SEO stands for search engine optimisation
SEO. If you work in marketing, run a business or operate online, you’ve probably seen this three-letter abbreviation all over the internet or heard other business owners talk about it. But what does it mean – and is it actually important?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which in simple terms means the process of improving your website to increase its visibility for relevant searches. Is it important? You bet!
In a world of increasing online competition, businesses need to work extra hard to be seen and heard among their competitors in the digital space.
When you search for something on Google, those websites or results that show up on the first page of your search are employing a range of tactics to be there, namely Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Google Ads or Search Engine Marketing (SEM). The more popular the search term, the harder they have worked to be there. This is known as ‘ranking’ and it’s important that you aim to achieve the best ranking possible to push your business to the top of the search page.
The purpose of SEO
To drive organic traffic and sales to your site. This means visitors discover your site through search, and then click on your link rather than via an advertisement.Good SEO improves the chances of your website being ranked in the top ten, and therefore showing on the first page. Search results are dictated by Google’s algorithm, a complex system of ranking factors used to retrieve data from its search index to instantly deliver the best possible results for a query. These algorithms are changed often, which might mean adjusting keywords and high-ranking pages on your site to identify and tap into new SEO opportunities regularly. Engaging an SEO expert to help keep you ahead of the game is a good strategy.
When people type a search word or term into Google, the site searches for the most relevant content it can find and orders the results based on what it thinks you are looking for. These results are based on several factors which include:
- keyword usage in your site’s headings, meta data and page content. A keyword is a word that best describes the content on your page and the word a customer is most likely to search for.
- site speed and how your site is laid out
- the amount of time people spend on your site and what other pages they visit (the ‘bounce rate)
- the number and quality of inbound links i.e., links coming from another website to your own.
If you’re struggling to get your site ranking on the front page in search, it is likely that a combination of the above will be playing a part in hindering top results. But don’t worry, it’s nothing that can’t be improved, and it’s where an SEO specialist can really help.
At Hi Ho we start right at the beginning to test your site performance including ranking and speed, to diagnose where your biggest problems lie. Then we apply our rigorous expertise to make improvements right across your website. This may be in design, layout, keyword use or high-quality content. Our goal is to build your site’s visibility, increase inbound links and boost your ranking based on relevant, quality site content. Once your site is looking and performing better, you might then turbo-charge your Google ranking and dramatically improve your chances of showing up on the first page of search, by advertising through Google Ads
Google Ads
Also known as ‘Cost per Click’ or CPC – it is a service that allows you to pay for your website listing to show up, based on parameters that you control and set.Centered around specific keywords they want to target, businesses pay to get their advertisements or services ranked at the top of the search results page. When used right, Google Ads can help you precisely hone-in on your audience and drive conversions quickly. But the costs can add up if you don’t really know what you are doing or don’t set up a campaign properly.
The upshot
Remember, done well, good SEO is a FREE way to boost your site rankings in search. Ad campaigns do cost; however, they will instantly lift your web-based traffic. Which is right for you? Let’s talk through the options together. When you work with Hi Ho, you work with a small team of experts who are hell bent on making a difference to your marketing ROI. We offer great SEO and can guide you on a cleverly crafted CPC campaign. It might be one, it might be the other, it might be a combination of both. But working together, we can take your business to infinity and beyond.