You probably know that SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization—but what does that really mean?

SEO can be a complex and sometimes mysterious topic, but we’re here to help you understand the basics. Let’s talk about SEO: what it is, how it works, and why it’s important!

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is a set of strategies used to get more traffic to your website from search engines. SEO looks at the factors search engines use to rank websites and tries to improve them, with the goal of moving your website higher in the search results for relevant keywords and phrases. The higher your website appears in the search results, the more traffic you’re likely to get.

How does SEO work?

Search engines use over 200 different factors to determine where to list pages in their results, so we’re not going to go through every detail! What’s more, small details of SEO are constantly changing as search engines make changes to their processes.

What you need to know is that SEO strategies always fall into three categories: technical optimization, on-page optimization, and off-page optimization.

·      Technical optimization is the behind-the-scenes work that helps search engines to find, understand, and rank your website. This includes creating a clear and logical site structure and submitting your sitemap to search engines.

·      On-page optimization is all about making your content and website better for users and for search engines. This includes creating quality content based on relevant keywords, minimizing loading speeds, and optimizing for mobile.

·      Off-page optimization is the actions you do outside of your website to improve your search engine ranking. A main example of this is getting backlinks from reputable websites.

Why is SEO important?

Knowing how to get your website in front of your target audience is an important business skill, and SEO is essential to that quest! Good SEO helps you to boost your website traffic, increase brand awareness, establish authority in your field, and ultimately reach your business goals.

Like anything in marketing, you need a strategy to be successful. A comprehensive SEO strategy helps you to figure out where you are, where you’re going, and what improvements you need to make to get there.

If you’d like help with your SEO strategy, we can assist you with steps like:

·      Defining your target audience

·      Performing keyword research

·      Choosing primary, secondary, and tertiary keywords

·      Deciding what kind of content to create

·      Optimizing titles, URLs, and more

·      Understanding local SEO best practices

Or, you can let us take care of everything! At 2XM, we do the work of staying on top of the ever-changing search algorithms to ensure your website remains updated with the best keywords and always follows website best practices. We’ll create a comprehensive SEO strategy to give your business the boost you’re looking for. Contact us today for a FREE 60-minute consultation.