What is SEO?
I've been learning about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for two reasons:
Clients are always asking about it
I'm trying to generate traffic on my own site
And for both reasons, SEO is important for keeping the lights on in my apartment. So together we will be going down the SEO rabbit hole and learn how to get that coveted spot on the first page of Google.
Some of you may be asking, "What is SEO?" Some of you may be familiar, but haven't worked with it a lot. Some of you may be experts. If you are, call me! For everyone else, we will be starting with the basics:
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization is the practice of creating online content that is designed to perform well on relevant Google searches.
Let's break that down.
"Search Engine Optimization is the practice..." - SEO is something that you do. It is the act of curating your online content to bring more traffic to your site through search engines
"...of creating online content..." - Content is all-encompassing: it can include text, links, images, titles, load speed and more
"...that is designed to perform well..." - to perform well is to appear on the first page of Google search results (or any other search engine, but I am using Google as a catch-all term)
"...on relevant Google searches." - The key word here is "relevant". You want to show up on the first page of results for people who are searching for the product or service you provide. Here's an example of irrelevant SEO from moz.com: "You can attract all the visitors in the world, but if they're coming to your site because Google tells them you're a resource for Apple computers when really you're a farmer selling apples, those visitors are likely to leave your site without completing any conversions."
Why Should I Invest in SEO?
It's always good to check in on this question. Business owners are busy and have a lot going on. Why should they prioritize this? Why not just take out a bunch of Facebook ads instead?
SEO has a huge footprint. 53% of all web traffic comes from organic search (according to a 2019 BrightEdge Study). Compared to only 15% from paid search, this is a huge proportion of people using the internet. I'd like to capture some of those folks, so I'm investing in SEO.
