You’ve probably heard of this weird acronym. Maybe you’ve been told you need it to be more visible online and gain more business. Or heck, maybe you’ve already attempted to implement SEO into your website, only to have a strong urge to repeatedly bang your head on your desk (we don’t blame you, there’s a lot to learn).
Whatever the case, we’re here to help walk you through it. Here’s everything you need to know about SEO.
Table of Contents:
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s a digital marketing strategy that fine tunes your site to show up for relevant online searches.
The Concept Behind SEO
Take a moment to look at the search engine results pages (SERPs) on Google. Why is one website showing above another site? Why are certain businesses listed on the first page, whereas other ones are showing up on the second and third pages?
This is all because of SEO. Search engines use bots and algorithms that determine your site’s worth and rank it accordingly on their results pages.
Bots/Crawlers
Though the Google search page looks like a standard old website, it’s so much more than that. Behind it lies numerous bots that crawl through your site. These bots scope out the meaning and value behind your site’s contents and index them.
You can think of indexing like adding a new book into a library’s database. If your book, or site page, isn’t indexed, your target market won’t be able to find you. And for the bots to properly index your pages, you need to implement the right SEO practices. Why? Because of algorithms.
While the bots build databases of web pages for search engines, search engines look at your site and use algorithms—a combination of rules and signals—to rank it.
Here are a just few ranking factors (we’ll go more into detail on these later):
In a Nutshell…
The greater online visibility and rankings you have over your competitors, the more likely you’ll win customers and improve your bottom line.
You can think of SEO as the love language that binds your site to your most valuable online customers. By incorporating good SEO practices, you’ll win the trust of users and search engines, snag a VIP spot on the results pages, and most importantly, get found by the right people.
Why SEO Matters—10 Statistics
So is SEO worth it? Yes! But don’t just take it from us—here are 10 statistics that shed light on why SEO matters and the lasting results it can bring for your business:
How Does SEO Work?
Understanding how SEO works requires an understanding of the “why” and “how” behind its ranking factors. They can be categorized into two groups: on-page and off-page SEO.
On-Page SEO
It’s easy to think of SEO as beating an algorithm, but remember—winning the algorithm means providing a valuable user experience. And this is what your on-page SEO focuses on.
On-page SEO looks at what your site/page is about and improves its contents to help it rank better. Let’s take a look at a few on-page SEO components: keywords, content, page speed, and user engagement.
Keywords, also referred to as search queries, are the words, phrases, and questions your target audience is typing into the Google search bar.
Whether it’s, “how to make a quesadilla” or “energy supplements,” these keywords/phrases tap into the goals your prospects are looking to achieve via search engines. In other words, they carry search intent.
The more you craft content around keywords and search intent, the more likely your webpages will show up for these relevant queries. Better yet, the right people will be able to discover your business.
Content is basically all of the words/copy on your website. It’s the mode of communication that nurtures your target market through the buying cycle.
Good content not only illustrates your unique selling proposition, but it also educates. It taps into your audience’s pain points and provides them with valuable tips. This may involve the use of:
But here’s the catch: your content actually has to be useful. Your visitors can smell B.S. if it’s on your site. And guess what? So can search engines. No matter what, always strive to provide quality content that teaches, nurtures, and inspires. It’s the only way to win the trust of Google and, more importantly, your audience.
Page Speed
Also called page load time, page speed is the time it takes for the contents of your webpage to fully load.
While the difference between two and four seconds may seem minor to you, it isn’t for your customers. Forty percent of users abandon sites that take more than three seconds to load. Since Google takes the user experience into account; if it notices people are leaving your site and moving on over to a competitor’s, it will count this against you.
SEO can help you boost your page speed through technical methods like:
User Engagement
Part of Google’s search algorithm ranks your site based on engagement metrics like:
By using good conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategies, you can improve your on-site experience to boost engagement and conversions. These optimization tactics might involve:
When people browse and click through your site, these actions tell Google your site provides value.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO focuses on how authoritative and popular your site is. The more authority it has, the more likely your site will rank well.
The two key manifestations of site authority are the number of backlinks you have and your domain authority.
If another site links to your site, this is called a backlink (also called an inbound link). Google sees backlinks as votes of confidence; the more votes you have, the more likely it will rank your site well for relevant search queries.
Keep in mind, not all backlinks are created equal. Google looks at various factors to determine the worth of your backlinks. Here are a couple:
Domain Authority
Developed by SEO software company, Moz, domain authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score.
The score ranges from one to 100. A higher score indicates a greater ability to rank well on search engines. You can check your DA using Moz’s Link Explorer.
All the on-page and off-page factors we’ve discussed play a role in your DA. So if you find that your DA score isn’t as high as you hoped, start tweaking your on-page and off-page elements.
For more information on ranking factors and how they impact SEO, check out the 10 most important Google ranking factors.
What Does SEO Include? 6 Key Strategies
So how do you carry out these on-page and off-page SEO tactics without wanting to pull your hair out? Luckily, there are SEO strategies that can help you stay on track and fulfill Google’s ranking guidelines.
1. Keyword Research
Keywords are central to SEO. They’re the linchpin that solidifies your content with the needs of your prospective customers.
Good keyword research involves starting off with the right groundwork such as:
Once you have the relevant information, you can use tools like Google Trends and Keyword Generator to help you come up with keywords. These tools can also offer insight into how competitive these terms are.
2. Competitor Research
Speaking of competition, what are your competitors up to? Where you stand says a lot about how successful you are and the areas you need to work on.
By conducting a thorough analysis of your competitors’ backlinks, DA score, keyword rankings, and content, you can scope out critical opportunities you need to invest in to level up your game.
And this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do exactly what your competitors are doing. Rather, you should execute those strategies in a way that is 10 times better.
3. Technical SEO
Earlier, we discussed page speed optimization that involves enhancing your code and reducing file sizes. This is part of technical SEO.
Technical SEO entails optimizing all of your technical site components to help search engine bots crawl and index your site more effectively. Unless you’re a tech/online guru, you’ll need the help of your web development team to tackle this.
Technical SEO includes, but is not limited to:
4. Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks. This involves:
5. Local SEO
Are you a business that provides services in specific geographic locations? If yes, then you need local SEO.
Local SEO is a process that optimizes your business’ online presence to rank for local searches. Say you’re a roof repair company in the Orange County, CA area. By implementing the right local SEO practices, you can show up for “roof repairs near me” queries conducted by OC residents.
Local SEO involves setting up and improving your business in online directories like Google My Business and Apple Maps. For guidance on where/how to start, check out Big Leap’s local SEO tools and free expert audit checklist guide.
6. Combination of Other Digital Marketing Tactics
Here’s the thing—you can’t drive lasting results with SEO alone. SEO is simply one piece of the puzzle.
To really make the most of SEO, you need to combine it with other digital marketing strategies like:
How Long Does SEO Take?
You’ve probably heard SEO takes a while to achieve results. But exactly how long is “a while”?
First, it’s important to remember that SEO is a long-term strategy that takes consistency over time, effort and a bit of patience. But once that foundation is built, the results carry a nice amount of longevity.
As much as we’d like to give you a solid answer, generally it takes 4-6 months to start seeing results. Keep in mind, the specific SEO time frame really depends on factors like:
Good & Bad SEO
Not everyone has the patience to wait around for SEO results to start blooming. And sometimes, this compels people to try and find shortcuts.
Keep in mind, there are penalties for breaking rules in the SEO world. Search engines are smart enough to know if you’re simply trying to gain an unfair advantage over your competition. Therefore, you gotta know the difference between good versus bad SEO.
It all comes down to infusing your strategy with good intentions—intentions that are centered on providing value for your audience. If Google knows you’re injecting your site with authenticity (e.g. naturally weaving in keywords rather than stuffing them) and thoroughness (e.g. conducting extensive audits and making data-driven decisions), it will reward you. Like most good things in life, SEO takes time.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
Similar to SEO timeframes, how much SEO costs depend on components such as:
If you’d like a bit of guidance on how much of your marketing budget you should set aside for SEO, check out our digital marketing budget calculator. It factors in your industry, revenue, and how aggressive you’d like to be (low, medium, or high).
What’s the Difference Between SEO and PPC?
When making decisions on how to invest your time and online marketing dollars, SEO versus PPC is a pivotal distinction you should consider.
PPC—also known as pay-per-click or paid search/marketing—is a marketing strategy that involves paying for ads and clicks to drive traffic to your site and other online profiles. PPC is highly targeted, meaning an ad will only be shown when a user types in a specific keyword into Google.
There are several platforms that offer PPC services. These platforms include:
PPC is helpful if you’re looking to drive short-term results and target niche audiences. It also allows you to use retargeting—showing your past site visitors relevant ads when they’re browsing the web—to boost conversions.
You might be thinking, “well, if PPC gets me quick results, why not invest there?” You have to think about the intent behind PPC and SEO, which brings us to our next point.
So Which Is Better—SEO or PPC?
While there are several pros and cons to paid search and organic search, there isn’t one that’s better than the other; they carry different purposes. PPC drives short-term results, and SEO drives long-term results—you need both to safeguard the viability of your business.
SEO can help your business deliver great content, and PPC can help you spread your content to the right audience. Using SEO and PPC together can drive traffic to your site quickly and boost your online presence for long-term success.
SEO Changes Constantly
One of the hard facts about SEO is that it changes constantly. Search engine algorithms always change, which requires you to shift your SEO strategy accordingly. And this involves a lot of trial and error to get it right.
This is why SEO is one of the most hated marketing tactics; it takes hard work and consistent effort to drive results, which is why many businesses turn to SEO companies.
By finding a trusted SEO team who invests the time to create customized strategies tailored to your goals, you can gain the right footing in the online space. You’ll also have the opportunity to gain insightful knowledge on SEO to ensure your strategy is coated with the right intentions.
Kick off Your SEO Journey for Free at Big Leap
If you’re looking for an SEO team to help safeguard the long-term viability of your business, contact Big Leap. With over a decade of experience helping 600+ businesses like yours, our team thrives on learning and discovering customized SEO strategies that drive results.
And if you’re still on the fence, no worries. We can get you started with a free strategy session—no strings attached. We’ll get to know each other more and give you a preview of what we can do for you.
