Have you ever wondered why some websites appear first in search engine results, why others are 12 pages back? Why some websites get thousands of visitors a day, while others, that contain similar info get almost no visitors?  The answer is SEO or Search Engine Optimization. Figuring out SEO can feel a bit like solving a mystery and there are many factors that come into play when it comes to gaining a coveted spot on the first page of Google’s search results. While some companies hire an expert, there’s no need to get out the checkbook right away. For many small businesses, taking a few simple steps will help improve your placement in search engine results. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be giving you some practical ways your website can get found on the world wide web.

What is SEO Anyway?

SEO is short for search engine optimization. Basically, someone types (or speaks) a question and the search engine (for instance, Google) runs this question through an algorithm to find the best answer possible for the query. Some search results are paid, some are not (this is called organic).

What’s the Deal with SEO?

SEO can be quite complex. While many people have spent many hours and many dollars to try to figure out this algorithm, the good news is that there are some simple steps that the average website owner can do to increase his or hers website ranking.

However, these steps will not warrant immediate results. Getting your website into the first page of a search engine ranking is more like a marathon and less like a sprint. Time is an important factor when it comes to SEO, so don’t be surprised if your website doesn’t rank #1 immediately.

Relevance, Usability, and Authority

Let’s start with a few basics. What is a search engine? A search engine is basically like an answer machine. Some examples of search engines are Google, Yahoo, and Bing. When you ask it a question, it will find an answer based on Relevance, Usability and Authority.

In the next few weeks, we will break down these three areas a bit more, including easy to understand practical steps on how you can increase your website’s rankings. Although SEO can be a bit intimidating. The good news is that WordPress does a great job with SEO right out of the box. With a few additional steps, your website will be attracting more visitors in no time!

Article At-A-Glance:

• SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization
• There are two types of SEO: paid and organic (not paid)
• A search engine is ” computer software used to search data (such as text or a database) for specified information” (Merriam Webster)
• Relevance, Usability and Authority contribute to organic SEO.

Want more info or a little help when it comes to SEO? We can help! Contact us today to set up an SEO audit of your website!