If people keep telling you that you need to work on your SEO, but you have no idea where to begin, or maybe no idea of what SEO even is––this is the blog for you. We’re going to go over need-to-know terminology that can get your small business onto the digital landscape––successfully!
What is SEO & why does it matter?
“The process of getting your website to show on the first pages of search engines like Google is a multifaceted process and a lot more involved than simply making a website”
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of making your website accessible to search engines so that you can show up sooner when someone does a search related to your business. If you sell refrigerators in Saskatchewan, you want people to see you on the first page when they search for keywords or phrases such as, “refrigerator repair saskatoon,” or “where can I buy a brand name refrigerator?” The process of getting your website to show on the first pages of search engines like Google is a multifaceted process and a lot more involved than simply making a website––but a good website is an excellent starting point!
Why your website is the foundation for good SEO practices.
A clean, user-friendly website is going to be great for your clients (potential or existing) and for the Google crawlers. No, they’re not the spidery aliens you just pictured, they are internet bots designed to browse the internet systematically in order to index and organize information. When you Google, “is this allergies or COVID-19,” those little bots are responsible for giving you all the information related to your query. There’s a number of ways that Google and other search engines manage the information it shows you, including location, relevance, and search history.
5 key terms related to digital marketing.
- Click-through rate:
CTR is a metric that measures the number of people who follow links to your website. This can be through email marketing, paid advertisements, backlinking, and social media. Many people think that a high CTR should be their goal, however, that isn’t strictly true. What you’re really aiming for is conversions, that is, people who click-through to your website and then take an action––such as buying a shirt, or reading your blogs. Search engines take note of these conversions and they will help set your website apart, which is why a well-designed website is critical to your marketing. The kinds of actions people need to take can depend on the kind of service you offer, so it is important to take a full picture approach when assessing the success of your KPIs. - Key-Performance Indicators
A KPI is a measurable value that reflects a business goal. These can be used in many ways, such as measuring conversion rates, measuring social media followers, or the click-through rate of your email marketing campaigns––they can be as unique as your business! Defining and measuring KPIs is a great way to measure your business’ performance. It is important that you set clear goals, on your own or with your marketing agency, so that you can see how your goals are being met, and which ones need improvement.
“Knowing what keywords are relevant to your business is a collaborative process that increases your opportunity to find new customers.”
- Keywords
While this is a term that most people have heard of, many people don’t understand how to use them. Keywords and keyword research is a ⇨ big ⇦ part of your digital marketing and how successful it will be. A keyword or phrase is how search terms link to your website––a web crawler will search out the best options for whatever phrase or word you put into a search engine. A big part of our job in SEO is to research these phrases and terms, and all related phrases and terms, and create content that optimizes for it. The more keywords that you rank highly for, the better! Knowing what keywords are relevant to your business is a collaborative process that increases your opportunity to find more customers. - SSL
A “Secure Sockets Layer,” or SSL, is a tool that helps to encrypt data on your website, making it more secure. When you see ‘https,’ as opposed to ‘http,’ that little ‘s’ means that an SSL is in use and your connection to that website is secure. Websites need to have this technology in place to prevent sensitive data from being intercepted by hackers. On an un-secure website, entering your information could lead to a serious security risk, especially when you’re online shopping! As marketers, it’s imperative that we have this software in place for you, and when we build your website, you can rest assured that we’ve thought about security as well as design. - Anchor Text
Linking is a strategy used in SEO to increase your site’s authority in search engines. Anchor text refers to the clickable text when you hyperlink––just like that! Anchor text is important because you want to ensure your links are relevant to the anchor text. This means that racehorses in Wyoming should never link to a website selling used cars in Texas. Search engines will use these links, and other people’s links to you, as a tool to establish what your website is about and how other people see it––which is why it’s important to link responsibly, and encourage other people to link to you because you post thoughtful, credible, and informative content.
Want your website to rank better in search engines?
We are constantly learning to ensure that when SEO strategies change, we change too. We use comprehensive tools to provide you with quality data that reflects improvement. Our team are your SEO experts so you don’t have to memorize a dictionary of terminology. Reach out to us today, to find out how it works, we’re stoked to work with you and your business!