SEOh.

So. SEO? Oh.

If you’re struggling to figure out what you need to do, I understand how you feel. It is a minefield out there, with so much information - and some of it conflicting, too.

Here’s a bit of advice for starters - there is no quick fix for SEO, so ignore anyone telling you otherwise, especially if they’re offering you the perfect solution for only $99.

I’ve been about a bit in marketing, enough to know that SEO is a beast that constantly evolves - so even if you had the perfect setup last year, does that mean it’s right now?

Now, the key thing here is what this is all about. And the clue is in the name. It’s all about search engines.

Well, actually, it’s about a search engine, singular.

See, while there are others apart from Google, a staggering 96% of the search market share was commanded by Google on mobile (January 2023) and 86% on desktop, so let’s be realistic - that’s what we’ll be focusing on, Google.

Maybe it should just be called GO. I digress.

Let’s be clear about this. Google is not a charity. It doesn’t work to support your best efforts. It has its own agenda and works for its best interests. It needs to remain number one in search, so constantly tinkers with its own setup to make sure that search results are on point for its users.

That means we’re working to Google’s agenda. We need to play the game.

And anyone who’s ever heard about the recruitment process to get into Google Towers knows that they take talent very seriously. They’re a clever bunch. So there really is no pulling the wool over their eyes.

With that in mind, let’s put a few old things to bed once and for all...

? Crowbarring top keywords into your website will not help you - in fact, the opposite now, as Google is well aware of this tactic and takes a dim view of it.

? Using your competitors names for keyword application is likewise a bad idea for the same reasons.

? Oh, and less about SEO, but talking about competitors, you do not have to worry about them clicking on your ads - Google now has that covered, so please don’t pay any agencies for this service!

? Duplicating pages and content across your site just so that your site has more pages and appears bigger and more importanter (that’s a word now) is to be avoided - Google ain’t a lover of that.

But. But... here’s another fallacy - duplication of content per se does not make you enemy number one.

The key thing to remember here is that Google is clever. It knows the tricks. And it also knows when you’re not trying to trick it, when all you’re trying to do it put relevant content across your site for your users.

That, my friends, is the gold here. Relevant content for users.

With that in mind, let’s move away from what not to do and let’s look at what to do:

? I’ll say it again, make sure your content is relevant for your users.

? Google loooves original content, so the more you write from scratch the better.

? Google likes sites that work, so check through for any links that don’t and that instead give 404 errors.

? Think about accessibility, because Google does. So make sure that every single image on your site has relevant Alt Text. And there’s that “relevant” again. Just using “image” for all of them isn’t going to cut it.

? Is your site respectable? Oh, that’s great. But I meant in the Google sense of the term, i.e. do other sites link to it? Be careful here - choose your third party sites for backlinks wisely, because... and here it is again... relevancy!

? When using keywords, be sensible. Don’t overdo it, as Google will clock on to that fast.

Hopefully, this may help you to get your head round SEO a bit more and to get you on the right track for rising up those search results listings.

Happy SEOing!

Cheers,

Dan

P.S. While this article is not endorsed by Sportingtech , it’s testament to the attitudes here that I have the flexibility to write this kind of stuff. So if you’re looking for your next step, take a look at our Careers page here: https://sportingtech.com/careers/