Even though most business owners will acknowledge that SEO (search engine optimization) is relevant, most don't understand how to do it, or assume that they don't need it. In fact, a recent survey of business owners confirms that SEO is used by a huge percentage of the population. The problem is that most business owners don't have a realistic view of how important SEO is for their business.
In fact, one-third of business owners never use SEO when it comes to their own site. This means that 70% of businesses have no idea how important search engine optimization is, and are not using it effectively to drive traffic and sales. If this scenario describes your business, then you need reading this article.
So let's go over the fundamentals of SEO. Once you understand the basics, you can start using SEO in more and more of your web projects.
Of course, SEO will work with just about any site. It starts with your website, but it also covers all of your other web content.
A Brief Description
Just like people, search engines need a concise and clear description of what your site is about. It's even more important than what they need to know. If you just say that your site is about furniture, the search engine knows it, too. But if you say it's about furniture " suppliers in Glasgow," search engines understand that you're more likely to provide relevant results.
Keyword List
With more than 200 variables measuring keyphrase density, the algorithms used by search engines take into account hundreds of metrics when determining search rankings.
SEO experts rely on proprietary algorithms to determine the best terms to emphasize on the web page. These algorithms are kept tightly under wraps as they are the key to making search engines rank sites. However, there are a number of free tools available that will help you assess your keyword options.
So start by running through the list of keywords you think your potential customers will use to find you. This can be a tough list, as each term can be too general or too specific. To start, run each phrase through a standard search engine, then assess the search results. You can also pick some of the terms off of Google's keyword tool.
sightPopular keywords
Implementing keywords that are both relevant and appropriate for a site can be a tricky task. If you're in a saturated market, it might be impossible to go for the entire range of terms. For instance, "sex" is a common term that is almost always used by searchers. "masters college degree" is less common, but increases the chance of being found.
Finding a Perfect Keyword
The results of keyword research can vary widely depending on how comprehensive you've gone into the process. If you're going after a very general niche like "same sex relationships," you'll be looking at a lot of competition. Take the approach of looking for a term that is as specific as possible, and you'll target a lot of people who are searching for relationship information.
However, if you're trying to attract buyers in a specific market, the competition is fierce. You'll be competing with other sites that are selling the exact products and services that you sell. It's far easier to improve your search engine ranks for specific terms, thus letting you get higher quality traffic.
Free Tools
Marketing tools are available that will help you get through the process of keyword research without costing you a dime. These keyword research tools get the job done quickly, and they help you get on the path to higher rankings and learn how to make sure that your web content is keyword-rich to get the best results.
Some of the best software programs of this type are Market Samurai and Keyword Elite. eBook how-to guides and tutorials are available that go over the process of using these SEO tools.
What to Do When You've Found the Right Keywords
The next step is to select and use the keywords that you've found. Using the right keywords is the best way to get more traffic to your site. You don't want to use keywords that are too general, as the competition for these keywords can be too great.
Finding the right keywords means doing some research. General keywords are easy to take advantage of, but there will be more competition for specific terms.
For example, let's say that you're interested in finding keywords that are only for searches ending in " pinpoint." You'll find that 100,000 people are searching for this term every month. However, only 8,000 people are using it to find what they want. This isn't a keyword that will bring you a lot of traffic if you're only going to get a fraction of the people who are searching for it.
Finding a Balance
You shouldn't have to go overboard when it comes to keywords.