Do you know your SEO in 2023? You will in a few minutes.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) enables your website content to be given situational context, then indexed and ranked in authority for searchers of information. I think we all know that.
But did you know…
“Prioritizing valuable content is the key ingredient to success… creating high-quality, informative content that is genuinely useful to the audience should be the priority. When content is valuable, it naturally attracts links and engagement, which ultimately boosts its search engine rankings.” -Darryl Navarrete, CEO, marketing director and SEO specialist.
Keywords or Key Information?
Keyword research is still important for understanding how people search for content in different categories, but intentional keyword stuffing is a dead practice that deserves the grave. How many times do you want to see “in New Hampshire” (or some other geo target) repeated when you read about a product or service? It doesn’t matter where you use it, and the qualification sounds silly.
The takeaway: Repetition and redundancy are enemies of SEO in 2023! Keywords should be used like strong seasoning – in the right amounts and in just the right places.
Each page on your website should have a keyword strategy. Title tags, slugs, meta descriptions and on-page content should all contain the targeted keyword (or phrase) that your audience members are using to find pertinent information. Keyword research can help here. However, be very careful about forcing keywords into your website content. Make sure they flow in naturally as in an engaging conversation.
Today’s SEO is based on natural language, contextual meaning, and quality of information so it doesn’t matter if you use more industry keywords than your competitors. If your content is well organized and more valuable to the visitors, you’ll have the SEO advantage.
The Coveted Google Page One Results
Getting on the first page of Google for keyword searches is still widely misunderstood. Page one organic search results are fiercely fought for and earned.
Unfortunately, some small business owners and marketing directors are under the impression that because they do good work and have a website designer, their business “should be” showing up on page one in Google for keyword searches. In most cases, those who make it “above the fold” have worked years to get there. They’ve invested in their businesses by building excellent, comprehensive, and valuable websites that visitors use and share with others. Maybe you’re one of them enjoying the results today.
The Reality Check with Good News
If you’re looking to improve website search results, don’t fall for the smoke and mirrors that have confused business owners and marketing directors for decades. We who understand this business, and are honest about it, are constantly fighting the false notions of which clients have been misinformed.
Everyone thinks their business has what it takes to get visible Google search results. Maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t.
If you do want immediate results, you can pay for inbound leads with a pay per click campaign. This gives you the advantage of fast conversions and helps you gain valuable search engine data you can apply organically. And remember, your landing pages must be relevant and valuable to visitors, so content quality is ever important with paid campaigns.
If you want to succeed in organic SEO, know what it takes. With some care and focus on building out valuable content using a simple and focused keyword strategy, you can get better results in a matter of months or even just weeks.
To sum it all up, companies with enduring success in digital marketing “make money the old-fashioned way, they earn it!”
