WHY SEO MATTERS

Mastering SEO is one area your business needs to invest in when it comes to digital marketing and marketing online. Here’s a frightening statistic: According to Backlinko,  0.63% of Google searchers click on results from the second page.

Less than one percent of people click to page 2 of Google.

So essentially, if you aren’t actively investing in SEO, you won’t be on page one and you won’t be found online. SCARY!

Okay, so what exactly is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website to improve its visibility and organic (non-paid) search rankings on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.  Google is by far the most popular search engine.

The essentials of SEO encompass various strategies and techniques that aim to enhance a website’s relevance, authority, and user experience. Keyword research plays a crucial role in SEO, as it involves identifying the terms and phrases that users are searching for. 

On-page optimization involves optimizing elements on a webpage, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content, to align with relevant keywords. You will see us doing this work, or you can easily do it yourself. 

Off-page optimization is a bit more tricky as it focuses on building high-quality backlinks and establishing a strong online presence through social media and content marketing. This is the work that you don’t see on your site, it’s all back-end stuff. 

Technical SEO involves optimizing the website’s infrastructure, including site speed, mobile responsiveness, and structured data. SEO is a continuous process that requires ongoing monitoring, analysis, and adaptation to stay ahead of evolving search engine algorithms and industry trends. 

By implementing effective SEO strategies, businesses can attract more organic traffic, improve their online visibility, and ultimately increase their website’s conversions and success.

In today’s digital landscape, where online presence and visibility are paramount, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become indispensable. With billions of websites competing for attention, SEO plays a vital role in helping businesses stand out and reach their target audience effectively. SEO enables websites to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing their visibility and driving organic traffic. By optimizing their websites for search engines, businesses can enhance their online presence, attract qualified leads, and generate valuable organic traffic. 

SEO also fosters credibility and trust, as higher search engine rankings are often associated with relevance and authority. Moreover, as users increasingly rely on search engines to discover products, services, and information, having a strong SEO strategy ensures that businesses remain competitive and accessible to their target audience. In essence, SEO serves as a crucial digital marketing tool that can significantly impact a business’s online success, brand awareness, and bottom line.

HOW SEARCH ENGINES WORK

Search engines are like special tools that help us find information on the internet. They work in a way that they scan or look at all the different websites that are available. They use something called “crawlers” to do this. These crawlers go from one website to another and look at all the words, links, and pictures on each page. After that, they store all this information in a big database. 

When we type something into a search engine, it looks through this database to find websites that have the information we need. Then it shows us a list of results based on what it thinks are the most relevant or helpful websites. The search engine does this by using special algorithms, which are like instructions that help it decide which websites are the best match for our search. So, in simple terms, search engines find websites by searching through the internet, and they show us the most useful results based on what we’re looking for.

For example, you may have found articles on the topic of SEO that a local company like myself has written that will guide you in your SEO research.

SEO & Keyword Research

Why is keyword research important?

Keyword research is important because it allows us to align our website’s content with the terms that people are actively searching for. By incorporating these relevant keywords into our website’s content, meta tags, and headings, we increase the chances of our website appearing in search engine results when someone searches for those keywords. It helps us connect with our target audience and drive organic traffic to our website.

Before we take on any job, we dive into the wonderful world of keyword research. We make sure the terms you want to be found for are actually what users are searching for. 

We have subscriptions to software that help us do this research, and I’ll list a few tools that we use.

There are various tools available to assist in keyword research. Some popular ones include:

1. Google Keyword Planner: This tool, provided by Google, allows us to find relevant keywords and see their search volumes and competition levels.
2. SEMrush: SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO tool that provides keyword research features along with competitor analysis and other SEO functionalities.
3. Moz Keyword Explorer: Moz’s Keyword Explorer helps us discover new keyword opportunities, analyze search volumes, and understand keyword difficulty.
4. Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that provides insights into search volume, competition, and related keyword ideas.

Strategies for identifying relevant keywords:

Relevancy is the keyword here. You don’t want to be putting time and effort into a keyword no one uses, you want to make sure that it is a relevant and popular keyword.

To identify relevant keywords, we can follow these strategies:

Start by brainstorming words or phrases that are relevant to our business, products, or services. Think about what our target audience might search for when looking for what we offer.

Next, analyze the keywords that our competitors are targeting. This can provide insights into potential keywords we might have missed.

Consider using long-tail keywords, which are more specific and longer phrases. They often have lower competition and can attract highly targeted traffic.

This is important! Understand the intent behind the search queries. Are people looking for information, products, or services? By aligning our keywords with user intent, we can provide more relevant content.

Keyword research is an ongoing process that requires monitoring and adapting to changes in search trends and user behavior. By incorporating the right keywords into our website’s content, we can improve our search engine rankings, attract relevant traffic, and increase the chances of converting visitors into customers.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO is an important part of making sure our website is in good shape and can be easily understood by search engines. Here are some things to know about technical SEO:

1. Website Speed: It’s essential for our website to load quickly because people don’t like waiting. Search engines also prefer websites that load fast, so it’s important to optimize our website’s speed by reducing file sizes, using caching, and choosing a reliable hosting provider.
2. Mobile Optimization: Many people use their smartphones or tablets to browse the internet, so our website needs to be mobile-friendly. This means it should look good and work well on smaller screens. It’s important to have a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes and ensures a good user experience.
3. Schema Markup: Schema markup is a special code that we can add to our website to provide additional information to search engines. It helps search engines understand what our website is about and can lead to more informative search results, such as rich snippets with reviews, ratings, and other details.
4. XML Sitemaps: An XML sitemap is like a map of our website that we can provide to search engines. It lists all the pages on our website and helps search engines understand its structure. This makes it easier for search engines to find and index our webpages.
5. Robots.txt: Robots.txt is a file that tells search engine crawlers which parts of our website they can or cannot access. It helps us control what search engines see and index on our website.

By taking care of technical SEO, we make it easier for search engines to understand and rank our website. This improves our chances of appearing in search results and attracting more visitors.

Local SEO

Local SEO is a type of SEO that focuses on improving a website’s visibility in local search results. It is particularly important for businesses that have physical locations or provide services to a specific local area. Here’s what you need to know about local SEO:

1. Definition and Significance: Local SEO helps businesses target customers in their specific geographical area. When people search for products or services near their location, search engines show them local search results. By optimizing for local SEO, businesses can increase their chances of appearing in these local search results and attract customers who are actively looking for what they offer.
2. Optimizing for Local Search Results: To improve local SEO, businesses can take several steps:

• Google My Business: Creating and optimizing a Google My Business (GMB) profile is crucial. It provides information about the business, including address, phone number, opening hours, and customer reviews. Optimizing the GMB profile with accurate and up-to-date information helps search engines understand the business’s location and relevance.
• Online Directories: Listing the business on online directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and industry-specific directories can enhance local SEO. These directories provide additional online visibility and backlinks to the business’s website.
• NAP Consistency: NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. It is essential to ensure NAP consistency across all online platforms. This means using the same business name, address, and phone number in directories, website, and GMB listing. Consistent NAP information builds trust and credibility.
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• Localized Content: Creating localized content that includes location-specific keywords helps search engines understand the business’s relevance to local searches. This can include creating location-specific landing pages, blog posts, and customer testimonials.

3. Customer Reviews and Ratings: Encouraging customers to leave reviews and ratings on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook can significantly impact local SEO. Positive reviews not only attract potential customers but also signal to search engines that the business is trustworthy and reliable.

By focusing on local SEO, businesses can connect with customers in their area, increase foot traffic to physical stores, and boost their online visibility among local searchers. It is an effective strategy for small businesses, service providers, and brick-and-mortar stores to gain a competitive edge in their local markets.

SEO Best Practices and Trends

SEO best practices and trends evolve over time as search engines update their algorithms and user behavior changes. Here are some key aspects to consider:

1. Current Best Practices for SEO: SEO best practices are techniques that have proven to be effective in optimizing websites for search engines. Some current best practices include:

• • High-Quality Content: Creating valuable, informative, and engaging content that satisfies user intent is crucial. Focus on delivering content that answers users’ questions, provides insights, and offers unique perspectives.
  • User Experience (UX): User experience plays a significant role in SEO. Ensure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is mobile-friendly. Provide a smooth and enjoyable experience for visitors to encourage longer time spent on the site and reduce bounce rates.
  • On-Page Optimization: Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and URLs to include relevant keywords. Use structured and organized content with appropriate keyword usage to improve search engine visibility.
  • High-Quality Backlinks: Build a strong backlink profile by acquiring links from authoritative and relevant websites. Focus on natural link building through content promotion, guest blogging, and building relationships with other industry influencers.

2. Importance of User Experience (UX): Search engines value websites that prioritize user experience. Factors such as website speed, mobile optimization, easy navigation, and engaging design contribute to a positive user experience. By focusing on UX, you not only improve your SEO rankings but also enhance user satisfaction and increase conversions.
3. Mobile-First Indexing and Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices, search engines have shifted towards mobile-first indexing. This means search engines primarily consider the mobile version of a website when determining search rankings. It is crucial to have a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and provides a seamless experience across all devices.
4. Voice Search and Optimization: The rise of voice assistants and smart speakers has changed the way people search. Voice search is more conversational, and keywords often include long-tail phrases. Optimizing for voice search involves understanding user intent, focusing on natural language, and providing concise and direct answers to commonly asked questions.

Staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and implementing best practices ensures that your website remains optimized for search engines and user expectations. Regularly monitoring industry updates and adapting your strategy accordingly will help maintain a competitive edge in search engine rankings.

BLOGS AND SEO

Blogs can be highly beneficial for SEO (search engine optimisation) for several reasons:

1. Fresh and Relevant Content: Blogs provide a platform to consistently create fresh and relevant content. Search engines value websites that regularly update their content, and a blog allows you to add new posts on a regular basis. Each blog post presents an opportunity to target specific keywords, answer common questions, and provide valuable information to your audience.
2. Targeting Long-Tail Keywords: Blogs allow you to target long-tail keywords, which are longer and more specific phrases that people often use when conducting detailed searches. Long-tail keywords typically have lower competition, making it easier to rank higher in search results. By incorporating long-tail keywords naturally into your blog content, you can attract highly targeted traffic to your website.
3. Internal Linking: Blogs provide opportunities for internal linking within your website. When you create blog posts, you can link to other relevant pages on your website, creating a network of interlinked content. Internal linking improves website navigation, enhances user experience, and helps search engines discover and index your webpages more effectively.
4. Backlink Opportunities: Blogs can attract external links from other websites, which are known as backlinks. When you create high-quality and valuable content, other websites may reference or link to your blog posts as a source of information. Backlinks from reputable websites are a signal of authority and trust to search engines, positively impacting your website’s rankings.
5. Social Sharing and Engagement: Blogs are easily shareable on social media platforms, increasing your content’s visibility and potential reach. When people share your blog posts, it generates social signals, indicating relevance and popularity, which can indirectly influence your SEO rankings.
6. Improved User Engagement: Blogs provide an opportunity to engage with your audience through comments and discussions. User engagement signals, such as comments, shares, and time spent on your blog posts, indicate that your content is valuable and resonates with your audience. This can positively impact your website’s overall SEO performance.

By regularly publishing informative and engaging blog posts, you can improve your website’s visibility, attract organic traffic, target specific keywords, and increase the likelihood of earning backlinks. Blogs are a powerful tool to enhance your SEO efforts and establish your website as an authoritative source of information in your industry. Want to read more about SEO? Click here for more blog posts!

Purple Bean Media’s SEO Strategy for Your Business

The first thing Purple Bean Media does when creating an SEO strategy for a business is our team completes a very thorough SEO Audit.

SEO AUDIT

During our comprehensive SEO audit, our team will analyze your website to identify areas for improvement and uncover opportunities to enhance your online presence. We will assess critical factors such as website structure, keyword optimization, meta tags, content quality, and backlink profile. We will audit your on page SEO and your off page SEO.  By conducting an in-depth review, we will pinpoint any technical issues that may be affecting your search engine rankings. Our audit will provide you with valuable insights and actionable recommendations to optimize your website and maximize your SEO efforts. Our SEO audit tools help make us more effective and efficient. Marketing analytics are incredibly important to this process, so we may dig deeper into your social media accounts to do a quicker audit of your content marketing.

MASTERING SEO CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in the digital landscape, where online visibility and competitiveness are paramount. By implementing effective SEO strategies, businesses can improve their website’s rankings, attract organic traffic, and connect with their target audience. Keyword research helps understand user behavior and optimize content accordingly, while technical SEO ensures a website is easily understood by search engines. Local SEO enables businesses to target customers in specific geographical areas, while staying updated with SEO best practices and trends ensures continued success. With the power of SEO, businesses can enhance their online presence, increase brand awareness, and achieve their digital marketing goals in an ever-evolving digital world.

Ready to take your SEO strategy to the next level? Let Purple Bean Media be your trusted creative agency! So far, we have got every customer that has invested in their SEO strategy with us on page one, and in most instances, in the top 3 spot for their keywords! Want these impressive results? Give us a call!