SEO & Why Marketers Should Be All Over It!

Hey there readers (or so far no readers!)
I am slowly working through Inbound Marketing University's training program and one of the assignments was to write a blog about how SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is so important in today's web marketing and so that's what I'm going to do!

So why is SEO so important? Well there are a a few different reasons. First of all, would you believe that over 14 BILLION people perform searches online each month? That is a lot of searches. Searches that you or your business could be utilizing! Honestly, everyone goes to the web for information these days. In fact, I use Google on my iPhone to settle friendly debates with my friends at least ten times a month and that is just when I'm out and about with no computer in front of me! Think of how many times you search a topic and look for information online each day.... yes it's a lot. Any business owner should want to jump all over that and make sure their voice is heard when their target market searches for what they sell! So how do they do that? Well a must is to find keywords that potential buyers type in to search products and use them in the most relevant and smart way possible so that their content on websites are reachable by search engines.
To make it a little easier to understand, Lee Odden, who is known as a SEO and Social Media GENIUS defines SEO as

"A set of methodologies that make it easier for search engines to find, index, categorize and rank web content"

So what should you as a business owner be doing to utilize SEO? 

1. Make sure your content is reachable by search engines. (If you don't know how here is a helpful little article that may help!
2. Add content often! The best thing to do is add content at least three times a day!
3. Organize your content logically (themes/categories)  unlike my blog at the moment, but I promise in a few months it'll get better and much more topical!
4. Make your keywords exist in content and in internal text links (Keywords in links, pictures, videos..etc)
5. Having a lot of excellent websites linking in to you
6. Monitor and Adjust and then do it all over again!

Now finding the right keywords may take some time, but as you continue to build your website and monitor your customers needs you will be able to find them! Another great way is to survey your customers, poll them, talk to your customer service staff and research, research, research!

There are keyword tools that can help you in this process. Here are a few that are free:
Google Keyword Tool
Double Click Ad Planner
Wordtracker

A good start would be to look at your competitor's websites as well and find out their keywords!

Once you get the hang of SEO you can really start to maximize and use your keywords in all sorts of places within your website! Here are some areas to consider:

• Title Tags
• Headings
• Paragraph Titles
• Keywords in body of your copy
• Anchor texts in links
• Image ALT texts (image descriptions and file names)
• Meta description tags (description of links below search results)

As you can tell I have not optimized this website yet, but that's why I started this blog. So I can learn and become awesome at it! Prepare your mind to be dazzled as my expertise gains momentum!

If you would like to learn more take a look below! This is the video of the Inbound Marketing University Class on SEO by Lee Odden... I suggest you watch it to learn more! It sure taught me a lot!


SEO Crash Course to Get Found (GF102)