3 SEO Answers For Starters

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SEO this and SEO that. Increase SEO, choose keywords, analyze pagerank, optimize links... the terminology goes on forever, but at the end of the day, you just want to make sure you're not falling behind and keeping up with what is needed to keep you relevant. Well let's talk a little bit about SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

What Is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engine optimization is the process where you refine your website so it is displayed higher on search engines and increasing the amount of traffic that comes to your website.

There is a lot that goes along with SEO, and most of it is technical jargon that is difficult to follow and even more difficult to implement. At the end of the day, all you want is for your site to have more people on it and you want more people to hear what you have to say. Whether you're blogging, offering your services, or running a full fledged online application, the key to success on the internet is to make sure your site is as accessible as possible.

How Much Can It Help Me?

A website that is search engine optimized is significantly more likely to receive traffic and business than a site that is not optimized. By performing the correct optimizations, search engines like Google or Bing will promote your website and drive people to it. Best of all, search engine optimization is all about getting organic content to your site, meaning you won't have to pay Google a dime for the added traffic. Here are some stats that show how much a website can benefit from optimization:

93% of online experiences begin with a search. (search engine journal).
70% of people/business have attested to seeing an improvement in traffic after performing SEO
80% of people conduct local searches on search engines.

How Do I Optimize?

Search engines use complicated algorithms to try to decide what should be on the front page of a search. Everything from website optimizations, blog posts, and social media can help you rank higher on search engines. Fortunately, there are tools available to make it easier for you. Let's tackle the top 3 things you can do to improve your SEO.

1. Social Media

Social media is a big barometer for search engines. When a user searches something on a search engine, the search will span websites, blogs, and social networks. Being relevant and consistent on social media will go a long way to helping you appear higher on a search engine.

If you want to see how you're doing in the social media department, you can try it out for yourself at anytime. To give it a shot, go to google.com and search your name. In all likelihood Google will have done a decent job at presenting with some information about you or your business.

Now lets try to do a google search on american realtor Josh Altman.

As you can see, the front page of google is dominated by his businesses, his tv shows... and his social media profiles. At the time of this writing, 3 of the top 10 results included links to his Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Additionally, Google has gone ahead and scouted other networks and linked them on his 'Profile' so you can also see his LinkedIn.

While Josh has the benefit of tv shows and marketing to empower his results, his social media profiles are the same as yours and you have the power to achieve the same type of visibility.

2. Your Website / Blog

Search engines always want to show up to date content to their users. This includes what you post on your website. If your website has a blog or a place where you update news, Google will help promote you if you keep it up to date and easy to read. Some people think this means that they have to post new content every couple of hours, and fortunately that is not the case at all. As long as you are not letting your blog or website go weeks or months without any love, you can still score highly in the page rankings.

3. Using Free Tools Provided By Search Engines

Fortunately search engines have done their best to help us optimize our websites. Both Google and Bing provide what is called 'Webmaster Tools' free of charge to help you optimize your website. Spending 30 minutes on each of these tools could help you generate significantly more traffic. Links to the webmaster tools can be found below:

Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools .

Is That It?

If you've read through this post and feel like you're doing well for yourself, you're off to a great start. Search engine optimization is a very broad topic and can get very particular and in depth depending how much time you want to spend with it. We will be talking more in depth about how you can increase your SEO ranking so check back soon for more information. In the mean time, we've linked a few great sites that can help you get started if you feel like you're ready to take a deep dive into the wonderful world of SEO.