Understanding SEO (search engine optimization) can be a bit overwhelming. We design all of our websites to make sure you are ready for SEO success. However, SEO is not just a one-time setting in which you check a box to activate your site’s optimization. It’s an ongoing strategy to consistently improve your site’s performance and ranking. Although we work with many businesses to assist them with their SEO, at the end of the day YOU are still the best person to improve your rankings.
Bragging Rights
First, what I’m about to explain to you doesn’t involve some trick, dark art, lots of money, or waving a magic wand. Secondly, we know a thing or two about high organic Google rankings. Drum Creative is and has been, at the top of page one for “Web Design Greenville, SC” and related key phrases for a long time. We’ve developed other websites for clients that also rank near the top.
We started at the very bottom and worked our way up. It wasn’t long ago we were on page 30. We didn’t get to the top by using ‘black hat techniques’ or trickery. We design websites that have the potential to rank well and a part of that success is from well-built, search engine accessible websites with well-planned, on-page strategies. The other part comes from the owners of these sites.
SEO Misconceptions
The problem actually starts with the term, “search engine optimization” and all the misconceptions surrounding it. Fundamentally, you’re not optimizing your website for a search engine. You are optimizing for humans instead. After all, Google’s aim is to provide searchers with the most relevant content. And content is the key topic here. Your primary objective should be better content, not higher rankings.
It sounds counterintuitive but the only legitimate way to achieve a lasting high search engine ranking is by creating a useful, information-rich website. Forget the tricks. It’s all about content. Providing useful information that your visitors are looking for.
It’s Time For a Change
And now you’re probably thinking, “Okay, easy for you to say. Where’s all this content going to come from? I already have plenty of other responsibilities. Here are a couple of options for you to consider:
1. Share the writing responsibilities with other employees.
Utilize the expertise of other people within your business to share their own expertise. This gives you a variety of content options and spreads out the writing responsibility.
I agree, most small businesses are not set up to do this. But, it’s time for a change. The key players, experts, and company founders are typically the most valuable resource within a business. Their time is limited. But if they want to get to page one and see the big payoff, these organizations will need to change so that online marketing is a more distributed role. Everybody in the company needs to take some responsibility for it.
2. Work with a team that can help you develop a strategy.
We can’t write content for your website and hope that it represents what you want to say and how you want to say it. We have a developed an SEO Notebook strategy that allows us to meet with you on a consistent basis to help you organize, plan, and execute your SEO strategy using our experience and your passion.
Be Yourself
The best content is that which is laser-focused and answers the searcher’s questions, using your own conversational voice. It doesn’t have to win any editorial awards. Just be authentic and original. In our experience, once you begin to write and develop content for your website, it gets easier and becomes second nature.
In Summary
It boils down to authenticity. Be proud of who you are and tell your best customers about it. Demonstrate how it helps them solve problems. All you have to do is create valuable content on your website and after a bit of time, it will gravitate to the top of the search results page. That’s it.
SEO Is Worth Your Time and Effort
The top listing in Google’s organic search results receives 33 percent of all the traffic. The number two position gets about half of that. According to Hubspot, companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages, 55% more visitors, and generate 67% more leads than companies that do not.
If your business wants more help understanding SEO and executing a plan to get results, contact our team today.
