1 Word to Simplify SEO
You receive hundreds of e-mails, calls, Webinar requests, and more each month about how someone can get you better search rankings on the Internet.
Most of these messages go into your trash with a simple click of the delete button.
After all, all this data is overwhelming, and you need to focus on your work priorities.
You’ll deal with your search engine optimization (SEO) later.
Does this sound familiar?
There is a lot of search engine optimization information out there, and it can make your head spin, especially if you’re not quite sure what it is or what to do with it.
Well, to make it simple, SEO is simply providing valuable content to your target market and the search engines in order to increase online awareness.
Do you need to optimize your site?
With all of this being said, it’s important to deal with your SEO activities now.
After all, if your competition has an optimized site and you do not, guess where potential customers are going to go first online?
By optimizing your site for the search engines, you can increase the number of people who visit your site and buy your products and services.
“But Melanie, I’m not a techie, and I have no idea where to start with my SEO activities.”
Is this running through your head? Don’t worry.
SEO does not need to be difficult. To deal with the overwhelming amount of SEO information out there, think about one word:
VALUE
The key to having a good Website that attracts traffic is value.
With this in mind, ask yourself these questions:
• What keeps your target market up at night?
• How can you solve their problems?
• What words do you think your target market will use to search for your products and services online?
• What words do your competitors use?
Think about your answers, research what your competitors are doing and develop your messaging based on this data. Then, use this information to provide your target market with the solutions they seek.
Write your website copy so that it includes this information and provides value. Your content should be easy to read and get to the point fast.
And in your writing process, sprinkle in your top keywords in your headlines, sub-headlines and links. This way, the search engines, and your customers, will start to notice you.
This is just the beginning of your SEO activities…
Now, this simple process will help you start your SEO activities. But note that you’ll need extensive keyword research, special coding, monitoring, and regular updates to fully optimize your site for the search engines.
And while you can learn this process yourself, you may want to set aside a budget for an SEO copywriter to help you. This way, you can focus on your core, business responsibilities and avoid wasting time and hassles. Plus, the amount of site traffic and sales you receive can more than cover the cost of outsourcing your SEO needs.
Want more tips about the SEO process? Please write to me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com.
June 28th, 2011 at 11:28 am
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for emphasizing the importance of keyword-rich content. I think the best way for businesses to add that content is to blog regularly. As a small business owner, if you blog with relevant, keyword-rich posts, you’ll be the one keeping competitors up at night.
Thanks again,
Paul
June 28th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your nice comments. Yes, blogs are a great way to talk to your customers while getting noticed by the search engines. They take time, but they are worth the effort!
All the best,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
June 30th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Personally, I would put more stock into the author of the article if she were more honest in the title. She uses a seemingly impossible solution to grab your attention and then provides the same entry level thinking everyone already knows.
I was disappointed.
The best answers come from putting yourself in the shoes of your client to understand how they think (or search), implement the actions you deem valuable and then deliver more than they expect. Communicate and always revise your approach.
It’s just common sense.
June 30th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Sorry…didn’t mean for that to sound so harsh,
July 1st, 2011 at 6:01 am
Hi Rick,
No worries. I’m glad you added your comments. After all, this site is geared towards new entrepreneurs who may not know where to begin when it comes to SEO. When you focus on providing value to your customers, it can make the overwhelming process of SEO a little easier.
Thanks,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Melanie,
Nice post. It’s funny - I know lots of SEO ‘tricks.’ Content spinning, embedded RSS feeds, keyword stuffing, etc. But recently (especially after the Panda update) I’ve been trying to unlearn them all and instead focus on providing valuable content to my audience. Man, if I could get back all the time (and money) I’ve wasted on SEO.
Rob
July 5th, 2011 at 8:30 am
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your message. And don’t worry. I think you are in the same SEO boat with many others.
It’s always good to focus on valuable content, and now you are on the right path to avoid wasting time and money with your SEO efforts.
All the best,
Melanie, rembrandtwrites.com