Anyone in digital marketing has heard about SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. If you’re new to SEO, chances are you’ve been told the goal of SEO is to figure out how to achieve an optimal ranking on Google for a specific keyword. Why is this important? For one, typing keywords into search engines, like Google, is increasingly how people find information about products and services (it’s estimated that Google currently has more than 1 billion searches every day). And when people search, more often than not, they will click on the natural, or organic, result rather than the paid listing (some estimate that the preference for clicking on a natural over paid listing is as high as 70%).
So, how do you go about achieving an optimal keyword ranking on Google? To improve your natural search visibility, I recommend that you consider these three very important factors:
1. Understand what your audience is looking for
First and foremost, you must understand who is most likely to consume your content. Beyond demographics, you should understand how they think, including the type of vocabulary they use to describe their needs and the solutions you offer. This will help identify the words they are most likely to use when searching for information on Google. Jargony marketing phrases have no place in SEO, as the average consumer isn’t likely to use this kind of language when searching. Instead, keep it simple, using common everyday phrases that describe your goods and services.
A quick review of your site analytics will reveal the keyword phrases currently generating the most traffic to your site. These phrases should give you a good indication of the types of words your visitors are using to find your content. Building on these phrases, you will develop a “priority search keyword list”—that is, a list of the most likely phrases your target audience uses to find what you offer. Look for ways to work these keywords into your content as it makes sense.
While keywords are the most well-known aspect of SEO, they are only a part of the equation.
2. Make sure your site is “search-engine friendly”
So, now you have some great content on your site. What next? Well, search engines regularly crawl the internet looking for new pages to index—and you want to make sure they find yours.
Search engines are essentially the “middle men”—they connect searchers with content providers. It’s important to understand that search engines compete with each other to provide the most relevant content to users. Loyalty only goes so far: You may have Google as your home page, but, if every time you searched, the results didn’t really satisfy your need, would you continue using Google or would you consider another search engine? I thought so.
Understanding this, you can see why a search engine is more concerned with satisfying the searcher than the content provider. This is why SEO is more than just keywords—much more. Search engines utilize many sources to understand what your content is really about and whether it truly has value for consumers. This is one reason why it’s important to ensure that your site is built with search engine-friendly formats. This includes:
- A strong site structure, including clear navigational paths and intuitive links across content areas to support easy browsing
- Search engine-friendly URLs
- Proper use of page metadata, including title tags and page descriptions
- Appropriate distribution of your priority search keyword phrases on relevant pages across your site
All these factors will help the search bots easily index your content.
3. Gain content validation from credible external sources
Additionally, search engines consider outside sources as a means of determining the value of your content. This is where link building comes in. Essentially, link building establishes a relationship between your site and other content producers or sources, including organizations, groups, and individuals. You want to develop relationships with sources willing to “validate” your content by telling their community about it and pointing them to your site.
Link building is an ongoing effort—it has the longest positive impact on natural search. Here’s an analogy I like to make: When you’re providing a potential employer with a list of references, do you give them an exhaustive list of names, including every person you’ve ever met? Or do you provide a highly selective list composed of your most reputable references? Link building follows the same rules. When it comes to link building, as is true with many things in life, it’s not the quantity that counts but the quality.
