Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. Simply put, SEO is about getting your content seen by the right people. SEO is a practice that every marketer needs to master, but it is also one that has been misunderstood by many.
How Does SEO Work?
First, let us understand what SEO is all about.
The concept that SEO uses is by tapping keywords searched by users, and then displaying your site in the search results (of course, with proper tracking). As such, it is crucial for marketers to adopt keywords that generate a high search volume when crafting a site, and from thereon create content that matches this keyword.
This can include having catchy and creative titles that capture readers’ interest, as well as being unique and relevant to the needs of the visitors. Ultimately, SEO boils down to what content you provide, which will appeal to users and drive up the traffic to your site.
As seen in the image below, SEO can be explained using a pyramid strategy, with accessibility and quality content being tier 1, keyword research and targeting being tier 2, link building being tier 3, and social being tier 4.
Image Credit: https://mediaonemarketing.com.sg/ultimate-guide-seo-singapore-smes/
Tier 1: Accessibility, Quality Content
The overall purpose of adding content to your website is to attract consumers to visit your website frequently, leading to increased web traffic. With more fresh and relevant content that relates to your brand, the more likely people will come back to your site.
Tier 2: Keyword Research & Targeting
Having common words or phrases associated with your business as keywords will help search engines understand what your page is about, and hence be able to place it in the most relevant searches.
Tier 3: Link Building
Link building is the practice of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. This helps to improve search engine visibility and shows credibility and relevance.
Tier 4: Social
Website user engagement is the way a visitor interacts with your website. Having more user engagement shows more activity on your websites, leading to a higher search rank.
Common SEO Mistakes
SEO is a practice that is commonly misunderstood, even by marketers. Here are some of the common things that marketers are getting wrong about SEO:
Overlooking Social Media
SEO and social media are both tools to raise engagement and reach out to more consumers, and should be used together to create a strong marketing plan. However, it is common for marketers to overlook social media when crafting SEO strategies and building up rankings.
Often, top-ranked social content and web content go hand-in-hand, as a well-received social media post can trigger Google’s algorithm. If something has a lot of likes, shares and comments on social media, it is likely to alert Google’s algorithm and mean a positive jump in your search rankings. Social media can also direct people to your websites, driving more traffic and engagement.
As such, quality content, engagement with consumers and a strong social media presence are key factors to having high website traffic.
Not Focusing On Details
Details are key factors in making a difference to your SEO results, and changing a few details can dramatically alter your SEO game.
One example is optimising your site for the market that you are focusing on. For local businesses, it is important to make sure that your site is curated with keywords focused on the local market. By optimising your website for local search, you would be able to enhance your online visibility on a regional scale to local customers.
Patience
SEO is an effective way of getting traffic directed to your site, but it takes time to reap the benefits. SEO is a long-term building process and is also continuous. Having consistent content in addition to using the right keywords is a key factor in ensuring better results. As such, SEO takes time to build up and for results to be shown. Similar to learning a new skill, it can take months for SEO to be successful.
Hence, marketers should be prepared for a long journey in their SEO practices.
That being said, it is important to take time to analyse the results when they come in, and ensure that content is of a high standard throughout.
Best SEO Strategy in 2022
SEO is a key practice that marketers need to master, but it is also easy for it to go wrong. While keywords are crucial in SEO, content creation and engagement with consumers and local markets are equally important factors in leading to high website traffic.
We hope that this will give you a clearer picture of the pros and cons of SEO campaigns! For more information about social media and its content, check out our previous blog posts here.