3 Professional SEO Tips for Beginners
Go back to the very first day you ever heard the terrifying acronym "SEO." How did you respond?
If you're anything like me, it was with utter confusion and perhaps a bit of dread. This whole website building thing seemed okay until we were blindsided by an overwhelmingly new and complicated form of marketing, if you can call it that.
But years into it, we've realized that SEO does not have to be scary. Even if you're new to it, here are 3 professional SEO tips to make you look like a master even if you're just a beginner.
1. Write like a rock star.
Even if you're selling an amazing product or service, have fantastic testimonials, and a beautiful layout, people will NOT read your words if you don't write well.
This is the difference between web content and web copy. At the very least, web content is just that - the stuff contained in the space. Web copy, on the other hand, uses subtle marketing and sales techniques to pull the reader to the desired end point (usually buying your product or reserving your service).
There's an art to web copy, and it's one you ought to research more in depth. Check out a few books from the library or follow authoritative blogs on the matter. If you want to make money in this business, you'll need to be able to write and write well.
2. Get engaged.
SEO is never just the simple mathematics of search engine algorithms or pay-per-click marketing campaigns. You have to get engaged on a deep, social level.
For one, social media sites can send enormous traffic to your website. In fact, you might be getting more traffic to your site through Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ than any other search engine. That's a very good thing! These precious links show the various search engines that you know something that the average search engine user might find significant.
Plus, social media builds trust between you and your audience. You need to be found and you need to look good. Social media is one necessary feather in the SEO hat we all wear.
3. Know the numbers.
Ever wonder why you've stumbled upon so many shoddy websites with mediocre content in your online search experiences? We all have. Somehow, even front page search results are sometimes terrible. How did they ever make it that far?
Well, that's often part of the problem/solution with SEO. So much of it is a numbers game. If those people can do it, you definitely can (especially with these tricks).
The very first place to start is Google Analytics. We've written about this a lot in the past. Google will soon become your best friend. Okay?
In addition to all of the other resources they offer, Google also has a program that gives you specific numbers on where you visitors are coming from, how long they're staying, what they're clicking, and much more. Google Analytics is the number one place to go if you're unsure of what else to do.
Plus, they even have a Keyword Tool, which helps you pick the keywords to focus on when writing posts or content. Their Google Alerts system will email you regular updates regarding specific words or phrases, too.
Got any ideas to add to the list? Tell us below!