websites like Radaris – free people search focuses on bringing in organic traffic, which refers to visits to your website that come through without social media or advertising assistance. For example, an organic click-through refers to someone searching for a term related to your business on a search engine, then seeing your website, and clicking through to any of your web pages.

Increasing organic traffic is one of the central goals of SEO, as this typically increases your conversions. Paid traffic refers instead to click-throughs to your website from a search or display ad, which is often more expensive. There are several SEO and website optimization tactics to try first before attempting to generate paid traffic.

SEO Focuses On Your Website

Your website is the primary location where you can show off your brand’s authority, relevance, and trust. Your website is essentially your digital real estate, so make it count! The way people search and how Google changes its search algorithm is not within your control, so your website should be your primary focus for tackling the changes and challenges of the digital marketing landscape.

SEO Content Writing

Providing regular updates for your website content is critical to engaging your target audience. Substantial content, such as blogs, landing pages, and image galleries, keep visitors on your website longer and increase interest in your products and services.

SEO-focused content begins with choosing a focus keyword. Keywords are the foundation for digital content that ranks well. But what is a keyword? Simply put, it’s a search term. More specifically, it’s a search term relevant to your website and will lead anyone using a search engine back to your site. Keywords range from single words to names to full questions.

Using focus keywords to find new topics for pages and posts helps bring in an audience with a question related to your business or industry that your content can answer. For more detailed information on keyword research, check out this guide for SEO beginners. We recommend using a keyword research tool such as SEMRush or Moz.

If you don’t want to sign up or spend money, you can get started on keyword research with this free online tool.

Your site’s content should be informative and relevant to your brand and should not include any extended blocks of text or high-level language. Writing for SEO requires natural and easy-to-understand language that avoids stuffing in keywords throughout the text. Use website content as a platform to display your expertise in your company’s industry, but stay away from duplicating content that exists elsewhere on your website.

Technical SEO

An SEO expert can also assist you with the technical side of your website, which is particularly important for allowing Google to crawl and index your site (learn more here). Making your website easy for Google’s algorithm to understand is critical for appearing in search rankings.

There are several common site errors you can fix to boost your website rankings and perceived reliability. The first of these is an error code message in the 400s and 500s that appears when attempting to load a page. 4XX messages denote a broken link, with a “404 page not found message” being the most common 400 level error. 5XX messages refer to a server error- either the server is unreachable or unstable. If you continue to encounter 500 level errors, you may want to switch your web hosting provider.

Slow page loading speed is also essential to fix, but the source of the issue is often less straightforward. A web page should have small image files and compressed Javascript and CSS code to keep loading times down. A page redirect or extending URL tracking code can also slow down page speed. A professional SEO specialist can identify the source of page speed errors and assist in getting your website’s pages to load quickly.

Another standard error that comes up more frequently with larger websites is a lack of page meta titles and meta descriptions. These are short descriptors that change how your website appears on Google. The meta title for a Google listing is the blue hypertext, and the description is the longer piece below it.

Each page of your website should have a meta description and title so viewers on Google can quickly parse the relevance and subject of your web content. Meta descriptions can also contain CTAs (Call to Action) that increase the click-through rate to your website.

Reputation Management

Your business will often receive reviews through platforms such a Google Maps and Yelp, and understanding how to respond to bad reviews is critically important for maintaining marketable reliability. Respond quickly and resolve customer complaints whenever possible, but stay away from reviews that are posted with the intent to start a flame war.

You can develop a reputation management process by signing up for a Google My Business account and filling in all the requested information. Google Business listings provide potential customers with updated business hours, photos of your business or product, and contact information.

Conclusion– What is Search Engine Optimization and How Will it Help My Business

Search engine optimization will help your business rank well in Google or other search engines and increase your website’s organic traffic. High-quality SEO begins with a careful look at your website to fix errors and identify keywords for new traffic. As the SEO process for your business expands, you may need the assistance of a local digital marketing agency. SEO can be a moving target, so it is essential to continually monitor your website, focus keywords, and content to allow your business’s digital presence to grow.