8 Important SEO Tips
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t an everyday household word and, in many cases, it isn’t an everyday business term, but it should be. Why? SEO can be extremely daunting. When most of us think about SEO, we think long strands of code and a mysterious, complicated formula for ensuring you or your business stands out in search engine results. This doesn’t have to be the case, however. These eight tips can help demystify SEO for the content marketer.
1. Backlink
Make sure that you’re backlinking your site to other, reputable sites. You should have a backlink on every page. Be certain that your sources are reputable, though, because search engines will not display your blog or content if it seems like you’re manipulating backlinks from non-reputable sources.
2. Your website is never “finished”
SEO hinges on the idea that you are constantly producing valuable content. If you consider your website “finished”, you’re no longer increasing your SEO results, which means that the link to your site slides further and further down on the page. You can ALWAYS be improving your site.
3. Create valuable content
If your post does not deserve to be on the front page of a search engine, it will not be there. Always strive to create content that’s as good as (if not better), than the content featured on the first page of a search engine.
4. Use target keywords
These keywords will help your page to show up in a search. Beware of “keyword stuffing,” however, or putting your keyword on one page too many times. Search engines will penalize you for this because it seems like you’re recycling content.
5. Don’t recycle content
If a search engine sees that you have the same content on more than one page of your website, you will be penalized. Originality is key, and no new blog post is better than reposting an old one.
6. Add social media buttons to your website or blog
Social media is an incredible way to connect with potential clients. Make sure, however, that you’ve got a marketing strategy in addition to social media. Social sharing alone will not give you the traffic benefits you need for your site.
7. Don’t get discouraged
SEO is not something that happens overnight. It’s a long process that can take time to start showing real results, but the results it promises are incredible. Small businesses and new blogs can rank just as high on search engines as large ones, they just require a bit of strategic planning.
8. Outsource your SEO
Optimal SEO is typically performed by a professional. Algorithms and the industry in general change almost daily. An SEO/SEM professional may be the best option for you, especially if you don’t have time to school up on the practice every month or even every week.
