Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in a search engine's unpaid results. It is a long-term process that requires careful planning and implementation of steps designed to improve organic search engine rankings. The first step to optimizing a website for SEO is keyword research. Researching relevant keywords is essential to creating web content optimized for search engines.
Keyword research is the backbone of search marketing and one of the most valuable activities in the field. It involves understanding the current search environment and your keywords. Researching a lot of keywords is necessary to determine which terms are valuable. When done correctly, keyword research will not only determine which terms and phrases to target with SEO, but it will also help you to know your customers and your business as a whole.
There are several ways to conduct keyword research, but here's our strategy here at Swell. First, identify which section of your site receives the most traffic. Those sections or pages are valuable to your site and deserve further keyword research, optimization, and content development. Then, use online tools such as Google's Keyword Planner to see which terms have a good volume. Aim for keywords that have at least 100 searches per month, unless it has been determined that a niche term is very valuable to the company, in which case a smaller volume is acceptable.
Once you have identified the relevant keywords, you can start implementing them into your website. This includes optimizing titles, meta descriptions, headings, content, images, and URLs for SEO. Additionally, you should create content around those keywords and link internally between pages on your website. This will help search engines understand what your website is about and how it should be ranked.
Finally, you should monitor your website's performance in organic search results. This includes tracking rankings for target keywords, analyzing organic traffic trends, and monitoring backlinks from other websites. By doing this regularly, you can identify areas where you can improve your SEO strategy and make sure that your website is performing well in organic search results.
These seven steps are essential for optimizing any website for SEO. By following them carefully, you can ensure that your website has what search engines are looking for and can start attracting traffic, leads, and sales from organic search.
