SEO can be a daunting topic, but don't worry - I'm here to help you tackle all your questions! Many business owners are too embarrassed to ask, assuming they should already know this stuff. We all know that knowledge is power and this couldn't be more true for SEO.
Never pay more for something simply because you don't understand it. That's how business owners get taken advantage of. Wether we decide to work together or not, I want you to walk away better educated about SEO and less vulnerable of being taken advantage of.
So let’s dive right into our SEO Knowledge Base:
What is SEO?
SEO or Search Engine Optimization involves everything you can do in order to obtain a better position on search engines’ (like Google) results and thus get found more easily. SEO encompasses in particular (but not limited to): adding unique titles and descriptions to your pages, adding alt text to your images, getting backlinks to your site, starting a blog and many more.
What’s the difference between SEO and SEM?
Both SEO and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) involve increasing a site’s visibility on search results. The main difference is that SEM includes paid promotion tactics and SEO does not. In other words: unlike it’s ‘markety’ big brother, SEO won’t cost you a single penny beyond the initial setup with a professional.
Why is SEO important for my business?
Fact: everyone uses search engines. Actually, at this very moment (while you’re reading this blog post) over sixty-thousand searches were made on Google. From checking the weather to finding the nearest pizza place, search engines play a key part in our daily lives. In most cases, it’s how your prospective customers are looking for you, or a business like yours. Which means that search engine optimization is crucial to survive and succeed online. Think of the proverbial tree in the woods: If your website is online and no one can find it, does it even exist? My advice: start working on SEO now!
How do search engines work?
In short, search engines use an advanced set of algorithms in order to crawl, index and pull up web pages.
The first stage is called ‘crawling’, which is basically the process of scanning through or reading your website’s code. In the second stage, the web pages that were crawled are saved in a huge database. This is called ‘indexing’.The last part happens once someone enters a query in the search box. The search engine will consult that same database and will show the web pages it deems most relevant and up-to-date for that specific search. Of course, this is a very simplified explanation.
How much should I pay for good SEO?
I believe that good SEO is achievable without breaking the bank. The good news is you have a professional who understand the ins and outs of SEO, saving you lots of time and headache. A typical SEO Package runs between $200 - 400. I know, that’s a big gap. All of the SEO work that I perform is custom, meaning it’s tailored specifically to your business, in your industry and in your specific market location. Trust me, the return on investment is huge.
What is local SEO?
Local SEO refers to specific actions taken in order to appear in search results when someone is looking for a business in your area, for example “shoe repair in Williamsburg.” Boosting your local SEO is a great way of attracting prospective customers from your surroundings as, ironically enough, most of them are looking for you online. I can help you setup your local SEO specific to your market location.
How to get found on Google?
First things first, you’ve got to make sure your website is crawled and indexed if you want to climb the search engine echelons. I help you verify your site with the Google Search Console, submit your sitemap to search engines and test for proper indexing.
Important: Indexation is not a synonym for optimization. Your website can be indexed by Google, but still not rank in the first pages. This is where optimization (SEO) comes in.
How do I improve my SEO?
Great SEO starts with planning and curiosity, so you’re already on to a great start. You should know that every aspect of your website, from content to design can have an impact on your position in search results. There are over 200 signals in Google’s algorithm that help decide the fate of a site’s ranking, but the most important elements that are taken into account are the following:
Content Is your content well written and of high quality? Did you choose the right keywords? Is your content easily consumed on mobile? All of these elements impact the way bots perceive your content and rank your pages. This is why working on content is crucial if you really want to improve your ranking. If you keep on reading, you’ll find out how.
Links In SEO, links to your website are like votes of approval from others and are extremely highly regarded by search engines. Getting these will for sure give your web pages a nice boost.
Technical SEO Crawlability, on page SEO and other technical aspects are factored in here. This includes, but is not limited to the optimization of meta titles and descriptions, how well your page is structured with the help of headlines, if your website is secure and more.
What are SEO keywords?
Keywords are two to five word phrases that your potential clients would type into a search engine when looking for you, or a business like yours. Choosing and inserting the right terms in your content is crucial since it will help Google’s bots to understand your website better and identify you as a relevant result for a specific search. As part of our SEO services, we do extensive Market Research to determine Google trends in your market location and businesses like yours.
How do I optimize text for SEO? What is ‘great content’?
To evaluate the quality of a text, search engines look at specific criteria. To be well-ranked, your content has to be:
Valuable – informative and useful for the reader
Unique – you can’t find this information anywhere else
Fresh – regularly updated
Typically, starting a blog is another excellent way to feed your website with content that is useful, unique and updated.
Do images have an impact on SEO?
The short answer: yes, they certainly do. Having your images fully optimized will make it possible for them to be found in Google Images search, which means more traffic to your website. Google and other search engines can’t “see” images like we do, this is why we add text to help them understand what’s on your photos, graphs and other pics.
How does UX relate to SEO?
The way in which users perceive and experience your content matters and it’s actually a known ranking signal. It’s calculated in multiple ways, such as: time on page, amount of pages viewed and bounce rate. This is why it’s so important your website not only looks stunning, but is also functional and easily navigable.
What are SEO backlinks?
Backlinks are links from external sites to your own website (or any of its pages). They are an important part of your SEO strategy. Indeed, the more links you are able to get, the more your website is considered trustworthy and authoritative in Google’s eyes. Getting them isn’t a simple task, but you can start by connecting with bloggers, websites and online magazines in your sphere and try to get mentioned by them.
Remember, it’s important to remain within Google’s guidelines and not partake in so called ‘link schemes’, which is totally an SEO sin.
Does social media impact SEO?
This has been debated for quite some time, but think about it this way: the more people engage with your content, the more they’ll want to share it online. This will increase the amount of traffic to your site, which is amazing for your SEO. So although it is not in fact a proven ranking signal, social media performance may have an indirect impact on your ranking.
What are meta tags?
When we talk about meta tags, we’re essentially referring to your meta title or SEO title, plus your meta description. Along with your URL, these form the snippet that shows up in search results. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to these textual elements, as bots will scan them to understand your web page’s content.
How long does it take to appear in search results?
Patience, young grasshopper. Usually it takes some time for a search engine to show your website’s pages, especially if it’s brand new. I cannot give any specific date, since this depends on many factors, such as the competitiveness of your industry and keywords, the quality and freshness of the content that you publish, and the optimization of your site.
Remember that a better ranking surely doesn’t occur overnight. You have to give Google’s bots time for them to consider the changes you’ve made. On top of this, SEO is like a marathon, not a sprint. It’s an ongoing process, which means that you can (and should) regularly update your website with quality content that’s original and fresh, in order for you to rank higher.
Can you think of any other SEO questions you may have? Send me an email at jess@jessicagrajeda.com. I want you to have all the info possible!
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