Get More Web Traffic: An Intro to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for Businesses
How visible is your business website?
Let’s say you own a manufacturing company that specializes in making cardboard. If you were to search Google for “cardboard manufacturer near me” would your website come up on the first page of results? This is a question worth asking and digging into deeper. After all, it doesn’t matter how awesome your website is if no one can find it on Google! Let’s talk about how you can get more web traffic to your business website so you can convert that traffic into more sales!
Paving a Highway to More Sales
Imagine a restaurant on a gravel road, miles from the nearest town. You can assume the restaurant doesn’t serve many customers passing through. That’s because there is hardly any traffic in the area.
In the same way, websites need traffic to be effective. Web traffic is measured in visits and just like a restaurant, it’s good to be “busy”. To get more web traffic, you have to pave a path to your website, just like a restaurant built alongside a busy highway.
How do you pave such a path? How do you direct more traffic to your website? That’s where SEO (search engine optimization) comes in.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization” and Moz describes it as “the practice of increasing both the quality and quantity of website traffic, as well as exposure to your brand, through non-paid (also known as “organic”) search engine results.”
Essentially, SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s position in search results on sites like Google. Search engines (like Google) are trying to provide users with information relevant to their search queries, so the more relevant a web article, video, or page is, the higher it will be ranked in the search results. Most people don’t venture very far into the search results so getting your page or article to display on the first or second page is really important.
Get More Web Traffic With SEO Ranking Factors
There are a variety of factors that contribute to how web pages rank in search results. Understanding these factors can lead business owners and marketers to publish quality content that will rank higher in search queries and drive more people to their website.
Here are some of the most important ranking factors to focus on:
Quality Content
Google doesn’t want to send its users to content that doesn’t match their needs. If you have a target keyword, (more about keywords here) you’ll want to make sure your content matches the keyword. For example, if your target keyword is “best local plumber”, you want the content of your page to be relevant to that search. The more your content matches with the keywords that people are searching for, the higher your content will rank in search results.
Website Performance
If your site isn’t a pleasure to use, good luck ranking high with SEO! Keywords and relevant, valuable content aren’t the only ranking factors. There is a host of other factors that have to do with how well your website performs. Is your page mobile-friendly? Does your website load quickly or does it lag? If these ‘technical’ elements aren’t in prime working condition, Google will notice and this can hurt your search rankings. It’s critical to have all your website’s systems running at full capacity!
Consistency & Regularity
SEO is an endless adventure. You’ll never write one article that concretely secures your place on the top page of Google forever. It’s an ever-changing rank. That’s good news since it grants you the potential to grow a lot. Publishing new content consistently and on a regular basis is a great best practice to influence your search ranking.
Links
No man is an island, they say. You can apply the same proverb to websites. Web pages and articles are often connected through linking and this has a direct impact on those pages SEO rankings. If other relevant websites are linking to your site’s content, your SEO ranking will most likely increase. Internal links (links to your own pages) also contribute to SEO. Link-building is a great way to get more web traffic. Here’s an overview from WordStream to help get you started.
There are plenty more important ranking factors that contribute to your website’s position in the search queries. (Read about them here.) In fact, the world of SEO is vast and can be intimidating. Where do you start?
It’s best to start with one, easily-executed action item. This can lead to quick success and serve to build momentum.
Take Action!
What one action step will you take from the new information you’ve learned about web traffic, SEO and search ranking factors?
It’s alright if you’re still not sure how to act on this new information. Here’s a suggestion:
“Action Step: Plan out one week of website content updates (blog posts, announcements, portfolio items, etc.). Keep in mind who your target audience is, what they’ll be likely to search for, and how you can deliver relevant and valuable answers to their questions.”
IX Publishing is here to help you tell your story and reach your audience. Our website development and inbound marketing services can take your business to the next level! We offer a variety of services and could have just what your project needs! Request a Quote to Learn More.
