What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Basically, it's how search engines know what your website is all about. When search engines look for answers around the internet it prioritizes specific keywords to narrow the search criteria. Understanding a little about these keywords and other factors that search engine bots look for will help improve your website traffic.
According to Moz Pro’s guide to SEO “While paid advertising, social media, and other online platforms can generate traffic to websites, the majority of online traffic is driven by search engines.” they also say “SEO is also one of the only online marketing channels that, when set up correctly, can continue to pay dividends over time. If you provide a solid piece of content that deserves to rank for the right keywords, your traffic can snowball over time, whereas advertising needs continuous funding to send traffic to your site.”
I encourage you to check out the Moz Pro Beginner’s Guide to SEO to take a deep dive into SEO training.
For now, here are a few quick things you can do to boost SEO on your website…
Research prominent keywords for your industry and make sure they show up on your home page. (Moz also has a great Keyword Explorer to help identify important keywords)
Make sure to test all the links on your website and ensure they don’t lead to 404 pages. Search engines will rank your site lower if it finds too many broken links.
Update website content often. According to Michigan Tech “Regularly updated content is viewed as one of the best indicators of a site's relevancy, so be sure to keep it fresh.” A blog can be a great way to regularly have fresh content on your site. It’s also a good idea to read through your main pages at least once a year to be sure that the content is accurate.