SEO, Explained… In a way That Actually Makes Sense
Most of us have heard the term. Some of us have used it in conversation. But do we really know what we’re talking about when we say, “SEO?”
If you’re a business owner, you’ve probably heard that SEO is important for your online presence. I would even bet that you’ve Googled, “what is SEO?” and stored the meaning of the acronym deep in your brain in a box labeled “web developer jargon that I don’t need to know.” Then moved on to bigger and better things, like running your business.
But search engine optimization–SEO–is more than just jargon. It’s a concept you need to understand if you want to build a strong brand. Knowing what an acronym stands for isn’t enough to truly understand what SEO means. So let’s dig in.
Search Engine Optimization–What is it, really?
SEO is deliberately combining strategies (or “optimizing”) to rank your website higher on Google (you know, the “search engine.”) Some people mistake this to mean adding more keywords to their web pages and hitting a certain word count. That’s a disservice to their websites–there’s a lot more that goes into it than that.
Imagine that Google has millions of tiny robots crawling around the Internet. It’s the robots’ job to look over your website and figure out whether or not it would be helpful to people who are searching for something. According to SEO pro Semrush, Google holds 72% of the share of search engine traffic in the US. [1] Google's goal is to keep its spot as the #1 search engine online. To stay an industry leader, it needs to recommend web pages that actually provide us with what we’re looking for.
That’s the simple explanation. Here’s what makes it complicated: Google’s algorithm is locked up tighter than KFC’s 11 secret herbs and spices. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It levels the playing field. It helps authentic websites like ours beat the bots and bad guys in search result rankings, hypothetically.
I say hypothetically because ranking high on Google isn’t a happy accident–it usually takes deliberate planning, research, and formatting to get there. If someone were to search something like “wedding planner” they would get millions of results. But if they had you in mind, and searched for a wedding planner by your name in your location, it would be much easier to find your website. Unfortunately, potential clients don’t usually type that much into the search box.
Why should you care about this?
Let me answer with another question–do you want people to find your website? Or better yet, would you like your business to make money?
Google is a game you want to win. If you can optimize your web pages to make search engines recommend you more, then you’ll get more traffic to your website. Which will ultimately grow your audience and client base. And increase sales.
But you might be doing things right now that are hurting your SEO without even knowing it. (Do you have the same wording published anywhere twice, like on your website and your Facebook page? The bots told Google you’re a plagiarizer. And not to be trusted, or recommended.)
It’s important to know the guidelines and rules so that you don’t break them. Like I said, it’s a game, and you can’t win a game if you don’t know the rules. By the way, the rules change. Often. As if this weren’t hard enough, SEO experts say that Google updates its algorithm daily, sometimes releasing several updates within 24 hours. [2]
Are you thinking, “Okay, this sounds really complicated. How am I supposed to play a game with secret rules that change all the time?”
You’re not the only one who’s asked that question. SEO gives almost everyone a headache, sometimes even me. The good news is that optimizing your website isn’t that hard. You just need to put in the research to know what you’re doing. And then you need to put in the research for every webpage, blog, and piece of copy you publish to make sure that you check all the boxes and give the bots what they want.
If you don’t want–or have time for–the SEO headache right now, let me handle it for you. I know the science behind it. I stay up to date with industry research. And I put in the work to make sure each page and post on your website tells Google, “Recommend me to your users!” I’m not going to promise you the #1 spot on Google for a search term, because that’s impossible to guarantee. (Please steer clear of copywriters that make promises they can’t keep.) But I can promise you that I’ll combine research-based strategies that are up-to-date in my copy, check the results over time, and adjust accordingly to get you results.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with me, and we can get started on what it takes to win the game. I provide wedding planners, venues, and vendors with meticulously researched, search engine optimized webpages and blogs. Let’s make your business a leader in the wedding industry.
P.S. I’m starting a series on my blog called “SEO Fact of the Month!” In it you’ll find what I wish I knew about SEO before I built my website. Check out my blog for information that will help you organically improve your search results and drive traffic to your website.
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