Most people have heard the term ‘SEO.’ You know it has something to do with your website reaching a larger audience, but exactly what is it? When shopping for an SEO agency, chances are you will come across a lot of technical terms, which makes it easy to feel overwhelmed. Asking questions can only help, whether you are new to SEO or a seasoned pro. Hiring an SEO agency is a significant undertaking, so BCI Media would like to help you make an informed decision. Our first bit of advice: breathe. We’re going to address some of the intimidating SEO questions you might be afraid to ask.
#1 – What is SEO?
SEO simply stands for search engine optimization. It refers to the process of maximizing your website visibility by increasing traffic which helps your site rank higher in search results. These techniques can take place on or off of your website. SEO works alongside a number of algorithms on search engines such as Google or Yahoo to rank the content on your site. The better your ranking, the higher you will appear in the search engine results pages or SERPs. The higher a business ranks, the better possibility it will be found over direct competitors.
#2 – On-page vs. Off-page SEO What’s the Difference?
On-page SEO refers to changes that are made directly to website pages to help it rank higher. This involves optimizing both the content and the source code of a webpage. Other examples could be adding keywords and meta descriptions to webpages. Off-page or off-site SEO refers to actions taken outside of a website that impacts your rankings within the SERPs. Examples include link-building from other pages and sites as well as Google My Business listings and citation optimization.
#3 – How Important is Social Media to SEO?
Social media is incredibly important to SEO. Google uses a business’s Facebook profile to verify local listings. So if a business doesn’t have a Facebook page, the local SEO is already diminished. Social media platforms directly influence factors that impact search rankings. If used correctly, a social presence has the potential to drive a larger audience of quality traffic to your site. The better and farther reaching your social media presence, the more robust your SEO will be.
#4 – Organic and Direct Traffic, What’s the Difference?
Organic traffic occurs when someone types a search query into a browser and finds your website in the SERP’s. Direct traffic occurs when someone goes directly to your website URL. For example, if you typed “digital agencies in Durango” into a browser, found bcimedia.com in the search results and clicked the link, that would be organic traffic. On the other hand, if you typed bcimedia.com directly in a web browser, that would be direct traffic.
#5 – How Many Keywords Should I Use?
Unfortunately, there’s no fast and simple rule, primarily because that’s not how to not be your focus. In fact, overusing keywords or using a keyword too many times can result in penalization due to “keyword stuffing.” Keep the reader’s experience in mind and use keywords only when appropriate so they flow into the sentence structure. As you create quality content you’ll find enough natural opportunities to include keywords.
#6 – Why Do I Need Alt Text on Images?
The answer is simple, search engines can’t ‘see’ images, but they can read text. The alt text helps search engines identify the images on your website. Additionally, if an image fails to load, users can determine what the image should be by reading the alt text.
#7 – Hyperlinks and Backlinks, What’s the Difference?
While they may sound similar, these two types of links are actually very different. A hyperlink is any link in your own website’s navigation. The link can take users to another page on your website or to another website entirely. A backlink is a one-way link from another website to yours. For good SEO, you want and need both types of links.
#8 – Do I Need to Know Code For SEO?
While there are some aspects of technical SEO that require basic coding skills, you don’t need to know how to code for every element of search optimization. There are many different skills necessary for great SEO but a large part of optimization is simply creating quality content.
#9 – Can I Do My Own SEO?
The short answer is yes. However, hiring a professional usually provides better results. After all, with the help of a YouTube video, you could likely do your own plumbing, but some things are better left to a pro. SEO specialists have the tools, knowledge and experience to ensure you’re targeting the ideal keywords for your industry. A specialist can create a strong content strategy, handle technical SEO and monitor algorithm updates. SEO can seem like a full-time job, it’s best left to professionals as long as you hire a reputable agency,
#10 – How Long Does it Take to See The Results of SEO?
It’s easy to become impatient with long-term strategies. We’ve said it before and will say it again, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes an average of 4-6 months to see true results from an SEO campaign. There are a few different factors that determine how quickly (or slowly) results will manifest. The amount and quality of the content you create, as well as the size of the website, are all factors to be considered. A large site could possibly see results in a couple of weeks if a search engine is regularly crawling their site. Smaller sites will most likely take longer because they are crawled less frequently. When you begin a new SEO campaign, wait at least a month, before you consider changing your SEO strategy.
Hopefully, this has provided answers to some of your SEO questions. Search engine rankings are the key to organic search. Now more than ever, the number of people searching the internet has exponentially increased, get involved in the conversation. If you still have SEO questions, call BCI Medial, we’ll be happy to help.