Why you need SEO

Search Engine Optimization, better known as SEO, can make or break the performance of a website. Today it’s not enough to have nice photos and colours in a Web Design. Many think that is all we need to attract more customers. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Search engines like Google have to determine which of the billions of websites should rank on page one. To do so, they have developed over 200 criteria that web designs must adhere to. The more your website coincides with these criteria, the better chance your website will have in the rankings.

Search engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization, better known as SEO, impacts your rankings within Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), SEO can make or break the performance of a website. Today it’s not enough to have nice photos and colours in a Web Design and think that is all we need to attract more customers. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Search engines like Google have to determine which of the billions of websites are worthy of ranking on page one. To do so, they have developed over 200 criteria that web designs must adhere to. The more your website coincides with this criteria, the better chance that your website will come up high in search results for important Keywords.

What is On-Page SEO?

On-Page SEO consists of including the elements and parts of a website, both visible and hidden HTML source code, that indicates to search engines what your website is all about and if your site is relevant to place in the search results.

The On-Page SEO that you can see are things like the actual content or words on the page. With today’s artificial intelligence Google can actually “read” your pages. Google checks for grammar and spelling mistakes as well as understanding the message you are trying to present.

Behind the scenes is the HTML and CSS code that need to adhere to best practices, otherwise this can hinder search results.

And currently one big piece of On-Page SEO is User Experience.

User Experience

User Experience or UX, is now becoming the hot topic of the day. In a world of instant gratification, users expectations of websites are more critical than ever and your website needs focus on pleasing your visitors.

Visitors want several things.  Fast loading pages, easy navigation, and content that INSTANTLY indicates that the page they have come to answers the questions they searched for. Without addressing your visitors needs, they will quickly go elsewhere.

What is Off-Page SEO?

Off-Page SEO is the extra work that promotes your website around the internet.

Building Backlinks is a better-known part of Off-Page SEO. This involves getting other quality websites to link to your website from theirs. But beware, building backlinks the wrong way can severely penalize your website. Google wants a natural link building process and will reward those sites that do so.

Other methods can include Social Media Marketing and listing on Local Business Directories.  These directories can include Link Building but are also referenced by search engines for consistency of content and provide added promotion for your business.

Local Search

Optimizing for Local Search is yet another part of SEO.  Especially useful for brick and mortar business that serve a small community. Local Search can be much easier for a website to rank for depending on the level of competition.

Local Search works by showing local businesses first when searching for a product or service. Google knows where you are searching from. They realize that if you are looking for a nice restaurant, you probably are probably looking for one close to your location and will show those results first.

Companies that serve a larger area and are looking for business throughout the State or Country will need extensive Search Engine Optimization. Because of the larger area of focus, you will need more SEO on a continued basis. Local businesses have a much easier approach since competition is usually at a minimum.