SEO is for Users, Not Marketers

You get off work and you’re hungry. Starving in fact. So you google “cheap sandwich shops in Seattle.” There’s multiple results, hundreds of pages of results in fact. Chances are you only click on the top three. You don’t find what you’re looking for  in the top 3-5 results. Will you click to the next page? No way. In fact, you’ll probably change what you searched for rather than look at the second page of results. So the sandwich shop that was listed on the second page of results will never get a chance to be seen. Only the top 3 organic results get noticed. This begs the question.

How do you make sure you’re one of the top results?

The answer: SEO.

Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) is used to boost your site’s page ranking when users search for something in Google. SEO refers to organic search results and does not apply to paid ads or paid search.

A well-thought out SEO strategy can send more traffic to your site, increase conversions, and boost brand awareness. Although it can take time to build up a successful SEO strategy, if done right it will contribute to the long-term survival of your website. Then why did I say SEO isn't for marketers? Because SEO is about users, its about helping satisfy their wants, needs and questions by providing content they will appreciate.

How does SEO Work?

Google and other search engines send out their bots to index (record) different sites.

Indexing: Each robot follows the links it finds to other pages and follows the links on those pages until they runs out of links.

Ranking: Search engines then rank these sites according to how relevant it is to the search.

If you search for “cheap sandwich shops in Seattle” these are the results that show up for 2017.

These sites were selected because they match the search. Obviously. But how does this happen? How do the robots know if a site is relevant to the search or not?

The algorithm Google and other search engines use are kept secret. However there are some best practices you can use to boost your sites’ page ranking.

1. Create valuable content. Think of what problem or need your business is solving. That will help you determine which keywords people might use when they search for what you offer. Writing blog posts, posting videos, creating infographics and other forms of content marketing give users a reason to come to your site. Don't just answer questions that directly relate to your business. Also answer questions that may be somewhat unrelated, but still relevant to your audience.
2. Use keywords strategically. In our example, including the phrase “cheap sandwich shop in Seattle” in your business’s description, blog posts, or website title could help boost your ranking for users search for that phrase. According to Moz you should include your targeted keyword once in the title, alt tag, url and meta description tag. Once near top of the page, and 2-3 times in body.

In the above example the title tag is “Best Sandwich shop in Seattle, WA-Yelp”. The meta description is part of the snippet below the title that gives a preview of the site’s contents.

3. Target long-tail keywords. You can’t be all things to all people. Decide what questions or keywords you will target and focus on those. In many instances it's not worthwhile competing with larger businesses over general keywords like “sandwich shops.” Targeting more specific keywords and phrases also narrows down your audience, increasing the likelihood that they will actually want what you have to offer. Someone searching for “sandwiches” may want sandwich bread, a recipe, a subway. Someone searching for cheap sandwiches in Seattle however is looking for something specific, and will be more likely to click on your website if you can prove that you do have cheap sandwiches in Seattle.

4. Make it readable to the bots. The Google bots can’t view images, or videos. They only read text. Include alt-text for images and transcripts for videos. Also, make sure that your title tags  are 65-75 characters and your meta description tags  are about 160 characters.

5. Improve credibility with links. Links are basically the equivalent of a reference letter. If a credible site links to your website this boosts your page ranking. For example, if the Seattle Times wrote an article about restaurants and included a link to your sandwich shop’s website this would move you up the food chain.

In SEO you can manipulate keywords and title all day long. What it really comes down to is the links. If other sites link to your page this can help boost visibility in search results and credibility since your being endorsed by someone else. The more well-known and respected the site, the more the link can help you. An obscure blog that links to you probably won’t help you however. This is where the real strategy in SEO comes into play- link building.

What is Link Building?

Link building is acquiring links or “references” to your website’s pages. Each link is evaluated on relevance, the credibility of the site that’s linking to you and how current or “fresh” the link is. A link from 2004 is less relevant than a current link. There are mutliple ways you can go about this.

1. Email potential partners and ask them to link to you.
2. Company Blog .
3. Inspiring content.

Even if you email potential partners you'll need to explain why they should link to your site. You have to have something valuable to offer them, or why should they bother? This brings us back to your sites's content. If you create content that's worth sharing people will be motivated to link to your site.

2017 SEO Trends & Issues

According to an article by Search Engine Watch, customer reviews are an increasingly important element to track. Sites like Yelp, Reddit, and customer forums are where many users go to hear about other’s experiences. If users consistently link to your site in their reviews this could have a positive (or negative) effect on your business’s page ranking. Its good to be aware of and monitor what people are saying about your business online. Don’t be afraid to join the discussion yourself. Remember the point of SEO is to connect with your customers, and online platforms allow you to do this directly.

Another trend that I already mentioned is using your content to drive your SEO strategy. Portent’s blog post says it all in its title,  â€œContent First SEO.” In order to entice people to visit your site you have to give them a reason to visit. Do this by creating relevant content. Write blog posts people want to read. Design infographics that people want to  download. Film videos that people want to sit and watch. Make visiting your site worthwhile. After all, at the end of the day it is about the person on the other end of the computer. How can you help make their life better? If that’s the focus of your SEO strategy, then you’ll do more than build links and increase your page rank, you’ll be building relationships with customers. Now that is invaluable.