You may have been scrolling around the internet, or maybe you heard your colleagues mention SEO and wondered what it means. Because who doesn’t love a good acronym? Right? Well SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is often mentioned alongside SERP. These two acronyms go hand in hand because SERP means Search Engine Results Pages, which reflects how high up in the search results you are placed.

SEO Optimization is essentially just the process of changing/improving your website to obtain better visibility for search engines and people searching for what it is you offer. It used to be relatively simple, just use a bunch of keywords and a few other things, and you could expect to rank quite well. But this is no longer the case, there is now a multitude of factors considered. If search engines notice that you are just stuffing keywords everywhere, so much so that the copy feels awkward, this will actually negatively affect your ranking.

Search Engines are constantly changing and so are their rules for how to rank better, some things remain relatively the same, but if you want to rank well constantly, it’s best to keep up-to-date on the latest SEO practices. Here are seven simple things you can do to optimize SEO ranking.

Keywords and keyphrases

Finding the right keywords/phrases for your content may sound difficult, but it’s not that complex, there are also programs that can help you with finding the right keywords. If you don’t want to invest your money into a keyword tool just yet, then do it yourself.

Think about what you’re writing about, try wording it a couple of different ways or using other words to explain it. Then with these do some competition checking. Write these keywords/phrases into your search engine, see what pops up and look for what other keywords they’re using.

Write authoritative content

No matter if your website is a blog, or just to sell your handmade crafts: if you would call yourself an expert in your field, then you really should start writing quality content to help increase site traffic. Search Engines love content of authority and relevance. 

Image descriptions and tags

This may seem pointless to add, but it really does help. When adding images to your article whether they be photos, infographics, or any other type of graphic, write a description (alt tag) for the image. If possible include your keyword/phrase, and don’t worry, this description won’t be seen by your visitors, just by search engines.

Internal links

Linking to your own previously published article is good for a couple of reasons, firstly, it keeps people on your site. Secondly is because it helps search engines find, index, and understand the array of your content. It also presents you as somewhat authoritative in your field.

An important thing here is to understand how to link (internal or external,) always link to the word/s that are referencing your point. For example, you can read our article on things to check before launching your website is very informative to both readers and search engines. Don’t just paste the link, embed it in the relevant text.

Backlinks

Other than getting your name and content out there, and writing good quality and authoritative content, there’s not much else you can do for backlinks. Backlinks are when other websites link to your website for various reasons -usually because you have written some great content that they want their visitors to read. 

These are great because they make the appeal of your website go up significantly for search engines. So... In short, just write good, knowledgeable content.

Social Media

The biggest impact social media will have on your website is getting your name out there, fast if done correctly. But not just this, your content may get extensively distributed, as more people like and comment on your posts it stays relevant for longer. These are great as an alternative form of SEO as it increases brand recognition and reputation.

The important side of this for SEO is that search engines recognize the likes, comments, and shares and this helps your ranking in the likes of Google and Bing.

Google Analytics

If you're still struggling with your SEO ranking, and you’re not sure what’s wrong. Give Google Analytics a try. It gives you an array of useful information for you to better understand who is visiting your website, how long they’re staying, and how they’re finding you. You can even find out where your visitors are from, so if you’re trying to sell things in Australia, but 80% of your visitors are from Bulgaria, well your marketing or something else is off. 

Google Analytics has lots of information to see and digest, it’s daunting at the start. Perhaps watch a few YouTube videos to understand it and find which functions you need most.

In the end, there truly is no substitute to great content for SEO purposes. If you’re a blogger but you’re not ranking well, consider enrolling in an SEO or some other writing course to improve your content. If you’re selling your art, or handmade crafts then consider adding a blog to your website where you publish detailed plans for what you make, write articles about tips and tricks for budding enthusiasts, and share your knowledge and wisdom.

Lastly, don’t try and make your article qualify for two different topics (keywords.) As an example “What is SEO?” and “A Guide to SEO” work well together. But “What is SEO?” and “Website Building” are similar, but not close enough to try and use both. Stick to specific keywords/phrases and write your content in a friendly and understandable way. These will do wonders for your SEO ranking.