SEO made simple
Particularly for start-ups, the concept of SEO is daunting, especially when there are so many other factors to consider in your early stages.
SEO is a big wide world that many of us hesitate to understand. Understandably. However, the value of SEO when it comes to reaching relevant audiences that need you, is worth the time and effort to get it in place.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is the process of optimising your online content so it is relevant, readable and easy to find via online search engines. This could involve any online content that you share. Engines such as Google use bots to trawl through all online content to find and rank the most relevant responses to search queries.
If you are wondering, SEO keywords refer to key phrases or words that users might be looking for in their search queries. These are typically elements that are relevant to you. For example, as a marketing agency, we would use works such as “digital marketing strategy” and “start-up marketing tips” etc.
We wanted to share 5 simple tips that will help you boost your keyword count and get you started if you haven’t used SEO before.
1. Write, scan, optimise
It goes without saying that with a website, that all content must be clear and readable. To keep people reading more about what you do, your language needs to be accessible and engaging. You need to use the terminology browsers would expect to see.
Use an SEO tool to optimise any new copy and ensure that the structure is SEO-friendly. Tools such as Yoast and SEOPress are excellent tools to guide you down the right path.
2. Alt text – there’s no alternative
Ensure that all pages have alternative text descriptions, from both an accessibility and a keyword perspective.
Alternative text is valuable for many users, it gives context to images and charts for those that might not be able to see or read content easily. It also allows search engines to process data correctly.
Having alternative text is a key factor for search bots when ranking your SEO, as it clearly shows why the image has been used. If it’s decorative and can’t be described, this is less necessary.
3. Backlink and link back
If you haven’t heard of backlinking, it refers to the process of linking from one website to another. For example, I might backlink the word backlink to this page about backlinks. Doing this accredits other pages and shows that the content is of value elsewhere. SEO trawlers will be able to review the content of each website and see any crossovers in relevance.
Similarly, internal linking is also important on your landing page or blog posts. This allows you to direct users to previous pages of your site, encouraging them to read further about what you do. For example, I might direct you to our Digital Marketing Glossary for further definitions that you might need to know.
It is important to update inbound and outbound links to ensure that they are all working to avoid early bounce rates from your site. You can check your site for broken links via a checker such as DeadLinkChecker.
4. Pay per *click* SEO
This is dependent on business to business, as not all can budget for continuous paid advertising, however Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a great way to register for relevant searched keywords.
To get started, we would recommend creating a list of low, medium and high latency keywords to use organically in your website content. Using a spreadsheet, we would then recommend reviewing these keywords and analysing each word’s average cost per click.
Select a small range of low to medium price keywords, invest in these and analyse the results you get. Your keyword pool can always be increased or reduced depending on need.
5. Keep your words fresh
The power of articles for your SEO is as strong as you make them. Brands with high SEO rankings are sharing fresh and relevant content often, using new and existing keywords.
We would recommend posting fresh content every few weeks to ensure that your keyword list is regularly refreshed. This could be site news, blogs or content updates. If this is not viable, just ensuring that your site is regularly updated and has all the relevant keywords you need should help.
Want to learn more about SEO?
If you are interested in learning more about SEO and other elements that can support your brand’s online visibility, feel free to get in touch.
