How to Get Started with SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a critical component of successful marketing today. When your content is designed to show up in internet searches, your potential customers can find you. Search engine optimization allows you to market your brand efficiently; rather than simply shouting from the rooftops that your brand exists, your brand will be able to better reach customers that are already looking for you. 

Your prospects may be searching for information or the answer to a common question or problem. When they search for answers, and your brand can provide an explanation or solution, you’ve positioned yourself as a subject matter expert in their minds. Maybe your prospects are already interested in purchasing from a brand or company like yours, and they’re searching for a place to shop. The higher you rank in their search results, the more likely they are to choose your brand.

So, how do you optimize your online content to help prospects find you? You’ll first need to understand some basic SEO principles. We’ve got some fantastic tips for those just starting out in the world of SEO!

Take an Online Course

Did you know you can take an online course to sharpen your SEO skills? There are even some high-quality free options available! Sites like Coursera, Skillshare, and even LinkedIn are good starting points. You can also find an endless variety of instructional videos on YouTube.

Of course, nothing can replace the value of hands-on, real-life experience. The experienced professionals at Personalized Creative can help to guide your SEO journey toward its successful destination. However, familiarizing yourself with some basic principles through an online course is also valuable. Having this background can help you understand the value of SEO and the decisions your whole team is making. 

Target Your Keywords

When your potential customers search for information, what words are they using? When you identify the terms people are actually using in their searches, you can target your content to use those terms. For example, if you’re in the health and wellness sector, your brand’s online copy might promise to help customers “reach their fitness goals.” However, when your potential customers search online, they might be asking for ways to “maximize their fitness potential.” When you revise your content to match what people are actually saying, you can easily reach more leads. Using a keyword research tool online is a great idea. This can help you identify the most popular search terms related to your brand. Popular keywords don’t stay the same over time. They follow trends and patterns, so optimizing your keywords is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process.

Optimize Your Users’ Experience

Google uses advanced algorithms to determine which sites provide the most relevant, useful information. How can you get your brand to rank towards the top? One major factor is your website’s readability and quality. Is it easy to read your web pages on a mobile phone, or is the text too large, too small, or laid out in a confusing way? Does your website feature large, uncompressed images that take forever to load on your customers’ devices? What about annoying pop-ups that slow users down when they’re in a hurry to find information?

Today, most customers are using their phones for searches instead of laptops or desktop computers. Google now ranks websites based on the functionality of their mobile sites, not the desktop versions. Thus, the quality of your mobile site is especially important! The average time visitors will spend on your web page is 52 seconds, so you only have a brief window of time to capture their interest.

Offer High-Quality Content

Once you’ve successfully attracted a prospect to your website, your job is not done. In fact, it’s only begun! You need to keep them coming back and telling everyone they know about your brand. The only way to do this is by publishing high-quality content that truly makes your readers’ lives easier. Are you answering your readers’ questions in an in-depth, meaningful, and clear way? Are you offering key insights or knowledge they can’t find anywhere else? If you can offer unique answers to a problem or a unique analysis of a situation, your readers will value your brand as a source of knowledge and expertise.

The quality of your content depends a lot on your target audience. If your competition is offering high-level, abstract content, you can stand out by writing concretely and using lots of real-life examples. If your competition is offering beginner-level explanations, you can carve out a niche for your brand by going into more depth on the same topics.

High-quality content goes beyond just copywriting. Instructional videos can be an efficient way to demonstrate complex processes for your readers. Well-organized product reviews can also add value to your website to help your customers make decisions. 

Rely on a Team of Experts

Successful SEO work usually involves more than one person. You need a writer to create readable, engaging content. You’ll need a subject matter expert for the writer to consult for accuracy and precision. You may also need a proofreader or editor to catch any mistakes. Finally, you’ll need someone with expertise in SEO to be in charge of content creation. 

Your SEO expert should conduct regular audits of your online content to find areas of strength and weakness. They’ll analyze elements like titles and headlines, keywords, URLs, and page meta descriptions. They’ll also use key metrics, such as search engine rankings, to discover how well your strategy is working and make adjustments as needed.

SEO skills are critical for your success. However, don’t overlook the importance of good writing and subject matter expertise. Remember that your copy isn’t only going to be judged by search engine algorithms, although that will be an important first step. Ultimately, your human audience will be determining whether your content is helpful, interesting, and worth sharing.

Want to learn more about how search engine optimization can help your brand succeed? Our team of experts at Personalized Creative can help!