SEO 101: A Guide for Business Owners

Gaining Insight into SEO: What Matters Most

SEO is a must-have for any website looking to increase visibility and drive traffic in today's digital landscape. But what is SEO, and how can you utilize it effectively?

Understanding how search engine optimization (SEO) works is key for any business owner looking to take full advantage of their website’s visibility.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is about ensuring your website appears at the top of search engine results when people search for keywords related to your business. It's a way to increase the number of visitors to your website by ensuring it's easy for search engines to understand what your website is about and that it's relevant to those searching for those keywords.

To optimize, we use different techniques, like researching the right keywords, ensuring your website is structured correctly, and optimizing your website's content to ensure it's relevant and valuable to your target audience. This way, when people search for related keywords, your website will appear at the top of search engine results and bring more organic traffic to your website.

According to Moz.com, appearing on the first page of Google increases website traffic by up to 300%.

Imagine what a 300% jump in web visitors could mean for your business. SEO offers the potential to make it happen! Keep reading to find out more about maximizing its impact on your website's growth and success.

Now that you know what SEO is and what it can do — let's dive a little deeper into on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and keywords - three key components of effective SEO.

On-page SEO is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It involves making sure that your website pages are optimized for search engines by optimizing URL structure, titles, headings, meta tags, and content to ensure that your website is visible on a search engine’s results page and can attract potential customers. By ensuring that all areas on your page are optimized with relevant keywords and targeted phrases, you will be able to show up more prominently in searches related to those terms. Additionally, by optimizing internal links on each page of your site, you will help web crawlers understand which pages are important and also help visitors easily find their way around your site.

Off-page SEO is essential to any successful SEO campaign. It allows businesses to achieve higher rankings in search engine results pages and drive more organic traffic to their site. Off-page SEO involves link-building social media engagement, content syndication, and local business listing submissions.

Keywords are essential for successful SEO campaigns, as they allow users to target relevant search terms when looking for what they need. It's important to research the most effective keywords related to your business to create targeted content that will reach the right audience. Using the right keywords in titles, headings, descriptions, and content will make it easier for search engines to identify your website and boost its ranking in search engine results pages. Additionally, use these keywords sparingly, as this could result in a lower rank in SERPs (Search Engine Results Page).

The short answer: Yes! You can DIY your SEO, but it's no picnic!

DIYing your SEO requires patience and dedication, leaving many business owners scratching their heads. How many business owners do you know that have lots of free time?

According to a study by Cognitive SEO, the average amount of time spent working on SEO per week was 8 hours, while the median was 20 hours. Another survey found that most business owners spend approximately 3 - 5 hours a week optimizing their websites. These statistics help illustrate how successful SEO requires a significant investment of time and resources to produce tangible results.

Suppose you’re like most business owners and don't have the time or resources for DIY SEO —having a reputable SEO company by your side can be incredibly valuable. Unfortunately, some imposters on the web offer subpar services at best - so how can you tell what makes for an ideal partner?

Next, we'll dive deep and highlight these critical differences, ensuring that your organization finds the perfect match!

Finding an SEO provider to help boost your website's performance can be tricky. Don't fall for companies who promise quick fixes or guarantees of rankings within a specific time frame—they're likely too good to be true!

Many providers offer SEO services for just a few hundred dollars per month, but in reality, it takes much more than that to produce any tangible results. SEO is an intricate and time-consuming process requiring significant investment, so if you encounter a provider who claims they can get you results on the cheap, it's likely too good to be true.

Always be wary of providers who cannot articulate how specifically their services will benefit your website or cannot show any evidence of past successful campaigns for other clients. If a provider is offering results for a low price, they are likely using questionable tactics or outdated methods. This can actually hurt your website ranking rather than improve it, as Google and other search engines are actively punishing websites for using black hat SEO techniques.

When looking for a reliable SEO provider, ask for proof of their work. Look for case studies, client testimonials or references from satisfied customers, and detailed information about their approach to SEO. Additionally, if the provider is pushing you to sign a multi-year contract without giving you enough time to evaluate their performance beforehand, this may be another red flag.

SEO is essential to generating online business. Investing in professional services to improve your website's visibility and drive traffic is crucial. While DIY SEO may seem like a cost-effective solution, it's important to consider the limitations and potential risks before deciding to go down that route.

Hiring a professional SEO company can give you access to the necessary knowledge, expertise, and tools to effectively optimize your website and drive traffic. Professional SEO companies stay up-to-date with the latest SEO techniques and algorithms, ensuring that your website stays ahead of the competition. Additionally, they can provide regular reporting and analytics, allowing you to track your website's progress and make data-driven decisions.

At LCMS Solutions, we provide a full suite of SEO services to help your website reach its full potential. Contact us today for a free consultation and find out how we can help you succeed online!