SEO: what it is, why you need it, and how to do it

What It Is

You’ve probably heard of the term SEO and know that it stands for Search Engine Optimization. But what does that really mean? SEO is “the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine’s unpaid results.” All of the major search engines have search results where web pages and other content are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to the term searched. The goal of SEO is to ensure that your brand, company or product ends up in the primary search results on these search engines without you having to pay for it.

Why You Need It

If you own a website, search results matter. When your pages have higher rankings they help more people find you. The key to higher rankings is making sure your website has the ingredients search engines need for their recipes – and that is SEO. Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines have algorithms that help turn information into useful search results.

Main ingredients: words matter, titles matter, links between websites matter (if your page has a lot of links to it, that makes it look important to search engines), words in links matter too, reputation (sites with consistent record of fresh, engaging content and growing numbers of quality links may do well in search rankings)

How To Do It

For great resources on how: http://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo

Posting blogs on your website is one great way to create fresh, useful content.

Web Presence Strategy

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should be a key part of your website strategy in order to maximize your market reach and impact. Most users are coming to websites as a direct result of a search engine. Don’t miss out on helping people find your business!

Here are some key SEO questions to ask yourself, and if you don’t know the answer, now is a good time to find out:

1. How well does your site score with search engines?
2. Is each page of your site optimized for search engines?
3. Have appropriate keywords been targeted within each page’s content?
4. How easily are people finding your website?

We have discovered that having an effective web presence requires a holistic approach encompassing search engine visibility (SEO), a powerful website, and active social media channels. It is no longer enough to just build a website and think your brand will be found. In order to realize your business goals, you need to be discovered, engaged, and connected with your target audience. Strengthening your SEO is a great place to start.