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Brand Development, Web Design, and Google Analytics Specialists

Experienced in SEM, SEO, Social Media, and Traditional Media

Are you a business owner in San Diego who is confused by SEO? Look no further as we answer 10 of the most common questions.

1.    What does SEO stand for?

SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. By engaging in SEO – that is, using keywords and phrases on your website, in your content and so on – you are attempting to push your website higher up the rankings. The ultimate goal is to usually get your website ranking on page 1 because most users rarely navigate beyond this page. This is known as SERPs or Search Engine Results Pages.

This is the organic way of growing your pages and website. In other words, you don’t pay for SEO itself – apart from the costs of creating content, employees, etc. Paying for adverts is not organic.

2.    Does SEO stay the same?

SEO is always changing. The way people search, what they search for and how they search has changed over the last few years and will continue to do so.

For example, many people are now using their smartphones as their main device for accessing the internet so it means your website has to be mobile-friendly.  It also means that Local SEO needs to be a big part of your marketing strategy to reach customers within a close proximity to your business.

Predictions are that more of us will be making voice searches in the future – in fact, by 2020 it is predicted half of us will be searching by voice – and that may mean a few changes to how your content needs to be formatted.

3.    How are keywords and SEO related?

Keywords are intrinsically linked. Keywords are the words and phrases your customers use to find products, services or brands they want.

For example, they may search for “seo company in San Diego” or “fair trade coffee shops San Diego”.  If you have these search terms and words in your content, it increases the likelihood of your website ranking higher in search engine results.

4.    How do I know which keywords work for my business?

Good question! You need to do something called keyword research. There are various ways you can do this – an agency specializing in SEO, social media and websites etc. can help you – or you can conduct keyword research yourself by using a keyword tool you find online.

Many of these tools are free to use. You will need to search based on the products you sell, what kind of business you are and so on. From these broad parent topics, you will narrow your search.

Some keywords are commonly used by customers looking for a business or products like yours so to rank higher with these, you may find that success is much more difficult.

5.    Where do I put SEO keywords?

There is a phrase ‘keyword stuffing’ and it implies that the frequency of keywords in ALL content is over the top, something that search engines algorithms no longer like.

Keywords and phrases need to be used naturally. They can be used across all your content, including web pages, meta titles, and meta descriptions just to name a few.

In terms of blog posts, whichever SEO term you have decided to optimize for, you would use it in the title of the post, in at least one H2 header (a sub-heading) and usually in the form of a question and in the first introductory paragraph.

6.    How many times should I use the keywords?

Using keywords and phrases should be ‘organic’, in other words, not shoe-horned onto the end of every sentence! There is no set formula, regardless of what some people say because big search engines like Google never reveal all the details behind their algorithms.

Keywords that naturally occur three to four times in an average length blog post – between 500 and 750 words – is usually ‘about right’.

7.    So I need to blog to improve SEO?

Blogging is a means of ranking higher in SERPs for certain keywords but again, this isn’t about loading a batch of blogs and hoping they work.

SEO is slightly more refined than this so any blogs need to be;

  • Well-written
  • Informative
  • High-quality
  • Consistently posted
  • Shared via social media and other distribution channels

We recommend blog posts being around 1,000 words as a best practice.

8.    How does SEO connect with backlinks?

The internet is a complex web of content linking to other pieces of content.  This linking between websites help spread information and connect search engine spiders to the most relevant content.  In general, the more links a piece of content has pointing to it from external sources, the more value the search engine algorithm will give it.

And that means the website and the content will be pushed higher up the rankings. Backlinks are a vote of confidence that other users see your content and website as trustworthy.

9.    How do I build links?

 

At one time, companies would buy backlinks, something that is now a definite no-no!  What you need to do is have a backlinking strategy to build links naturally and in a way that complies with Google best practices. In other words, who would want to share your content and connect with it?

The better quality these websites are and the higher their Domain Authority, the more value these backlinks have to your overall SEO strategy.

10. Is SEO complicated?

SEO isn’t extremely complicated, but to push the authority of your domain up and improve your rankings, you need to have a multi-faced SEO strategy. In other words, strong and relevant keywords, plenty of high-quality content and a growing number of genuine backlinks to your website.

Keeping up with the changes can be difficult, especially when you have so many daily business tasks to complete. By outsourcing SEO, you could get much more.

Speak With Our Team Today

If you have questions about SEO for your small business, speak with our team of experts today.  We’d love to learn more about your business and offer a free consultation. Click here to get started today!

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