The Internet Is Growing
According to statistics by InternetLiveStats.com, over 3.5 billion searches are made every day. Is your site near the top of search results when an internet user searches for the products or services you offer? According to BigCommerce.com, 51% of Americans (that’s just Americans) shopped online in 2017, and the number is growing fast.
Search engine optimization is one small business marketing tip that’s neglected by lots of entrepreneurs because they believe that it is difficult and complex to understand. However, those who decide to learn and know more about SEO understand how valuable it can be to sales and business.
When Google published its first free publication, How Search Works (which explains the things it considers when deciding what ranks were in search results,) it said that the Internet is made up of “over 30 trillion individual pages”. And that’s way back in 2013.
Competition is Growing
As long as the World Wide Web continues to grow, competition will also grow.
We all know that there are only ten spots on the 1st page of Google’s search results page. This number has remained constant since it was rolled out back in 1998. As more content is added to the web competing for the same ten spots, it can be very hard to achieve any meaningful results.
This also means that the longer search engine optimization is delayed, the further behind you will fall.
Here Are 6 Things to Consider Doing in 2019 To Stay Ahead of the Curve
- Start Now
According to a survey done by Capital One Park Business in 2015, about 17% of small businesses invest in SEO New York services. That, therefore, means that the other 83% do not!
It can take eight to twelve months for a brand new website to gain some ground using natural organic SEO tactics. Any expert on the matter will tell you as much. Ranking a website involves 200+ different factors; not forgetting hundreds of sites being made and updated every day.
It is, therefore, advisable that you start optimizing your website now! Starting is often the hardest part, but if you do not start, then you’ll continue falling further behind.
2. Do Not Go At It Alone
Search engine optimization is ever-changing, complex, and far-reaching. While it’s not hard to find do-it-yourself SEO tutorials and tips on the web, I wouldn’t recommend going down that path.
Though small companies lack the purchasing power, capital, raw talent, brand recognition, and economies of scale that large companies have, the demand for your time is already too high for you to venture into SEO alone. For the best results, it is better to invest some money to hire a professional and have him/her handle SEO for you.
3.Learn the Basics
The former CEO and founder of Moz SEO Software said that search engine optimization is a long, ongoing investment. We could not agree more!
Since search engine optimization is an investment, it needs to be approached with the same attitude you would have when dealing with an important thing like buying a car or house or investing in business or education. Do some research, figure out which investment will suit your specific situation, then set out to earn it.
Teach yourself the basics of SEO. And the great thing is that all you need is a beginner’s guide to SEO. You do not have to learn how to differentiate 301 redirects from canonical tags or become a technical expert; the important thing is that you understand how Google ranks sites and how links, content, and usability influence results. At the very least, you should be able to identify bad advice when it’s given to you.
4.Seek Useful Advice
No business is the same. The best strategy and approach when it comes to optimizing a website should, therefore, be unique to your company/business.
With thousands of SEO companies out there, it worth remembering that some of them do not employ industry-sanctioned and Google-endorsed best practices. To improve your chances of hiring the right people and enjoying SEO success will, therefore, require you to take your time and consider a couple of things.
It’s worth noting that any SEO’s potential will only be as good as the quality of your website or business. Successful search engine optimization will help your website put its best foot forward, so it ranks accordingly that’s at a spot where any unbiased potential customer expects the site to be found.
As such, poor-quality websites will never rank highly on Google.
5.Quality First
Google rewards sites offering high-quality content to visitors. It actually says this on it Official Google Webmaster’s Central Blog.
The main aim for most of their ranking tactics is to ensure that people searching for information find websites that fulfill their needs and offer a great user experience. According to Google, their desire is to ensure that the “good guys” who are making outstanding websites, and not just algorithms, get their efforts rewarded.
How does the search engine company define quality? The good thing is that Google shares information on what it considers high-quality content through its Webmaster Guidelines.
While these guidelines are helpful and quite detailed, they are also quite much to consume which is why it is advisable that you seek advice from a professional SEO expert.
It is important to note that “fluff” (unhelpful, non-specific, common-place, duplicate, and inaccurate) content offers poor ROI (return on investment) and doesn’t provide compounding or lasting value over time. This is because it is not shareable, memorable, or even worthy of any mention online. Seek things that will earn your site exposure, links, and visits the key ingredients to successful online marketing.
Do your best to know and understand your customers’ pain points. Post content that exhibits expertise, understanding, and empathy. This way, you’ll win your audiences’ trust and gain a reputation for quality. If you achieve this, you’ll become the go-to resource for your visitors, and in return, they’ll willingly advocate your website for you.
6. Set Realistic Expectations
In conclusion, do not expect instantaneous results. However, you should expect to see some improvement at a rate comparable to the what you are willing to invest. With that being said, it is worth noting that the amount of investment to put in will differ from business to business.
Search engine optimization is a process like any other form reputation building or marketing. It’s all about hundreds of little and big things that will add up over time. It is, therefore, vital that you commit to getting found, providing value, and to your long-term vision. If you do this, you’ll soon outrank your competition and convert your site visitors into faithful, paying customers.