Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is one of the oldest internet principles. However, it’s also one of the freshest as algorithms are always changing to ensure the best possible search results.
SEO has been one of the primary services of TFG Media Company for a long time, and we know the power that it holds. In the following article, we show you how to put it to work for you.
1. Do Keyword Research
Keyword research is one of the most vital things you can do to unlock the power of SEO. That’s because search engines will learn what type of website you have by the keywords you are targeting.
You want terms to be relevant to an entire industry while being laser-focused on what your strengths are. That takes planning. Fortunately, there are many tools out there that can help you get underway, with Google’s keyword planner being one of the most popular.
2. Create Content With Consumers in Mind
SEO means making sure your content is ready for search engines. However, keep your consumers at the front of your thoughts at all times. They’re who you will ultimately be serving.
We suggest writing or creating content with a hard focus on them. You can always go back and get the exact terms right later on, and in a way that doesn’t seem stilted or forced.
3. Optimize Content for Keywords
Search engine optimization does require some attention to detail. You need to make sure that content is optimized to find its audience. If you’re doing a written piece, you might try to drop in relevant keywords every 75-100 words in as natural of a sounding manner as possible.
Don’t be afraid to use stop words if you just can’t make the content sound right. We see this all the time with local SEO. Example: “real estate Atlanta” is awkward in context but “real estate in Atlanta,” stop word “in,” makes it read smoother.
4. Think Local
On the topic of local SEO, that’s one easier way of getting relevant results. Just targeting “real estate” puts you in competition with millions of others. Tweaking it to be relevant to your geographic area reduces the competition level exponentially.
From there, just find out what types of content your competitors are putting out and trump them. Local SEO has a long future ahead of it thanks to how narrow you can get (i.e., sections of town, neighborhoods, street names).
5. Study Competitors
Successful people know what the competition is doing. They can spot the good from the bad, and they can think of ways they would have done it differently.
If you don’t know your competition, then it’s going to be hard to connect with your audience. Because guess what? Your competitors have the customers that you want!
6. Engage With Them
Part of understanding the answers to what is SEO is understanding how to engage with the competition. You shouldn’t just look at them as the enemy. Look at them as someone you could possibly do business with.
Purchase a product from them. Contribute helpful comments to their blogs or social media posts. The more active you are, the easier it will be to attract their audience with the value you create on a platform that’s not your own.
From there, people will want to know more about you. Word will start to spread. Before you know it, you’ll be the next big thing.
7. Get Active on Social Media
Social media is now where everyone spends their time. What do we mean by everyone? Oh, just over half the world and pretty much all the developed world. More than four billion people, in all, have active social media accounts.
It’s easy to connect with special interest groups in your sector, comment on competitor’s posts without being limited by their on-site terms of service, and promoting your own content to potential customers.
Social media also operates on the same search principles of search engines. They use SEO for content discovery. You have to be on there, or you’re leaving a huge opportunity on the table.
8. Get Technical
The technical road can be a tedious one for creative types, but it’s entirely necessary when promoting your work and platform. Audience members need to know how to find content, which related content is the most logical next step, and where to go to support any sources that you’ve used.
Technical aspects also include tagging of images and other multimedia content. All this works together to let search engines know how your site is structured. It also helps people navigate your pages with ease.
9. Respond
Using SEO isn’t just about keywords and tagging and creating content. It’s also about nurturing relationships with the people who are helping you get bigger. That would mean your audience and any sites that have back-linked to you.
Keep a running list of comments and questions that deserve a response. Follow-up with sites that linked to you letting them know how much you appreciate the nod.
Get creative, and don’t make people wait too long. Focusing on the relationship-building aspects of things will help you take your SEO game to the next level.
10. Stay Current
Utilizing SEO is not just about sticking to the keywords you’ve picked. It’s also about revisiting emerging keywords as current events dictate. Many SEO for businesses guides miss this.
Language is an ever-changing thing. It evolves in a dynamic and inclusive way. Knowing what’s trending in your industry or sector will allow you to capitalize on new keywords as they’re unfolding and find new markets for yourself along the way.
Just take COVID as a rather grim but effective example. Two years ago, it was a search term unknown to many. One global pandemic later, and you can’t seem to find a news story without it somewhere in the headline.
SEO Is Still Vital for Reaching Your Audience
We hope this look at SEO will show you a good roadmap that you can use for unlocking its full power. Just remember: people first, engines second. But both are important.
Are you ready to kick your SEO game into overdrive? You should partner with TFG Media Company, an experienced group of professionals who’ve built effective SEO strategies from the ground up. Contact us today to learn about the scope of what we do.
