Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO” for short, is when companies try to rank for Google’s organic search results.
This is different from Search Engine Marketing, or “SEM” for short, because you pay to show up on SEM results.
While many in the SEO marketing space do a lot more than rank for Google traffic, this is their main purpose in small businesses.
What Does Search Engine Optimization Do?
Here are some ways Search Engine Optimizers achieve this:
- Researching keywords
- Building backlinks
- Optimizing image sizes
- Increasing page load speed
Of course, it’s easier to hire this out rather than do it yourself, but in an effort to avoid that, I’ll just tell you what these agencies are thinking.
Why Do I Need SEO?
Think of your website as a giant book that Google’s bots are reading. When you build it, you have a few things in mind, like your contact section, your blog section, or your homepage.
Now imagine Google’s bots are reading the book, but scribbled in different places along the margins in partially-illegible handwriting are important notes.
These notes, written at times in half-sentences, are on every one of your pages. Your inconsistent image sizes, your references to sometimes broken links, your 400 published but inaccessible pages… these are all corrupting Google’s image of your book, or website.
You need SEO to simplify this image.
So if you’re looking for an SEO or agency who’s legitimate, listen for callouts to the bullets above, or ask them to do a free analysis of your website (many will be available, since they’re largely automated).
Try and avoid SEO companies that make their pitch on mostly backlink building. If you have no backlinks, it makes sense to incorporate it into your SEO strategy, but those who promise a certain number of backlinks as their service should throw up an instant red flag.
Those links to your website, rather than helping you, will probably demote your ranking in the eyes of Google, since the company you’ve hired is probably paying for backlinks, and you’re probably getting robot traffic only.
The Stolen Ground Media Model
Here at Stolen Ground Media, I offer only clear and honest opinions about your website. Since my SEO work is consultation-only, I can’t promise a number of backlinks, I can only tell you it’s damaging your ranking or it’s not.
I also like to focus on user experience. Many Search Engine Optimizers ignore this, since user experience is an art and SEO is a science. If you outsource your SEO, make sure you get a company that’s willing to talk about both. They’re out there!
If you have any further questions or you want some advice about your SEO, let’s get in touch!
If you’re in a good spot with your SEO, feel free to browse the articles below, where I touch on the different methods I use to activate websites on Google search results.
