If you have read anything on SEO, you will know it is more complicated than simply adding some keywords into your content.
There is a lot that goes into a well optimised website.
While you don’t need to know the ins and outs of coding and web design, it is important to have an overall understanding of what optimising your website means.
For instance, did you know there are different kinds of SEO?
Yep, there are two main kinds… on page SEO and off page SEO.
If you are using content marketing as an SEO strategy, then on page SEO will be the one you want to master first. It is a free marketing tactic that generates targetted website traffic again and again.
So, what is it and why is it important?
Let’s have a look at those questions now.
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. But, what does that actually mean?
What does optimising your website for a search engine actually do and why is it so important?
Well, SEO is basically the practice of making sure your website is ticking all the boxes so that it shows up in search engine search results.
It is about optimising your content so that search engines like Google will show it in the top results for a particular word or phrase – known as a keyword in SEO terms.
SEO is what you add to an article or blog to increase your chances of Google showing it as a top search result when someone is hunting for the keyword that your blog embodies.
Why is SEO Important?
There are millions of pieces of content loaded to websites every week. So, you want to make sure your hard work is not lost in the crowd of content. You can do that by making it easy for Google and other search engines to show that content to the people who want to find it.
For example, if you are writing an article about how to make the perfect cup of tea, you want to make it clear to Google that you are writing about tea. That way, it won’t show it to people that are hunting for coffee, chai lattes or hot chocolates. Only the tea lovers.
SEO can help you do that.
By nailing your SEO, you can get your content to appear in the right search results. When people are searching on Google, they are in action mode. They want to buy something, find an answer to a question, or a solution to a problem.
If you can land one of these highly motivated searchers by appearing in their search results, then they are much more likely to take action with your business. Plus, it gives them a way to find your business, where they might not have found you otherwise.
What Is On Page SEO?
Alright, now we have a better idea of what SEO actually is and why it is important. Let’s explore On Page SEO specifically, which is a key tactic in getting your blogs and articles found online.
On Page SEO is the kind of SEO you can use on a day to day basis without the expertise of a web developer. It is about using the right keywords in the right places so that a search engine can catalogue your piece in the right way.
Once catalogued, search engines can display your webpages in their search results where relevant. And this can happen as many times as people are searching for your content. It’s not a one and done tactic. If someone is searching for the perfect cup of tea every day, your article has the chance to come up in every one of those search results.
So, what does it include?
Firstly, On Page SEO is about creating valuable content that your visitors will want to read. The only way for search engines to rate content as good is via engagement. So if lots of people come to your site and stick around, Google and its counterparts are going to think your site is one of authority and rank it accordingly in search results.
As well as having great content, you also need to optimise your title, sub-headings, images and metadata. I will cover that in greater detail in my next blog post.
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