What is SEO
SEO is the process of optimizing websites and content to increase visibility, clicks, traffic, authority, and conversions. It requires a holistic approach to online marketing and ongoing maintenance.
Search engines operate like librarians, reading and indexing content across the web to add to their libraries. To learn more about the basics of SEO Coach, read our guide: 13 Essential Skills Every Digital Marketer Needs to Know.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO campaign. It involves identifying the terms and phrases that search engines use to find your website and ranking it higher in SERPs.
It helps you identify keywords that align with your audience's search intent and create content that addresses their needs. This drives organic traffic and engagement metrics that can lead to business growth.
Also consider entering a topic into Google search and checking out the “related searches” section for ideas. It's a great way to discover long-tail keywords that aren’t as competitive but can still drive traffic. Finally, don't forget to regularly reevaluate and update your keyword strategy. Search language shifts all the time and it's important to stay ahead of your audience's evolving search needs and intent.
On-Page Optimization
As a marketing agency, you’re constantly searching for ways to improve your clients’ SEO rankings. While off-page techniques, like link building, play a role in SEO, on-page optimization is the foundation of any successful campaign.
On-page optimization involves optimizing a client’s website or individual pages for search engines and users. This includes things like keyword optimization, creating engaging and relevant content, and providing a positive user experience.
Title tags are a key component of on-page optimization. They should be descriptive and include the keywords you want the page to rank for. Meta descriptions are also important as they help search engines and users understand what a webpage is about.
Another element of on-page optimization is internal linking. This helps search engine crawlers find and index more pages on a domain. It also helps reduce duplicate content and improves navigation for real users by establishing a clear hierarchy of pages on a site (e.g. /mens/shirts/short-sleeved/). Lastly, on-page optimization may involve optimizing URLs to make them short and descriptive.
Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring links from other websites to your own. This can help improve your search engine ranking, which will lead to more traffic and sales. There are a number of different ways to build links, including guest blogging, submitting your site to directories, and creating compelling content that other sites will want to link to.
However, these types of links are not as valuable as those from authoritative publications and websites. When it comes to SEO, quality over quantity is key. A link should be editorial, relevant to the page and context on which it appears, and offer value to the audience of the site on which it is placed. This can be difficult to accomplish, but it is important to focus on the best quality possible for your budget. This will ensure long-term success and better results for your business.
Content Marketing
The core of content marketing is creating meaningful and relevant content that resonates with your audience. It also involves using search engine optimization tools and tactics to improve the visibility of your content and site.
Content marketers can use tools like keyword research to identify the terms that your audience is searching for online and then align and optimize for those keywords in their content. They can also utilize SEO best practices such as ensuring that pages are properly structured, loading quickly and mobile-friendly to boost their organic search results.
Both SEO and content marketing are essential to a successful digital marketing strategy. By integrating them into one cohesive plan, brands can achieve their content goals and grow their online presence.