Table of Contents:
Learn More About These Types of SEO
1. Technical
SEO: Analysis of Website’s technical factors thatimpactits rankings.
· Code Efficiency
An
important factor for website optimization is the efficiency of the code with
which the website is developed. Inefficient code that is bloated can slow
down a website’s load time and dilutes the code-to-text
(on-page-content). When we optimize on-page content, the optimization is
better received by Google when the website code is minimized. Google more
readily understands the semantic meaning of a page when there is less
code. This helps to improve rankings.
· Mobile Response
Google’s
ranking algorithm is continually updated to improve the experience of its
users. In addition to delivering accurate results that address a query,
Google also factors into its rankings the speed of a website. A faster
website provides a superior user experience to a website visitor. All other
things being equal, Google will deliver a faster website before a slower site
because a visitor will most likely have a better experience with the faster
website. Page load times should be below 2.5 seconds.
· SSL/HTTPS
Google, like its
users, prefers websites that are secure. A website with malware is an
extreme example of a poor, unsecure website. Of course, no one wants to
infect their computer by visiting a website that is not secure. Google has
been steadily increasing the importance of having a secure website by
increasing the importance of HTTPS websites over HTTP sites.
HTTPS simply means the website is protected with an SSL certificate. SSL stands for Secured Socket Layer. It is a communications protocol which creates a secure connection between a visitor and a website. Protecting the information entered by a visitor and received by the website is important to Google, therefore, they will rank a website that is SSL protected (https) over a website that is not (http).
2. On-Page SEO: The optimization of visible page elements that effectrankings.
· Page Title & Meta
Description
A web page’s
title tag and meta description are critical to SEO rankings for two
reasons. First, both should contain your primary keyword(s) to help
Google understand the semantic meaning of your page. Rather than keyword
stuffing (old school SEO), use a variation of your keywords. It is best
practice to use synonyms, word variations and change the order of words within
a keyword phrase. A professional SEO services company will know how to
best optimize title tags and meta descriptions to help Google search queries
ranking and improve organic traffic.
The second reason page titles and meta descriptions are important is because they present an opportunity to differentiate your web page result from your competitors. Current SEO best practices consider more recent optimization factors used by Google, which include user engagement metrics like time on site, bounce rate and click-through rate. When Google identifies that one web page is being viewed for a longer period of time and there is more visitor engagement with the website, the likelihood is that page will out-rank pages with lower user metrics. Accurate and intriguing page title’s and descriptions help increase click-through rate and reduce bounce-rate.
· Headings (Headers)
Google
appreciates (and rewards) web pages that are structured intuitively. The
use of headings helps to organize the content on a page. Much like a term
paper outline, major topics use more prominent headers. In terms of SEO,
these would include H1 and H2 heading tags and would identify more macro
ideas. When greater detail is discussed within each over-arching topic,
these content areas use less prominent headers such as H3 and H4. The
proper use of header tags is very important to rankings. I’ve experienced
more than once a huge improvement in a website’s rankings by simply changing
the H1 on the home page. SEO service providers know how to optimize and
utilize headings to help improve Google rankings.
· On Page Content
The content
(text) of a web page is critical to the potential ranking for that page.
As mentioned above, Google is tracking visitor usage metrics like time on page
and bounce-rate. If your professional SEO services company is simply
optimizing titles, meta descriptions and headings to improve rankings, these
ranking improvements may be short lived.
Ultimately, the on-page content must provide value to the visitor. Simply listing services, for example, is boring. When one also includes the benefits or value of those services to the potential customer, the page becomes more relevant to the visitor. When the page is concise, has an appealing layout and uses rich-media (videos, graphics, etc.) that improve visitor engagement, then the rankings improvement has greater staying-power.
3. Off-Page SEO: Implementation of
optimization elements not related to the page itself.
Off-page
SEO techniques help increase a website’s domain authority, which is a measure
of a website’s credibility and “ability” to rank well. While on-page SEO
positions a website to rank for search terms well by helping search engines
understand the semantic meaning of a website and its web pages, off-page SEO
helps increase the authority of a website and Google’s interpretation of what
websites should rank ahead of others.
· Social Media
The
use of social media helps to create brand awareness and the potential for
website visitors. The more a website participates in social media, the
greater the likelihood of social media users visiting the website. As it
relates to off-page SEO, Google’s priority is to deliver quality content to its
users. Among the best indicators of quality content, is the frequency
with which content is shared online. Social media marketing is an
excellent way to encourage the sharing of a website’s content.
· Backlinks
At the heart of
Google’s ranking algorithm are backlinks. To Google, backlinks from one
website to another is similar to word-of-mouth referrals. The more
referrals (backlinks) a website receives, the more Google deems the website as
relevant and, subsequently, the greater a website’s rankings. Because
backlinks are critical to domain authority and ranking well, it tends to also
be the area with the greatest abuse in terms of spam.
If an SEO agency is not using SEO best practices for link building, they may be focusing simply on the quantity of backlinks. More important to improving rankings, is the quality of backlinks. One good quality backlink from a trusted, authoritative website is better than 10 and, perhaps, even 100 poor quality links. The key to acquiring good-quality backlinks is to provide valuable content on your website that others may reference and wish to share with their website visitors.
4. Organic SEO: Improvingrankings for
themain“organic”area within search engines.
Organic
SEO is important to businesses with a national & international focus.
This type of SEO focuses on improving rankings within the organic search
results (as opposed to the “local-pack”) by optimizing a website for Google’s
search engine algorithm. Organic SEO is traditional or classical search
engine optimization, which starts with keyword research. The internet is
flooded with articles on how to perform organic SEO to improve Google
rankings. Techniques within this form of SEO services include on-page
optimization and off-page optimization, including things like meta tag and page
title optimization, on-page content optimization, building backlinks and
utilizing social media.
5. Local SEO: Improvingrankings for the“local-pack”
area within search engines.
Local SEO
services is important to businesses relying on local/regional customers.
Location targeted SEO is more recent than general organic search
optimization. Optimizing for local rankings focuses on being found within
the local-pack, the area within Google results that shows a map with a listing
of 3 local businesses. The local listings area is a huge opportunity for
smaller businesses relying on localized customers. The SEO techniques
used for local website optimization are different than those of organic
SEO. Restaurants, auto repair shops, electricians and plumbers are a few
examples of the types of businesses that benefits from Local SEO.
6. Voice
SEO: Improvingranking for
voice search.
Voice search
optimization is the newest form of search engine optimization. The
majority of people would rather use voice search than typing, which is why
voice search is projected to be greater than 50% of all searches by 2020. Voice
search optimization priorities include having a fast website (page load time
under 4 seconds), SSL security website encryption, and clearly defined question
and an answer of approximately 30 words or less.
7. Reputation Management
Another
important part of search optimization services a professional SEO company
should be offering are those of online reputation management. The
majority of internet users find online reviews helpful in making a purchasing
decision. Perhaps the most well-known online reviews are those from Amazon.
Product reviews from actual buyers are very useful to potential customers
researching products.
Similar to product reviews, company and service reviews are useful to people looking to hire a company to perform services. These types of reviews can both help and hurt an organization. Those companies with favorable reviews will have a greater likelihood of being hired than those with poor reviews. Reputation management services help promote positive reviews while mitigating negative reviews. An important part of SEO agency services is to help clients respond favorable to online reviews.
8. Search Engine Marketing
Search engine
marketing services help improve the overall online visibility of an
organization’s website. There is a strong correlation between the number
of impressions a company receives and acquiring new business. As Internet users
become more familiar with a brand and their website, we see an increase in
activity to and engagement with a business’ website. Search marketing helps to
increase brand awareness, website traffic and conversion rate.
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