You don’t need to be a geek to use SEO in your Local Business
The Term SEO has become a new catch phrase amongst a number of business owners. Although I have heard a number of them say CEO when talking about SEO! When the term SEO is used its also seen as one of those things that only a true techie or geek could possibly understand. It’s seen as beyond the understanding of most business owners. My aim in this post is to demystify the term and simplify it for everyone to be able to use effectively in their business.
What is SEO?
SEO is the abbreviation for Search Engine Optimisation and according to Wikipedia SEO is “the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results” . Take a look below at a screen shot of the Google Search for attract more customers
If you take a look at the screenshot you’ll see that the top 3 positions and the links down the right hand side of the page are paid listings. Companies pay to appear high in the Google rankings and when a visitor clicks on their advertisement they pay Google. This is what is called pay per click and can be very expensive depending on how competitive are the search terms you want to list high for.
The area highlighted in yellow is known as the natural (or organic) listing which is unpaid. Your aim when using SEO effectively is to appear on the first page or no lower than the second page of Google Listings. This is where you want your listing to appear if you want to bee visible online. Think about it. Do you look further than the second page when doing a search on Google?
If you’re wondering what puts me in a position to write about SEO take a look at the screenshot and the long red arrow. Attract More Customers launched just 6 weeks ago and is already on the front page of Google for this search term!
How do you get to list high in the search engines you may be asking! SEO is a technique that can be learned. It involves getting your message out there. It starts with your domain name. Instead of calling your site by your name give it a name in terms of search terms that people look for online. The name Attract More Customers was deliberately chosen to give it increased visibility. Keywords (words that people use when they perform a search online) are important in ranking high in search engines.
Think about what keywords people would use when looking for your product or service. Link them together. As I pointed out earlier use them in your name. You could also use them in your tagline (your slogan). Use them in your signature. Use them everywhere you appear online.
If you’ve enjoyed this article and want to know more about using SEO in your local business click here.
Let me demystify SEO for you and improve your visibility online.
Enjoy SEO
Hi Anne
Good to be here again. I will now have to consider thinking of another domain name to optimize my exposure online. Thanks for explaining how the SEO works. I shall remember what you said about using keywords that people will use to attract more customers online.
Hi Irene
I can help you also will send you a You tube
link that help me a lot.
Regards
Theuns
Hi Theuns
Thanks for the tip …I shall look into it
Cheers
Irene
________________________________
Hi Anne
Thanks for a good info Pos.
We as a tribe help one anothe rhand in hand to get on the
1st page on Google.Well i app ly what you teach us and it work
all of my 4 last blogsis on the 1 or 2 page of google and on
the blogs on google therei am on the 1sr pag.
What i also do is to look at youtube video’sand that help me also
to set up my blog post 100% and i can see that it is working.
Keep up the grait work .
Thx
Theuns
It’s key to be on the first 2 pages of google. who looks any further? All your work could go to waste if no one knows about you.
Hi Anne
Thanks for a good info Pos.
We as a tribe help one anothe rhand in hand to get on the
1st page on Google.Well i app ly what you teach us and it work
all of my 4 last blogsis on the 1 or 2 page of google and on
the blogs on google therei am on the 1sr pag.
What i also do is to look at youtube video’sand that help me also
to set up my blog post 100% and i can see that it is working.
Keep up the grait work .
Thx
Theuns
Glad to hear that Theuns
Hi Anne
Thanks for a good info Pos.
We as a tribe help one anothe rhand in hand to get on the
1st page on Google.Well i app ly what you teach us and it work
all of my 4 last blogsis on the 1 or 2 page of google and on
the blogs on google therei am on the 1sr pag.
What i also do is to look at youtube video’sand that help me also
to set up my blog post 100% and i can see that it is working.
Keep up the grait work .
Thx
Theuns
Hey Anne, great intro to SEO.
You’ve obviously done a good job with your own SEO since you have the top rankings for your site name. More traffic comes from non paid than paid so people should focus on that instead of lots and lots of PPC, it can get expensive.
Good post!
BW
Hi Brandon
Thanks for your comment. Its so true. You can reach the top page of google without spending a lot of money on PPC.
Great introduction blog post for people that are just getting into the world of SEO. I have to say, it can be complicated and difficult, but the biggest trick is to have QUALITY content. It will take your website further than anything other tricks. At least that is my take and success with SEO
Hi Adrian
thanks for comment. The majority of my audience is offline businesses going online and its important that they have some knowledge of all the terms that are bandied around these days.
Keywords are very important for getting your blog, website, etc seen and traffic flowing to your sites. Overlook this one point and you will be doing your business and injustice! Great intro for SEO, thanks for sharing!
Hi LeeAnn
Keywording and SEO is a learned skill but it doesn’t have to be beyond the understanding of offline businesses. It’s important that brick and mortar businesses understand how to get attention online. A lot of information has been put out there that its too difficult and you have to pay a lot of money to do it. Its simply not true.
Keyword research and good SEO is something that many business owners overlook simply due to ignorance.
The next thing that can happen is the busy business owner hears about the importance of SEO and Social Media and decides he will take on the task himself but life gets in the way. This often results in him making a half hearted attempt at best on his SEO and Social Media to the detriment of his business. Generally, these business owners would not think about doing their own accounts or drawing up their own legal papers but many are not realising that poor SEO can have a huge negative impact on their business just like poor accounting and bad legal advice!
There are also many companies that claim to be the bees knees when it comes to SEO but their own website has an Alexa ranking in the millions – some have no ranking at all. I keep meaning to do a little blog post on this subject!
Have a good week Anne,
Hi Sadie
You express my sentiments exactly. It took a while for me to learn what I know now and a business owner should really think about outsourcing SEO and Social Media ,just like his accounting, to professionals like us who work with this technology all the time. Half hearted attempts can have the opposite effect on their business – a blog with out dated posts and profiles on social media that are incomplete give the impression that the business is out of business or struggling. Not an impression I believe that they want to give.
Black hat SEO techniques from so called professionals also result in a poor reputation for the business too.
Do let me know when you create that post Sadie. Have a great week.
Hi Anne:
I am still learning a lot of about SEO. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Blessings,
Kevin
Kevin Martineau recently posted..The greatest pain in life is not to die but to be ignored