In our new “We Promise You’ll Understand” series, we’ll explain complex marketing topics in simple terms. Our first topic is SEO. Think it’s just about adding a bunch of keywords? Think again. So, how does SEO work? What does it do? Why should you care?
Before we get into the details, let’s look at SEO from Google’s perspective.
Google is the world’s biggest search engine, and they want to keep it that way. Their goal is to ensure that searchers find the best results.
You’ve probably experienced something similar to this. Let’s say your faucet is leaking and you need help, fast. You google something like, “how to fix a leaky faucet.” Google wants to give you the best results possible, so that the next time you need help, you use Google again. Your results might include:
- Blogs about fixing a leaky faucet
- Business listings for plumbers
- Video how-to’s for fixing faucets
- “People also ask” results with additional relevant information
But your journey doesn’t end there. To get all the info, you’ll probably be clicking through to different websites. So, consider this: what if you click on a website and it loads super slowly? Or it doesn’t provide enough information to help you fix this faucet? Enough bad clicks and you might give up, close Google and call a friend instead.
This is why Google isn’t just about adding keywords to your site—it’s about the experience visitors have, both on and off your website.
Let’s explore the four different types of SEO.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. This includes:
- Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions (these are the blurbs you’ll see when your page shows up in Google)
- Using header tags (H1, H2, H3) effectively (these are tags in your code that help Google understand the content on your page)
- Creating high-quality, relevant content to increase engagement
- Optimizing images with alt text to make your site accessible
- Ensuring your content answers user intent (i.e., you actually help them fix their faucet!)
By fine-tuning these elements, you help search engines understand your content better, increasing your chances of ranking for relevant keywords.
Off-Page SEO
Think of off-page SEO as your reputation. It’s not something you can totally control, but you can make efforts to improve it. Off-page SEO is all about looking good outside of your own website. The term “backlinks” are when other websites link out to you. The key is in getting backlinks from highly reputable sites (and not icky spammy ones). This can be achieved through:
- Guest blogging
- Creating shareable content (infographics, studies, etc.)
- Engaging in social media
- Participating in industry forums and discussions
Technical SEO
Technical SEO makes sure your website works well. Slow loading pages, inaccessible sites and poor-quality development will tank your ranking. A good technical SEO audit will address:
- Improving site speed
- Making your site mobile-friendly
- Implementing a clear site structure with easy navigation
- Creating and optimizing XML sitemaps
- Fixing broken links and crawl errors
Local SEO
Local SEO is mostly for brick-and-mortar businesses. Good local SEO will help your business show up in local search results when people are looking for your products or services in a certain region. Say a thirsty person visiting Austin, TX wants a cup of coffee. If you’ve got an Austin coffee shop, you’re going to want to show up first for that searcher and have them see only good reviews of your cafe.
Local SEO tactics include:
- Claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing
- Getting listed in local directories
- Encouraging customer reviews
- Creating location-specific pages on your website
- Using local keywords in your content
Now that you know a little more about SEO, how many of these have your business addressed? If you have questions, feel free to reach out at hello@reifycreative.com and we’d be happy to help.
